# LibraryThing vs 1000 Books Before 5 The clearest difference is rating: 1000 Books Before 5 at 4.3 against LibraryThing's 3.5. LibraryThing's advantage is review sentiment (47% vs 25%) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them. Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay. 1000 Books Before 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LibraryThing has 288 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of LibraryThing's written reviews are positive against 25% of 1000 Books Before 5'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, 1000 Books Before 5 every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively. ## The numbers | Metric | LibraryThing | 1000 Books Before 5 | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free | | Rating | [3.5 (288 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489/reviews) | **[4.3 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1000-books-before-5/id6749195393/reviews)** | | Number of ratings | **288** | 15 | | Positive reviews | **47.5% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews | | In-app purchases | No | No | | Ads | No | No | | Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 3 months | | Monetization | Free | Free | | Size | 9 MB | 44 MB | | Requires iOS | **11.0** | 26.0 | | Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone | | Age rating | 4+ | 4+ | | Developer | [LibraryThing.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/397718884) | [Gil Osborne](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135987694) | ## 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 ### 1000 Books Before 5 [App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1000-books-before-5/id6749195393) Easily log books read with your child to track progress toward a reading goal. This private, ad-free app helps build vocabulary and foster a love of reading from an early age. **Highlights:** Log books read, Track reading progress, Scan book barcodes, Search books by title, Manual book entry, Private and ad-free **Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support **In-app purchases:** none ## Frequently asked questions ### Is LibraryThing free? LibraryThing is free to download, with no in-app purchases. ### Is 1000 Books Before 5 free? 1000 Books Before 5 is free to download, with no in-app purchases. ### Which has better reviews, LibraryThing or 1000 Books Before 5? 1000 Books Before 5 is rated higher. LibraryThing averages 3.5 out of 5 from 288 ratings, while 1000 Books Before 5 averages 4.3 from 15 ratings. ### Do LibraryThing or 1000 Books Before 5 have ads? Neither LibraryThing nor 1000 Books Before 5 shows ads. ### Which is updated more often, LibraryThing or 1000 Books Before 5? LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, and 1000 Books Before 5 every 3 months. Most recently, LibraryThing was updated on October 29, 2026 and 1000 Books Before 5 on October 28, 2026. --- *Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*