LibraryThing vs TLN Library Catalog
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
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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.
TLN Library Catalog
Access your local library's catalog and account from your mobile device. Search for books, movies, and ebooks, place holds, renew loans, and pay fines. Find library locations and hours, and download digital content.
- Search catalog (books, movies, ebooks)
- Place holds
- Renew loans
- Pay fines
- Download eBooks
- Find library locations and hours
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Connect to The Library Network’s resources and your account directly on your mobile device! Features: Search for books, movies, ebooks and more... Find library locations, hours, and get directions Place holds Download eBooks Check your account Renew loans Pay Fines Share what you are reading with friends using Facebook, Twitter and email Powered by The Library Corporation Participating Libraries Addison Township Public Library Allen Park Public Library Auburn Hills Public Library Belleville Area District Library Berkley Public Library Brighton District Library Chelsea District Library Clawson Blair Memorial Library Commerce Township Community Library Dearborn Hts. North - Caroline Kennedy Dearborn Hts. South - JFK, Jr Library Dexter District Library Ecorse Public Library Ferndale Area District Library Flat Rock Public Library Franklin Public Library Garden City Public Library Hamtramck Public Library Hartland Cromaine Library Hazel Park Memorial District Library Highland Township Public Library Huntington Woods Library Inkster Leanna Hicks Public Library Lincoln Park Public Library Livonia Public Library Alfred Noble Livonia Public Library Carl Sandburg Livonia Public Library Civic Center Lyon Township Public Library Madison Heights Public Library Manchester District Library Melvindale Public Library Milford Public Library Northville District Library Novi Public Library Oak Park Library Oxford Public Library Pontiac Public Library Redford Township District Library River Rouge Public Library Riverview Veterans Memorial Library Romulus Public Library Royal Oak Public Library Salem-South Lyon District Library Southgate Veterans Memorial Library Springfield Township Library Taylor Community Library The Library Network Trenton Veterans Memorial Library Walled Lake City Library Waterford Township Public Library Wayne Public Library White Lake Township Library Wixom Public Library Wyandotte Bacon Memorial District Library
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: LibraryThing at every 4 weeks against TLN Library Catalog's every 16 months. LibraryThing also leads on rating (3.5 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (278 vs 12). On price, review sentiment, 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.
LibraryThing holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LibraryThing has 278 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of LibraryThing's written reviews are positive against 50% of TLN Library Catalog's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, TLN Library Catalog every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LibraryThing | TLN Library Catalog |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (278 ratings) — better | 3.1 (12 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 47.2% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 278 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 16 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LibraryThing.com | The Library Corporation |
Customer experience
LibraryThing
TLN Library Catalog
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
TLN Library Catalog
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LibraryThing
No in-app purchases
TLN Library Catalog
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is LibraryThing free?
Is TLN Library Catalog free?
Which has better reviews, LibraryThing or TLN Library Catalog?
Do LibraryThing or TLN Library Catalog have ads?
Which is updated more often, LibraryThing or TLN Library Catalog?
Other comparisons
