Back vs STELLA Libraries
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Back
This app provides peace of mind by offering replacement family care when regular arrangements fall through. It allows users to conveniently schedule care, manage reservations, and find nearby centers directly from their mobile device.
- Schedule back-up care
- Request previous caregivers
- View reservation details
- Receive confirmation notifications
- Copy past reservations
- Find nearby care centers
- Add reservations to calendar
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Family care emergencies can disrupt your whole day. Bright Horizons Back-Up Care™, a benefit available to you if offered by your employer, can give you peace of mind, providing replacement care when regular arrangements fall through. Now the program is in the palm of your hand! As a user of Bright Horizons Back-Up Care, you can conveniently schedule care right from your mobile device with the Back-Up Care app. Whether your regular caregiver calls in sick, your child has a school holiday, or you’re transitioning back to work from parental leave, the Back-Up Care app is your easy, time-saving solution to managing family care challenges while on the go. You can use the Back-Up Care app to: • Sign up for your benefit (to get started, you just need your employer’s username and password) • Submit a new request for back-up care • Request previously used caregivers • View details of existing reservations • Receive notifications when reservations are confirmed • Quickly create new reservations by copying past reservations • Find nearby centers and view each location on a map • Add confirmed reservations to your device’s calendar • Get details about your benefit offering *Please note: Your employer must participate in Bright Horizons Back-Up Care in order to use this app. Not all employers who participate allow the use of this app. Please contact your human resources department for information on benefit availability.
STELLA Libraries
Easily search millions of library items, place holds, and manage your account. Access digital content, view event calendars, and connect with your library's community.
- Search millions of library items
- Place holds and choose pickup locations
- Manage library account (holds, checkouts, renewals)
- Store digital library card
- View library social media feeds
- Access event calendars
- Connect to digital content
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STELLA Libraries, the new name for the LMxPRESS PLUS app. Search and place holds on millions of items available in the STELLA catalog with our new and improved app! Search all STELLA member libraries for your favorite books, movies, music, and more. Download and connect to digital content, and stay in touch with your library's community through social media feeds and event calendars. Use the STELLA app to: * Place holds on items across all STELLA member libraries and choose your pickup location. * Manage your library account: view holds, checkouts, and renew items. * Store a digital copy of your library card on your device so you always have it with you. * Check your favorite library's social media feeds. * See upcoming library events on each member library's calendar. * Access digital content offered by individual libraries.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: STELLA Libraries at 60% against Back's 13%. STELLA Libraries also leads on rating (3.7 vs 2.5). Back's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (125 vs 22). 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.
STELLA Libraries holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Back has 125 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Back's written reviews are positive against 60% of STELLA Libraries's.
Back ships an update every 3 weeks, STELLA Libraries every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Back | STELLA Libraries |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (125 ratings) | 3.7 (22 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 12.6% of reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 125 — better | 22 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bright Horizons CC LLC | Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium |
Customer experience
Back
STELLA Libraries
Bugs and requests
Back
Reported bugs
19 issues- Login credentials not accepted despite being correct
- Face ID authentication fails
- Request Care button missing or non-functional
- App version mismatch preventing login
- Forced logout when navigating away from app
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- Profile information not saving
- Verification codes not arriving
- General error messages without details
- Form data lost when navigating between screens
- Keyboard not appearing on login screen
- App crashes on startup
- Slow page loading causing phone lockup
- SSO and 2FA authentication failures
- Reservation confirmation status incorrect
- Missing emergency contact entry screen
- Special needs/allergies settings not removable
- Mobile number textability settings not preserved
- Address validation rejecting valid addresses
- Inconsistent data between app and website
Requested features
11 requests- Distance-based filtering for childcare centers
- Display facility names after booking
- Overnight reservation options
- Extended session timeout before re-authentication
- Caregiver selection and preference system
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Reservation history and details visibility
- Real-time caregiver availability updates
- Automatic backup caregiver assignment
- Clear policy information in intake forms
- Improved error messages with specific guidance
- Search by location other than current position
STELLA Libraries
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Back
No in-app purchases
STELLA Libraries
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Back free?
Is STELLA Libraries free?
Which has better reviews, Back or STELLA Libraries?
Do Back or STELLA Libraries have ads?
Which is updated more often, Back or STELLA Libraries?
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