Comparison

Libraries Hawaii vs Pagebound

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

Head to head
About

Libraries Hawaii

Access the Hawaii State Public Library System's catalog from your mobile device. Search for books and movies, manage your account, place holds, and discover library events and hours.

Highlights
  • Search library catalog
  • Place and cancel holds
  • Manage library account
  • Scan item barcodes
  • View item details and reviews
  • Find library events and hours
Features
Read full description

Hawaii State Public Library System's app takes library catalog to your iPhone and iPad - search library's collection, place a hold, manage your account and much more. Features: - Scan any item's barcode anywhere and see its availability in your library - Search for books, movies and other items on library's catalog - Get details item details including user reviews - Place and cancel holds - See checked out items - Find out about events at your library and working hours

About

Pagebound

This app allows users to discuss books in real-time forums tied to specific titles. Earn points and badges for tracking your reading progress and engaging with the community. Organize your reading list, rate books, and connect with fellow readers based on shared literary tastes.

Highlights
  • Book-specific discussion forums
  • Gamified reading challenges
  • Points and badge system
  • Organize TBR lists
  • Half-star book ratings
  • Anonymous reader profiles
Features
Read full description

Pagebound combines old-school internet forums with robust book tracking—every book has its own forum. We are indie, anti-AI, and built by 2 women. Discuss books as you read them, view reading stats, and earn points & badges for tracking your reading. EXPERIENCE SOCIAL READING Read with others, without the commitment of a book club. Whatever you’re currently reading, post thoughts, theories, ideas, reactions, and more to that book’s forum. Sort posts by % read to read along with people from all over the world. Anyone with that book in their library will see and can interact with your post, so it’s really easy to start discussions and make new reader friends. VIEW READING STATISTICS & WRAPUPS Everything you log on Pagebound powers robust reading statistics and monthly wrapups. Look back at your reading habits across beautiful charts and graphs. Share your reading progress at the end of each month with summary views. GAMIFY BOOK TRACKING Earn badges that reflect your reading taste by joining Quests. Accumulate points for logging your reading, sharing your thoughts, and contributing to the community. Showcase your badges on your profile and unlock fun rewards. ORGANIZE YOUR LIBRARY Plan your TBR (to-be read) by month or year. Rate books in half-star increments with sub-ratings for enjoyment, quality, characters, and plot. Track your books accurately with Interested, Paused, and DNF (did not finish) reading statuses. Mute books, track tandem reads, and more. MAKE READER FRIENDS Connect with other readers solely based on what you think and read. With anonymous profiles, no algorithm, and private follower counts, we connect readers based on shared taste in books, not clout. Terms of Use: https://support.pagebound.co/terms_of_use

Screenshots

Libraries Hawaii3 screens
Pagebound4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pagebound at 89% against Libraries Hawaii's 27%. Pagebound also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.7) and ratings volume (525 vs 17). Libraries Hawaii's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Pagebound sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Libraries Hawaii asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pagebound holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pagebound has 525 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Libraries Hawaii's written reviews are positive against 89% of Pagebound's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Libraries Hawaii ships an update every 6 weeks, Pagebound fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Libraries Hawaii versus Pagebound: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLibraries HawaiiPagebound
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (17 ratings)4.8 (525 ratings) — better
Positive reviews27.1% of reviews88.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings17525 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB64 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperChiliFresh.comPagebound LLC

Customer experience

Libraries Hawaii

Written reviews70 reviews
Positive27.1%
Neutral5.7%
Negative67.1%

Pagebound

All ratings525 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral1.7%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews338 reviews
Positive88.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative8.3%

Bugs and requests

Libraries Hawaii

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Pagebound

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Occasional spoilers in forums

Requested features

2 requests
  • Save reading progress across forums
  • Dark mode option

In-app purchases

None

Libraries Hawaii

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Pagebound

Subscriptions1
  • Pagebound Royalty$9.991 Month

Questions

Is Libraries Hawaii free?
Libraries Hawaii is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pagebound free?
Pagebound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Libraries Hawaii or Pagebound?
Pagebound is rated higher. Libraries Hawaii averages 1.7 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Pagebound averages 4.8 from 525 ratings.
Do Libraries Hawaii or Pagebound have ads?
Neither Libraries Hawaii nor Pagebound shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Libraries Hawaii or Pagebound?
Libraries Hawaii ships an update every 6 weeks, and Pagebound fortnightly. Most recently, Libraries Hawaii was updated on October 23, 2026 and Pagebound on October 28, 2026.

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