Comparison

Hoopla vs PCDL

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hoopla

Access a vast digital library of books, comics, movies, music, and more, all within a single application. Stream or download content for free with your library card, enjoying an ad-free experience and features like offline listening and dark mode.

Highlights
  • Stream and download content
  • Ad-free experience
  • Audiobooks and eBooks
  • Comics, manga, and graphic novels
  • Movies and TV shows
  • Music albums
  • Offline listening
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Borrow audiobooks, eBooks, movies, TV episodes, comics, and music, all in one app. No subscription. No ads. Just click borrow and press play. Hoopla works with your local public library to bring millions of titles to your phone, tablet, and TV. New titles are added every day, and many are ready to borrow the moment you find them. How it Works 1. Find your library in the Hoopla app 2. Sign in with your library card 3. Start borrowing and enjoy Audiobooks and eBooks - Bestsellers, new releases, indie authors, and classics - Romance, thrillers, fantasy, mystery, nonfiction, kids, teens, and more - Listen on your commute, at the gym, or while you wind down - Stream right away or download to enjoy later Movies and TV - Stream movies, TV shows, documentaries, and anime at home or on the go - Watch on iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV - SeasonPass lets you borrow a full season of a show and watch at your own pace - Family movies and kids' shows for your next movie night Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga - Superheroes, manga, graphic memoirs, and kids' comics - ActionView guides you panel by panel so you can take in every detail of the art Music - Borrow full albums from today's chart-toppers and all-time favorites - Shuffle music across your borrowed albums to build your own unique playlist Made for how you read, listen, and watch - Apple CarPlay for audiobooks and music on the road - Offline downloads, so you can enjoy borrowed titles without using data - Sleep timer for bedtime listening - Dark mode for comfortable late-night reading - Kids Mode for family-friendly browsing - Titles return automatically, so there are never late fees - Hoopla BingePass gives you seven days of access to a collection of premium content with one borrow All you need is a library card from a participating public library. Don't have one yet? Check with your local library about getting a card. Hoopla is offered in thousands of libraries. Available titles, formats, and borrowing limits vary by library. Titles are licensed, not owned, and availability may change at any time due to publisher agreements.

About

PCDL

Access your library account, manage checkouts and holds, and renew items. Search the catalog for physical and digital materials, including books, movies, and music. Discover and register for library programs and events.

Highlights
  • Manage library account
  • View checkouts and holds
  • Renew items
  • Search catalog for physical and digital items
  • Access digital media
  • Register for library programs
Features
Read full description

- Download the Portage County District Library’s mobile app and take the library with you anywhere you go! Access your library card & manage your library account: view checkouts and holds & renew items. Search our catalog for physical and digital books, magazines, movies, music and more! Access digital music, movies, magazine and comics content from providers like Libby, Kanopy, Flipster and hoopla. Find and register for library programs and events. Keep up with the latest news from the library. Connect with us on social media.

Screenshots

Hoopla4 screens
PCDL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Hoopla at 1.4M against PCDL's 3. Hoopla also leads on chart position (#5 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PCDL holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hoopla has 1.4M ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Hoopla versus PCDL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHooplaPCDL
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.4M ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.4M — better3
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#5 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB55 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMidwest Tape, LLCPortage County District Library

Customer experience

Hoopla

All ratings1,393,760 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews3,863 reviews
Positive72.3%
Neutral8.6%
Negative19.1%

PCDL

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Hoopla

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Issues with downloading and playing content
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
  • Problems with returning borrowed items

Requested features

5 requests
  • Increase monthly borrow limit
  • Add ability to preview audiobooks before borrowing
  • Improve page navigation and bookmarking
  • Enhance cross-device syncing
  • Introduce dark mode and customization options

PCDL

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Hoopla

No in-app purchases

None

PCDL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hoopla free?
Hoopla is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PCDL free?
PCDL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hoopla or PCDL?
PCDL is rated higher. Hoopla averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.4M ratings, while PCDL averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Hoopla or PCDL have ads?
Neither Hoopla nor PCDL shows ads.

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