# LibraryThing vs Aspen LiDA

The clearest difference is rating: LibraryThing at 3.5 against Aspen LiDA's 1.4. LibraryThing also leads on review sentiment (47% vs 9%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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 1.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 278 and 230 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of LibraryThing's written reviews are positive against 9% of Aspen LiDA's.

LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, Aspen LiDA monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LibraryThing | Aspen LiDA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.5 (278 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489/reviews)** | [1.4 (230 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aspen-lida/id1581124727/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **278** | 230 |
| Positive reviews | **47.2% of reviews** | 9.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 9 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LibraryThing.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/397718884) | [ByWater Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465780740) |

## What reviewers say

### LibraryThing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489)

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.

**Highlights:** Catalog books, DVDs, and CDs, Search for media items, Scan ISBN barcodes, Add high-resolution cover photos, Browse collection by cover type

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick barcode scanning
- 👍 Useful for cataloging library
- 🚀 Fast book addition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔍 Limited search and editing capabilities
- 🤖 Outdated and dated UI

**Reported bugs**

- Barcode scanner not working
- Books disappearing from catalog
- Editing and saving issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to create custom collections
- Offline access to library
- Integration with other book apps
- Lending/loan tracking feature


### Aspen LiDA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aspen-lida/id1581124727)

Discover books, movies, and games from your library anywhere. Search the full catalog, including digital content, to find titles, place holds, and manage your loans.

**Highlights:** Search entire library catalog, Discover books, movies, and games, Access eContent, Place holds on items, Check due dates, Renew eligible titles

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 App works fine for ordering books
- 👍 Can see other books in series (Libby feature comparison)
- 👍 App is convenient for library card access
- 👍 App allows placing and renewing holds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App frequently crashes
- 🐛 App logs users out repeatedly
- 🐛 App is slow to load
- 🐛 App freezes
- 🐛 App does not save login info

**Reported bugs**

- App kicks users out
- App doesn't renew books with holds
- App doesn't renew all books even when Renew All is pressed
- App won't open, shows spinning wheel
- App freezes

**Requested features**

- Show position in hold queue
- Allow saving login information
- Implement facial/fingerprint recognition for login
- Improve search functionality for genres/topics
- Allow managing multiple library cards


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LibraryThing free?

LibraryThing is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Aspen LiDA free?

Aspen LiDA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LibraryThing or Aspen LiDA?

LibraryThing is rated higher. LibraryThing averages 3.5 out of 5 from 278 ratings, while Aspen LiDA averages 1.4 from 230 ratings.

### Do LibraryThing or Aspen LiDA have ads?

Neither LibraryThing nor Aspen LiDA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LibraryThing or Aspen LiDA?

LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, and Aspen LiDA monthly. Most recently, LibraryThing was updated on October 16, 2026 and Aspen LiDA on October 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*