# LibraryThing vs Stacks

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Stacks at 100% against LibraryThing's 47%. Stacks also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.5) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 weeks). LibraryThing's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (278 vs 1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Stacks sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. LibraryThing asks for nothing beyond the download.

Stacks holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LibraryThing has 278 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of LibraryThing's written reviews are positive against 100% of Stacks's.

LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, Stacks every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LibraryThing | Stacks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (278 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stacks-book-scanner-and-library/id6778984902/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **278** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 47.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 9 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LibraryThing.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/397718884) | [Zenmonkeys Digital LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1868802546) |

## 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


### Stacks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stacks-book-scanner-and-library/id6778984902)

Digitally catalog your physical book collection by simply photographing your shelves. The app automatically identifies titles, authors, and covers, then organizes your library with smart sorting and insightful analytics. Never forget if you own a book or who borrowed it again.

**Highlights:** Scan entire bookshelves with one photo, Automatic book identification (title, author, cover), Visual library display with spine width and color, Smart sorting by author, genre, or color, Track lent books and borrower information, Personalized reading recommendations based on owned books, AI-powered book concierge for recommendations and discussions

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| 3 Scans | $0.99 | one-time |
| 15 Scans | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LibraryThing free?

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

### Is Stacks free?

Stacks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, LibraryThing or Stacks?

Stacks is rated higher. LibraryThing averages 3.5 out of 5 from 278 ratings, while Stacks averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do LibraryThing or Stacks have ads?

Neither LibraryThing nor Stacks shows ads.

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

LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, and Stacks every 5 days. Most recently, LibraryThing was updated on October 16, 2026 and Stacks on October 7, 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.*