BARD Mobile vs Boundless
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BARD Mobile
Access a vast digital library of audiobooks, electronic braille books, magazines, and music scores. This service is provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled to eligible US residents and citizens abroad who cannot read standard print.
- Tens of thousands of books
- Current best sellers and classics
- Popular magazines
- Music instruction and scores
- Audio and electronic braille formats
- New selections added daily
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CARRY A LIBRARY IN YOUR POCKET Access tens of thousands of books—from current best sellers to much-loved classics, popular magazines, and music instruction and scores—in audio and electronic braille, with new selections added daily. WHO IS ELIGIBLE? BARD Mobile is a service of NLS. NLS provides free audio and braille reading materials to residents of the US and American citizens living abroad who cannot read regular print. If you are blind or have temporary or permanent low vision or a physical or reading disability that prevents you from holding or reading the printed page, you may be eligible for this program. For more information, visit https://www.loc.gov/nls/about/eligibility-for-nls-services. HOW DO I GET STARTED? This app allows access for eligible users who have enrolled in the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the Library of Congress. To enroll, call 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323) and follow the prompts to find your state. Or to learn more at https://www.loc.gov/thatallmayread. If you are already an NLS patron, contact your cooperating NLS library to request a BARD account. You can find your library by visiting https://www.loc.gov/nls/find-a-local-library/. SUPPORT For support and help with BARD account issues, or to report bugs, email NLSDownload@loc.gov. For FAQ, visit https://www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/bard-access/nls-bard-frequently-asked-questions/. For the User Guides: https://www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/bard-access/bard-mobile-ios-version/
Boundless
Access a vast collection of ebooks, digital audiobooks, and videobooks from your local library or school. Enjoy a seamless reading, listening, and watching experience with personalized recommendations and engaging reading programs.
- Discover ebooks, audiobooks, and videobooks
- Read, listen, and watch in one app
- Personalized recommendations
- Join library reading programs
- Track reading progress and earn badges
- Customizable reading experience
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Boundless by Baker & Taylor gives users the ability to discover and enjoy ebooks, digital audiobooks, video and videobooks from their library or school on mobile devices. • Read, listen, and watch all in one app • Supports eRead-Along and videobook content • Recommendations based on your interests • Join reading programs and challenges from your library • See your progress and earn badges for reading achievements • Notetaking, bookmarking, page layout and font controls Boundless is a digital content service from Baker & Taylor, the premier distributor of books and entertainment products to libraries. Boundless Library is a service from Baker & Taylor, the premier distributor of books and entertainment products.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Boundless at 4.4 against BARD Mobile's 3.8. Boundless also leads on ratings volume (18K vs 187) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). BARD Mobile's advantage is review sentiment (58% vs 32%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Boundless holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boundless has 18K ratings behind it against 187, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of BARD Mobile's written reviews are positive against 32% of Boundless's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
BARD Mobile ships an update every 3 months, Boundless monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BARD Mobile | Boundless |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (187 ratings) | 4.4 (18K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.6% of reviews — better | 32.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 187 | 18K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 177 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Library Of Congress | Baker & Taylor |
Customer experience
BARD Mobile
Boundless
User reviews
BARD Mobile
From 187 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📚 Massive library of audiobooks and magazines
- 👍 User-friendly interface with VoiceOver support
- 🎙️ Human narrators instead of text-to-speech
- 📱 Convenient mobile access to books
- ⚡ Ability to download books offline
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent login and authentication failures
- 🐛 Download queue issues and stalled downloads
- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 📵 Poor braille display compatibility
- 🔌 Inconsistent VoiceOver and accessibility support
Boundless
From 18K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast access to books
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to navigate
- 🔒 Separate profiles for kids and adults
- 🎨 Customizable reading experience
- 📚 Wide selection of content
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent freezing and crashes
- ⏱️ Slow loading times
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and accessing books
- 📱 Incompatible with some devices
- 🔌 Requires internet connection for offline use
Bugs and requests
BARD Mobile
Reported bugs
20 issues- Login credentials cannot be decrypted error
- Device registration failed when logging in from different locations
- Downloads stuck in queue indefinitely
- App crashes on iOS 26 and recent iOS versions
- VoiceOver focus jumping unexpectedly
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- Braille books display gibberish or won't advance properly
- Search results disappear when switching apps or receiving calls
- Playback stops when screen turns off
- Wireless headset stop button not responding
- Sleep timer not working correctly
- Books not syncing across multiple devices
- Account marked as suspended without reason
- Password reset functionality broken
- Airplay 2 compatibility issues
- Siri commands inconsistent
- Playback lag and stuttering
- Books fail to extract after download
- Recent downloads cannot be cleared
- Braille display connection issues
- Tone adjustment button not functioning
Requested features
18 requests- Genre and category filtering for book browsing
- Cross-device synchronization of bookmarks and reading position
- Equalizer and pitch shifter controls
- More playback speed options
- Volume control within the app
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- Rewind/fast-forward button customization
- Favorites list feature
- Book request/suggestion feature
- Web browser access within the app
- Braille text display alongside audio
- Dark mode for reduced brightness
- Table of contents for short story collections
- Customizable reading lists
- Ability to cleanup recent downloads
- USB flash drive support for storage
- Better book series organization
- Faster book addition to library
- Book sharing feature between patrons
Boundless
Reported bugs
4 issues- Books disappearing from user's shelf
- Inability to return or renew books
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between profiles
- Audiobook playback issues
Requested features
5 requests- Improved page turning and navigation controls
- Ability to adjust margins and font settings
- Offline access to downloaded content
- Better integration with other reading apps
- More detailed progress tracking and analytics
In-app purchases
BARD Mobile
No in-app purchases
Boundless
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is BARD Mobile free?
Is Boundless free?
Which has better reviews, BARD Mobile or Boundless?
Do BARD Mobile or Boundless have ads?
Which is updated more often, BARD Mobile or Boundless?
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