# BKLYN Library vs Hearth.fish

The clearest difference is rating: Hearth.fish at 5.0 against BKLYN Library's 4.2. Hearth.fish also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 61%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). BKLYN Library's advantage is ratings volume (104 vs 4) and chart position (#207 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Hearth.fish holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BKLYN Library has 104 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of BKLYN Library's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hearth.fish's.

BKLYN Library ships an update every 5 months, Hearth.fish fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BKLYN Library | Hearth.fish |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (104 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bklyn-library/id6714283658/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearthfish/id6758597734/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **104** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 61.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#207** | — |
| Size | 2 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Brooklyn Public Library](https://appshunter.io/developer/1159769406) | [Samuel Ellis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1873878822) |

## What reviewers say

### BKLYN Library

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bklyn-library/id6714283658)

**Currently charting:** #207 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access and manage your library account from your mobile device. Browse physical and digital collections, manage checkouts and holds, and utilize mobile checkout features. The app also supports managing multiple library cards.

**Highlights:** Browse physical and digital collections, Manage checkouts and holds, Mobile checkout, Manage multiple library cards, Create booklists

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Efficient mobile checkout
- 💡 Scan ISBN barcode to find books
- 💡 Digital library card
- 👍 Great for placing holds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 🐛 App becomes slow and unusable
- 🐛 Requires frequent re-downloads
- 🐛 Blank screen or loading issues
- 🐛 Books disappear from checkouts/holds

**Reported bugs**

- App broken, page blank, books overdue
- App stops working after a while, needs re-download
- Mobile checkout involves buffering
- Constantly signing out, need to re-enter details
- Added accounts disappear after re-login

**Requested features**

- Bring back location finder with hours
- Keep users logged in
- Improve branch hours/closures display
- Allow offline access to library card


### Hearth.fish

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearthfish/id6758597734)

Discover books and connect with readers in your area. Browse virtual shelves, share your library, and find your next favorite read through real people. It also functions as a robust book tracker with ratings, reviews, and reading statistics.

**Highlights:** Explore nearby readers on a map, Browse friends' book shelves, Message friends and compare libraries, Track reading with ratings and reviews, Import library from Goodreads, Find books through people

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BKLYN Library free?

BKLYN Library is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hearth.fish free?

Hearth.fish is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BKLYN Library or Hearth.fish?

Hearth.fish is rated higher. BKLYN Library averages 4.2 out of 5 from 104 ratings, while Hearth.fish averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do BKLYN Library or Hearth.fish have ads?

Neither BKLYN Library nor Hearth.fish shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BKLYN Library or Hearth.fish?

BKLYN Library ships an update every 5 months, and Hearth.fish fortnightly. Most recently, BKLYN Library was updated on October 21, 2026 and Hearth.fish on October 16, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*