LibrariesWest vs Solus Library App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LibrariesWest
Manage your library account on the go. Search the catalog, renew borrowed items, and place holds on new books. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
- Manage library account
- Search catalog
- Renew books
- Reserve books
- Mobile access
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Access LibrariesWest from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Manage your account, search the catalogue, renew and reserve books.
Solus Library App
Access your local library's catalog and manage your account on your Apple device. Search for books, renew existing loans, and place new reservations with ease. Contact your library to get started.
- Manage library account
- Search catalog
- Renew books
- Reserve books
- Access from iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
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Use the Library App from Solus to access your local library from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Manage your account, search the catalogue, renew and reserve books. If you can't see your local library, contact a staff member in your local library branch. If you are a library service and want to be included in the Library App from Solus, contact support@sol.us and we can get you setup in no time!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: LibrariesWest at 15.6 against Solus Library App's 17.0. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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.
LibrariesWest ships an update every 2 months, Solus Library App every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LibrariesWest | Solus Library App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 2.7 (13 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | 22.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 13 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 167 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Somerset County Council Library Service | SOLUS UK |
Customer experience
LibrariesWest
Solus Library App
Bugs and requests
LibrariesWest
Reported bugs
20 issues- Login PIN not recognized
- App freezes and becomes unusable
- Camera not working for verification
- App stops music playback
- FastBack renewal error
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- App won't open unless via App Store
- Unable to connect to server
- Linked accounts repeatedly unlinked
- App doesn't work at night
- Invalid date error when reserving
- Charges appear on returned books
- App stops working after update
- White screen on launch after update
- Hangs on loading screen
- Blank screen with 'image not available'
- Scrolling not working on loans
- Cannot search or reserve
- Linked accounts disappear
- Catalogue search not working
- Barcode scanner not working
Requested features
6 requests- Add loan history section
- Indicate font size in book info
- Add wish list option
- Improve search functionality
- Add browsing by categories
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- Add notes area
Solus Library App
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LibrariesWest
No in-app purchases
Solus Library App
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is LibrariesWest free?
Is Solus Library App free?
Do LibrariesWest or Solus Library App have ads?
Which is updated more often, LibrariesWest or Solus Library App?
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