LibraryThing vs OWWL Library System
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.
OWWL Library System
Access the shared catalog of over forty public libraries across four counties. Search for books, place holds, manage your account, and renew borrowed items directly from your device. Requires a library card from a participating OWWL member library.
- Search shared library catalog
- Place holds on items
- View and manage your account
- Renew borrowed items
- Access forty-two public libraries
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The OWWL Library System app gives you access to the shared catalog for forty-two public libraries in Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming, and Livingston counties in upstate New York. Search the catalog, place holds, view your account, renew items, and more! To use this app, you will need a library card from an OWWL member library and your PIN / password. If you do not have a library card or have trouble logging in with your PIN / password, please contact your local library.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: LibraryThing at 48% against OWWL Library System's 0%. LibraryThing also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 10 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). 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.
LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, OWWL Library System every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LibraryThing | OWWL Library System |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (278 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 48.2% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 278 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LibraryThing.com | Kenneth Cox |
Customer experience
LibraryThing
OWWL Library System
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
OWWL Library System
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LibraryThing
No in-app purchases
OWWL Library System
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is LibraryThing free?
Is OWWL Library System free?
Do LibraryThing or OWWL Library System have ads?
Which is updated more often, LibraryThing or OWWL Library System?
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