Comparison

BPL To Go vs GMILCS

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

Head to head
About

BPL To Go

Easily manage your Boston Public Library account on the go. Search the catalog, check item availability and due dates, renew items, and discover events and branch information.

Highlights
  • Search and filter catalog
  • Manage account and due dates
  • Renew items
  • Check holds
  • Download ebooks and audiobooks
  • Browse new arrivals and reviews
  • Find branch hours and events
Features
Read full description

Use BPL To Go to search titles, manage your account, check branch hours, and find out what's happening at the Boston Public Library. Features: • Quickly search and filter to find what you want • Get the details on any title, including descriptions, community reviews and commentary • Save titles to your ‘For Later’ list • Check title availability – and map the locations where it's available now • Instantly check your due dates and renew items • Check if your holds are ready • Find and download ebooks and audiobooks • Browse bestsellers, new arrivals, and recent reviews • Search our calendar of events for all locations • Check branch hours or get directions to your nearest branch

About

GMILCS

Access your library catalog from anywhere to discover books, movies, and games. Manage your account by placing holds, checking due dates, and renewing items across multiple participating libraries.

Highlights
  • Explore library catalog
  • Search books, movies, games
  • Place holds
  • Check due dates
  • Renew eligible titles
  • Access multiple libraries
Read full description

GMILCS allows you to explore your library on the go to find new books, movies, games, or your old favorites! Quickly search the entire catalog, including eContent, and place holds, check due dates and renew eligible titles from all GMILCS libraries. The GMILCS, Inc. consortium is comprised of the following New Hampshire libraries: the Amherst Town Library, the Bedford Public Library, the Danforth Library (New England College), the Derry Public Library, the Goffstown Public Library, the Hooksett Public Library, the Kelley Library (Salem), the Manchester City Library, the Merrimack Public Library, the Nesmith Library (Windham), the Rodgers Memorial Library (Hudson), and the Wadleigh Memorial Library (Milford).

Screenshots

BPL To Go4 screens
GMILCS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: GMILCS at every 5 weeks against BPL To Go's every 3 months. BPL To Go's advantage is ratings volume (22 vs 2). 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for BPL To Go against 4.0 for GMILCS. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BPL To Go has 22 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BPL To Go ships an update every 3 months, GMILCS every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
BPL To Go versus GMILCS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBPL To GoGMILCS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (22 ratings) — better4.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings22 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB56 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF THE CITY OF BOSTONGMILCS, Inc.

Customer experience

BPL To Go

All ratings22 ratings
Positive77.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.7%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

GMILCS

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

BPL To Go

No in-app purchases

None

GMILCS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BPL To Go free?
BPL To Go is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GMILCS free?
GMILCS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BPL To Go or GMILCS?
BPL To Go is rated higher. BPL To Go averages 4.1 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while GMILCS averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.
Do BPL To Go or GMILCS have ads?
Neither BPL To Go nor GMILCS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BPL To Go or GMILCS?
BPL To Go ships an update every 3 months, and GMILCS every 5 weeks. Most recently, BPL To Go was updated on November 6, 2026 and GMILCS on November 3, 2026.

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