SFPL vs SPL Mobile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SFPL
Access your local library's catalog from your mobile device. Browse new releases, manage holds, renew borrowed items, and discover upcoming events. Plan your library visits with ease, all from your pocket.
- Browse new titles and recommendations
- Place and manage holds
- Renew checked out materials
- Plan library visits
- See upcoming events
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San Francisco Public Library in your pocket. Browse new titles and recommendations curated by your library staff, place and manage holds, renew checked out materials, plan your visit and see upcoming events, anytime and anywhere.
SPL Mobile
Access library services on the go with this mobile app. Search the collection, place holds, renew items, and discover new titles. Download eBooks and eAudiobooks, and stay updated on library information.
- Search library collection with filters
- Browse bestsellers and new releases
- View title details and community reviews
- Place and manage holds
- Renew borrowed items
- Download eBooks and eAudiobooks
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Take Sunnyvale Public Library wherever you go! The new Sunnyvale Public Library free mobile app makes it easy to find and discover titles, place holds, renew items, rate titles, create lists and get information about our library. Features: • Quickly search the collection, with filters to zero in on the kinds of titles you’re seeking • Browse bestsellers and new material • Get the details on any title, anytime and anywhere, including descriptions, community reviews and commentary • Check a title’s availability • Check to see if your holds are ready for pick up • Find and download eBooks and eAudiobooks • Instantly check due dates and renew your items
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SPL Mobile at 4.7 against SFPL's 4.0. SPL Mobile also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 28%). SFPL's advantage is ratings volume (50 vs 12). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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.
SPL Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 50 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of SFPL's written reviews are positive against 67% of SPL Mobile's.
SFPL ships an update every 4 months, SPL Mobile every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SFPL | SPL Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (50 ratings) | 4.7 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 27.9% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 50 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | San Francisco Public Library | City of Sunnyvale |
Customer experience
SFPL
SPL Mobile
Bugs and requests
SFPL
Reported bugs
19 issues- Always logs out and has trouble logging back in
- 403 forbidden error message when clicking links/books
- New message alert shows up each login
- Digital and physical books not showing in history
- Cannot request books through link+ without going to website
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- App lags when changing menus
- Login not saved, asks for card number repeatedly
- Search function not working for specific titles
- App crashes upon opening
- App cuts off when using Safari simultaneously
- App doesn't fit large iPhone screens
- Cannot remove search criteria
- App crashes after a while
- App is unstable and crashes every time
- App is unusable, crashes while opening
- App crashes on start
- App crashes right away
- App keeps logging out
- Search function locates books but cannot place holds
Requested features
9 requests- Bring back 'My List' feature
- Add notification feature
- Add dark mode
- Make library card compatible with Apple Wallet
- Add genre tab
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- Improve UI design and styling
- Add alpha sorting in filters for lists
- Wider range of page numbering in lists
- Allow simultaneous login on web and mobile
SPL Mobile
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SFPL
No in-app purchases
SPL Mobile
No in-app purchases
