LibrariesWest vs URB Solar Boost
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.
URB Solar Boost
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Mobile Application for URB Solar customers. Customers can register for push notifications, see their loadshedding schedules as well as historical messages sent to them
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: LibrariesWest at every 2 months against URB Solar Boost's every 5 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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, URB Solar Boost every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LibrariesWest | URB Solar Boost |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Somerset County Council Library Service | SolrBoost Pty Ltd |
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
URB Solar Boost
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LibrariesWest
No in-app purchases
URB Solar Boost
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is LibrariesWest free?
Is URB Solar Boost free?
Do LibrariesWest or URB Solar Boost have ads?
Which is updated more often, LibrariesWest or URB Solar Boost?
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