LibraryThing vs PocketHinman
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LibraryThing
Catalog your personal book, DVD, and CD collections. Easily add items by searching or scanning barcodes. Enhance your catalog with high-resolution cover photos and browse your collection visually.
- Catalog books, DVDs, and CDs
- Search for media items
- Scan ISBN barcodes
- Add high-resolution cover photos
- Browse collection by cover type
Read full descriptionHide full description
The LibraryThing app allows LibraryThing members to catalog and browse their collections. LibraryThing is focused on books, but you can add most media, including books, DVDs and CDs. LibraryThing relies on data from Amazon, and over 65 million library records. Add books by searching for them or scanning their ISBN barcode with the camera. Add high-resolution cover photos of your books with the cover editor and browse your books by cover type to find copies that need better covers.
PocketHinman
This app simulates the functions of a Hinman Collator using image transparency and flickering. It's designed for users who need to compare images side-by-side with advanced visual tools. Developed with support from the University of Virginia.
- Flickering image comparison
- Image transparency overlay
- Simulates Hinman Collator functions
- Designed for iOS devices
Read full descriptionHide full description
An iOS app that uses flickering image comparison and image transparency to imitate the functions of a Hinman Collator. Initial software design: James P. Ascher, DeVan Ard, Samuel Lemley Funding from the Institute of the Humanities and Global Culture, University of Virginia, as part of the 2017-18 Public Humanities Lab.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PocketHinman at 5.0 against LibraryThing's 3.5. LibraryThing's advantage is ratings volume (278 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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.
PocketHinman holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LibraryThing has 278 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.
LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, PocketHinman fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and June 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LibraryThing | PocketHinman |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (278 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 48.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 278 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LibraryThing.com | The University of Edinburgh |
Customer experience
LibraryThing
PocketHinman
Bugs and requests
LibraryThing
Reported bugs
3 issues- Barcode scanner not working
- Books disappearing from catalog
- Editing and saving issues
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to create custom collections
- Offline access to library
- Integration with other book apps
- Lending/loan tracking feature
PocketHinman
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LibraryThing
No in-app purchases
PocketHinman
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is LibraryThing free?
Is PocketHinman free?
Which has better reviews, LibraryThing or PocketHinman?
Do LibraryThing or PocketHinman have ads?
Which is updated more often, LibraryThing or PocketHinman?
Other comparisons
