LibraryThing vs Ebook Central
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.
Ebook Central
Read downloaded ebooks from your library securely and accessibly, anytime and anywhere. This app offers a modern reading experience with streamlined authentication and an intuitive interface, syncing your progress across devices for uninterrupted research, even offline.
- Offline reading
- Secure reading experience
- Streamlined authentication
- Intuitive interface
- Cross-device syncing
- Accessible reading
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The Ebook Central Reader App makes it easier than ever to read ebooks from your library—anytime, anywhere. It features a secure, accessible and modern reading experience for downloaded Ebook Central titles, with streamlined authentication and an intuitive interface. Whether you’re catching up on reading between classes or on a flight to your next getaway, you can continue your research uninterrupted, even without an internet connection. The Ebook Central app syncs across desktop and mobile devices, making it easy to manage your reading and research when you’re on the go. It’s the perfect companion app to the Ebook Central online platform, which is used to search and select books for download. The Ebook Central app has robust security features to ensure library collections and users' privacy are protected. Download the Ebook Central app today and start researching your way.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: LibraryThing at 48% against Ebook Central's 0%. LibraryThing also leads on rating (3.5 vs 1.6) and ratings volume (278 vs 34). Ebook Central's advantage is chart position (#171 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 2). 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 holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LibraryThing has 278 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of LibraryThing's written reviews are positive against 0% of Ebook Central's.
LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, Ebook Central every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LibraryThing | Ebook Central |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (278 ratings) — better | 1.6 (34 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 48.2% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 278 — better | 34 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #171 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LibraryThing.com | Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC |
Customer experience
LibraryThing
Ebook Central
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
Ebook Central
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LibraryThing
No in-app purchases
Ebook Central
No in-app purchases
