SFPL vs Alameda County Library
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.
Alameda County Library
Access your library account on the go. Manage loans, place holds, and discover new books, movies, and audiobooks. Find library hours, locations, and upcoming events.
- Manage library account
- Renew items
- Place and manage holds
- Search catalog
- Download eBooks and eAudiobooks
- Find library hours and locations
- Discover events
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Get instant access to your favorite library! With the Alameda County Library app, you can quickly manage your account, renew items, place holds, and find new titles to read, watch, or listen to. Features: - Search the catalog - Place and manage holds - Renew items - Find and download eBooks and eAudiobooks - Check library hours and locations - Find events - Read reviews - Rate titles
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SFPL at 4.0 against Alameda County Library's 3.6. SFPL also leads on ratings volume (50 vs 8). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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.
SFPL holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SFPL has 50 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of SFPL's written reviews are positive against 25% of Alameda County Library's.
SFPL ships an update every 4 months, Alameda County Library every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SFPL | Alameda County Library |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (50 ratings) — better | 3.6 (8 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 27.9% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 50 — better | 8 |
| 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 | Alameda County Library |
Customer experience
SFPL
Alameda County Library
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
Alameda County Library
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SFPL
No in-app purchases
Alameda County Library
No in-app purchases
