# Chicago Public Library vs StoryGraph

The clearest difference is rating: StoryGraph at 4.5 against Chicago Public Library's 3.5. StoryGraph also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 32%) and ratings volume (3.6K vs 64). Chicago Public Library's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. StoryGraph sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Chicago Public Library asks for nothing beyond the download.

StoryGraph holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StoryGraph has 3.6K ratings behind it against 64, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of Chicago Public Library's written reviews are positive against 70% of StoryGraph's.

Chicago Public Library ships an update every 2 months, StoryGraph monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chicago Public Library | StoryGraph |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-public-library/id742936884/reviews) | **[4.5 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 64 | **3.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 31.9% of reviews | **70.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | **#42** |
| Size | 22 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [City of Chicago](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441580122) | [The StoryGraph](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570489926) |

## What reviewers say

### Chicago Public Library

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-public-library/id742936884)

Manage your library account, search the catalog, and discover new titles. Track borrowed items, place holds, and find events. Use your digital library card for in-person checkouts.

**Highlights:** Manage checked out items, Place holds on materials, Renew borrowed items, Search library catalog, Track reading history, Browse new titles, Find library events

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and helpful app
- 📚 Love the library and audiobook features
- ✨ Pretty good app for a government agency
- ✅ Easy to reserve books and see waitlist
- 🚀 Seamless public library experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constantly logging out
- 🐛 Cannot log back in
- 🐛 App not opening
- 🐛 Takes user out of audiobook browser
- 🐛 Confusing ebook download process

**Reported bugs**

- App is CONSTANTLY having issues
- Logs me out and I can’t get back in
- Often miss holds due to no notifications
- Repeatedly logged out, or can’t log in at all
- Not opening since 4/2/2024

**Requested features**

- Add notifications for holds
- Add library card to Apple Wallet
- Improve audiobook browser experience
- Provide direct download links for ebooks
- Display library alerts prominently


### StoryGraph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264)

**Currently charting:** #42 Top Free · Book, #126 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Track your reading habits with insightful stats and personalized book recommendations powered by AI. Discover new books based on mood, pace, and genre, and connect with friends for shared reading experiences.

**Highlights:** Import Goodreads data, Personalized book recommendations, Track reading habits with stats, Discover books by mood and pace, Read with friends (buddy reads), Custom reading challenges, Content warnings for books

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The StoryGraph Plus Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| The StoryGraph Plus Annual | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Excellent reading stats and data visualization
- 💡 Innovative features like buddy reads and reading challenges
- 👍 Clean and modern design
- 💡 Independent company, not owned by big tech

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Slow performance and loading times
- 🐛 Issues with importing data from other platforms
- 🐛 Missing some basic features like custom shelves/lists
- 🐛 Confusing navigation and UI in places

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes when trying to update reading progress
- Incorrect book details and page counts
- Login issues where users get logged out frequently

**Requested features**

- Ability to track re-reads and multiple editions of books
- More robust social features like following friends, liking reviews
- Barcode scanning to easily add books
- Customizable reading challenges and goal tracking
- Dark mode option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chicago Public Library free?

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

### Is StoryGraph free?

StoryGraph is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chicago Public Library or StoryGraph?

StoryGraph is rated higher. Chicago Public Library averages 3.5 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while StoryGraph averages 4.5 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do Chicago Public Library or StoryGraph have ads?

Neither Chicago Public Library nor StoryGraph shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chicago Public Library or StoryGraph?

Chicago Public Library ships an update every 2 months, and StoryGraph monthly. Most recently, Chicago Public Library was updated on October 23, 2026 and StoryGraph on October 30, 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.*