# LibraryThing vs Karatu

The clearest difference is update cadence: Karatu at daily against LibraryThing's every 4 weeks. LibraryThing's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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, Karatu daily. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LibraryThing | Karatu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.5 (278 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **278** | — |
| Positive reviews | 47.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [LibraryThing.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/397718884) | [Umar Rufai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895570634) |

## 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- 🤖 Outdated and dated UI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


### Karatu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/karatu/id6765975970)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LibraryThing free?

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

### Is Karatu free?

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

### Do LibraryThing or Karatu have ads?

Neither LibraryThing nor Karatu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LibraryThing or Karatu?

LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, and Karatu daily. Most recently, LibraryThing was updated on October 12, 2026 and Karatu on October 6, 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.*