Ranking updated
Home library apps: catalog the books you own
A home library app turns your shelves into a searchable list: scan the barcode on the back of a book and the title, author and cover fill in by themselves. Libib catalogs books along with board games, films, music and video games. Bookshelf builds virtual shelves and tags and tracks the books you lend. BookBuddy keeps owned, borrowed, wish-list and previously owned books apart, and CLZ Books lets you add condition, location, purchase details and your own fields.
How we chose: apps built to catalog the books you own, with barcode or ISBN scanning, sold by the maker itself, with features taken from each app’s store description. Apps that only log reading progress are in a separate guide.
Libib: books, games and films in one catalog
Libib is a cataloging app for home and small organization libraries. Its built-in barcode scanner adds books, board games, films, music and video games. The app works together with the Libib website, where you tag, review, rate, import, add notes and publish your library. Libib says it has no ads and does not sell or share your data.
Bookshelf: virtual shelves and lent books
Bookshelf adds books by ISBN barcode, with a batch mode to scan a whole stack at once, by search or by hand for old and rare books, and imports from Goodreads or a CSV file. You sort books onto virtual shelves and tags, filter them, group series and volumes, track lent and borrowed books, record purchases and scan quotes from a page. It also sets reading goals and has a dark theme. Its listing includes Ukrainian.
BookBuddy and CLZ Books: a detailed record
BookBuddy adds books by barcode, ISBN, keyword search, by hand or from a CSV file, and keeps them in My Books, Wish List, Borrowed and Previously Owned. It syncs across devices through iCloud or Dropbox and shows reading statistics. The free version holds a limited number of books, and an in-app purchase removes the limit. iPhone and iPad. CLZ Books finds books by scanning the ISBN barcode or the printed number, fills in cover art and details from its own database, and lets you add condition, location, purchase details, notes and custom fields, with separate collections for, say, paper books and e-books. It runs on a subscription with a free trial.
Which one to use
If your shelves also hold board games and films, start with Libib. To lend books to friends and remember who has what, Bookshelf or BookBuddy. For a collector’s record with condition and purchase details, CLZ Books. To track what you are reading rather than what you own, see book tracker apps, and to read on your phone, reading apps.
| App | Best for | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| LibibApp StoreGoogle Play | books plus games, films and music | barcode scanner, books, board games, films, music and video games, tags, notes and a public library on the website, no ads |
| BookshelfApp StoreGoogle Play | virtual shelves and lending | ISBN and batch scanning, shelves and tags, lent and borrowed books, series, Goodreads and CSV import, reading goals |
| BookBuddyApp Store | owned, borrowed and wish list | barcode, ISBN or keyword search, My Books, Wish List, Borrowed and Previously Owned, iCloud or Dropbox sync |
| CLZ BooksApp StoreGoogle Play | a detailed catalog | ISBN by barcode or text, cover art, condition, location and purchase details, custom fields, multiple collections |
Frequently asked questions
How do I catalog my home library on my phone?
Scan the ISBN barcode on the back of each book with Libib, Bookshelf, BookBuddy or CLZ Books, and the app fills in the title, author and cover.
Can I track books I lent to friends?
Yes. Bookshelf tracks lent and borrowed books, and BookBuddy has a Borrowed list and keeps track of borrowed and lent books.
Which home library app is in Ukrainian?
Of these four, only the App Store listing of Bookshelf includes Ukrainian.