Libby vs. Hoopla: Do You Really Need Both?
Who reigns supreme in this standoff of the Libby vs. Hoopla app?
BOOKS
Here I am talking about books on a mainly home decor blog again.
But it’s mine and I’ll do it if I wanna.
Anyway, I wanted to chat about 2 incredible (FREEEEEEE) apps I use with my library that I couldn’t read a majority of my books without – Libby and Hoopla.
They do essentially the same thing, but there are some key differences and quite honestly, I use both and think you should too!
Most libraries use one or the other, and some (like mine) use both! Let’s talk about it.
Overview of Libby
Libby is an app designed to help you access digital content from your local public library.
By using your library card, you can borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and even magazines without stepping foot inside the library – ALL FO’ FREE, homie!
User Interface and Ease of Use
The user interface in Libby has been built with simplicity in mind.
It is pretty easy for you to browse, search, and borrow books from your library’s collection and is compatible with Android and iOS.
My favorite feature of the Libby app is that you can check a book out and then get it sent directly to your Kindle. This gets major bonus points in my book. (ha! book! I’m hilarious and you know it).
When I was hashing out whether a Kindle Unlimited subscription was worth it or not, I talked a lot about how much I do not like reading things on a screen of phone or tablet.
Book Selection and Availability
This is one thing about Libby that I think is actually not so great.
Compared to Hoopla, I feel like their selection is honestly lacking a lot.
I can’t blame the app for that though. Libraries have limited budgets, which can in turn affect content availability.
Libby works on a holds system, meaning that if a book is currently unavailable, you can place a hold and will be notified when it becomes available. This is in contrast to Hoopla, which allow instant access for a lot of items without waiting times.
Libby just added a new feature with the past couple months of this “notify me” tag. It allows you to tag books that aren’t available and if Libby ever adds them to the library, you will get a notification and can borrow them.
Pros and Cons of Using Libby
Pros
- FREE y’all. Totally free to use with a library card
- Access to a (decently) large collection of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines
- User-friendly interface. Bugs out less with Apple CarPlay than Hoopla
- Compatible with multiple devices
- Offline access to content
- Ability to download directly to Kindle
- Can add your own tags to books, as well as built in smart tags in the app
Cons
- Content availability depends on the library’s budget and collection and ours personally doesn’t have as much as Hoopla
- Hold times for popular or newer titles
- Limited compatibility with some e-readers
- No access to music, television shows, or movies (unlike Hoopla)
- Can only place 5 holds at a time (and can only have 5 books on your shelf)
Overview of Hoopla
Moving on to Hoopla.
Much like Libby, Hoopla is also a library media streaming platform that allows you to access a wide range of digital content, but the difference is that in addition to books like Libby, Hoopla lets you have movies, TV shows, and music.
User Interface and Ease of Use
I’ll go ahead and say it.
I don’t like the interface of Hoopla nearly as much. It feels real “busy” and overstimulating.
It also craps out a lot more than Libby and I have to force close it to restart it which is super annoying.
Book Selection and Availability
Hoopla’s book selection is extensive, and I will say in my market at least, Hoopla’s audiobook selection is way better.
I tried to show an example of searching for a Chevy Stevens book (because as you know from my book reviews, that dark thriller vibe Chevy writes is RIGHT up my alley.
You can see that Libby has exactly 0 Chevy Stevens books and Hoopla has both audiobooks and ebooks available. I find this happen a lot where it’s not on Libby but is on Hoopla.
They do also allow for you to request books to be added to the library, but the only time that ever happened was when I requested a child’s book that Charlotte wanted. They were able to get it within a month or so.
You can see in this pic that I requested these months ago to no avail.
Features and Functionalities
In addition to its book selection, Hoopla offers other types of media, like movies, TV shows, and music.
Admittedly, I haven’t used any of these features because I am just here for the books, ya feel me. So I can’t attest to whether the selection is good or not but I can’t imagine it’s going to replace your Netflix or Hulu anytime soon.
I wanted to chat about flex borrows vs. instant borrows in Hoopla. This is a feature that’s still hard for me to understand sometimes, but I tried to take a photo of it so you can understand.
Flex borrows are basically your only option in Libby. They work like regular holds in that you can check it out immediately if it’s available or if there is a waiting list, you put yourself on it and wait for it to be ready for you.
Instant borrows are always available immediately and have no holds or waiting. You get 13 of these monthly which sounds like a TON and I guess if you’re using the music or movies feature could go quick, but there are hardly any books I read or want to read that ride on that flex borrows list.
Pros and Cons of Using Hoopla
Pros:
- No wait times for holds if you’re using the flex borrows
- Access to more than just books/audiobooks
- Audiobook selection is better than Libby
- Stream or download content for offline use
- New releases get added rather quickly
Cons:
- App can be glitchy, especially with Apple CarPlay
- Books can’t be sent to your Kindle
- App feels less user friendly
Side by Side Comparison of Libby vs. Hoopla
User experience and interface comparison
When using Libby, I have found the app to be cleaner and easy to navigate. The app focuses on ebooks and audiobooks, making it easier for you to organize your collections.
Hoopla has a slightly different user interface. While the app is still fairly user-friendly, the broader range of content may make it feel slightly cluttered compared to Libby.
Book selection and availability comparison
I love Libby so much, but when it comes to book selection, Hoopla wins this no doubt.
Features and functionalities comparison
Libby has the ability to:
- Borrow and download ebooks and audiobooks
- Send ebooks to Kindle devices
- Add your personal tags so you can save things for later
Hoopla provides these features, plus:
- A selection of things you can instantly stream and borrow without a waiting list
- Also has movies, music, and comics
- Kid-safe content mode for little ones
- Uses “favorites” list instead of tags
I think this is all going to boil down to personal preference, and I honestly didn’t think I needed both apps.
However, now that I’ve used Libby almost daily for well over a year and Hoopla for almost 7 years, I can definitely say that there are benefits to having both apps and I love the variety and selection having both of them provides!
