The best app to catalog your home library in 2026
Five apps for taking inventory of your books by scanning their ISBN, compared on scanning, editions, price and what happens to your data. Every fact about another app is sourced.
Facts checked on September 28, 2026 on the publishers' official pages, numbered at the bottom of the page.
7-day trial, then €3.95 a month or €39.95 a year.
How we compared
- Adding a book by scanning its ISBN, without typing anything.
- Telling editions apart: paperback, hardcover, translation.
- The real price on your phone and your computer, and what the free plan allows.
- Being able to take your data with you: export and formats.
Side by side
| App | Price | Free plan | Platforms | Market value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What I Already Own | Price€3.95 a month or €39.95 a year, books and records included, after a 7-day trial. | Free planNo. | PlatformsiPhone and Android, installed from the browser; computer. | Market valueNot at this time. |
| CLZ Books | PriceMobile: €1.95 a month or €19.95 a year. Web: €3.95 a month or €39.95 a year. Both: €49.90 a year. | Free planNo; 7-day trial. | PlatformsiOS, Android; web with a separate subscription. | Market valueYes: average of used prices per ISBN, regardless of condition. |
| Libib | PriceBasic is free; Pro at €9.00 a month or €99.00 a year. | Free planYes, up to 5,000 items. | PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android. | Market valueNo: a price field you fill in yourself. |
| LibraryThing | PriceFree. | Free planYes, with no limit on books. | PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android. | Market valueNo market value mentioned. |
| BookBuddy | PricePro: one-time purchase of $9.99 on the US App Store. | Free planYes, up to 50 books. | PlatformsiPhone, iPad, Mac. No Android. | Market valueNo market value mentioned. |
1. What I Already Own
Best for
Anyone with books and records who follows their series.
An app that installs from the browser on iPhone and Android. The scan finds the edition, tells you whether the book is already on your shelf, even without a signal, and lists the volumes each series is missing.
- Adding items
- ISBN; without one, search by title.
- Export
- CSV, PDF inventory; import from Discogs, CLZ and Libib.
Strengths
- Reading order and missing volumes for every series.
- Knows what you already own without a signal.
Limitations
- No market value shown today.
- Records and books only: no films, games or comics.
2. CLZ Books1234
Best for
Anyone who wants to know what their books are worth.
CLZ's book app: ISBN scanning, reading of the printed ISBN and, since April 2025, an automatic value for each book.
- Adding items
- Barcode and printed ISBN.
- Export
- CSV or text; PDF on the web.
Strengths
- An automatic value for most books with an ISBN.
- Reads the printed ISBN when there's no barcode.
Limitations
- Mobile and web are paid for separately.
- Mobile app in English.
3. Libib5678
Best for
A free catalog, or a library that lends books.
An online catalog for books, music, movies and games, free for up to 5,000 items, with lending tools in its Pro version.
- Adding items
- ISBN, UPC, EAN.
- Export
- CSV; CSV import.
Strengths
- A generous free plan, with no ads.
- Lending and holds with Pro.
Limitations
- Works entirely online.
- No market value.
4. LibraryThing9101112
Best for
A free catalog with no limit.
An online book catalog, free with no limit on the number of books since March 2020, with iOS and Android apps.
- Adding items
- ISBN with the camera.
- Export
- CSV, TSV, Excel.
Strengths
- Completely free, with no limit.
- Export in several formats, including Excel.
Limitations
- iOS app in English.
- iOS app last updated in February 2024.
5. BookBuddy1314
Best for
Anyone who only uses Apple devices.
An app for iPhone, iPad and Mac, synced through iCloud or Dropbox, with book data from WorldCat.
- Adding items
- ISBN with the camera, or a handheld barcode scanner.
- Export
- CSV, PDF, HTML.
Strengths
- The Pro version is a one-time purchase.
- Interface in ten languages.
Limitations
- Nothing on Android or the web.
- Free for only up to 50 books.
Which one to choose
7-day trial, then €3.95 a month or €39.95 a year.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free app to catalog books?
- LibraryThing, free with no limit on books, and Libib, free for up to 5,000 items. BookBuddy is free for up to 50 books, on Apple devices. What I Already Own and CLZ Books are paid, with a trial.
- Which app tells me what my books are worth?
- CLZ Books, which calculates an average value from the used prices found for each ISBN, regardless of condition. Libib offers a price field you fill in yourself; What I Already Own does not show a market value today.
- What about a school or community library?
- Libib, whose paid plans manage borrowers, loans and holds. The other apps in this guide are built for a personal collection.
- Which app should I choose on Android?
- What I Already Own, CLZ Books, Libib and LibraryThing work on Android. BookBuddy is only available on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
The catalog, no account needed
The lists What I Already Own keeps up to date for you: discographies, bibliographies and reading orders.
Sources
Pages checked on September 28, 2026. Prices and plans change: confirm them with the publisher before you subscribe.
- 1CLZ Books, shophttps://shop.clz.com/books
- 2CLZ Books Mobilehttps://clz.com/books/mobile
- 3CLZ Books, Book values FAQhttps://clz.com/books/mobile/manual/ios/2.0/en/topic/book-values-faq
- 4CLZ Music Web, Print to PDFhttps://app.clz.com/music/manual/1/en/topic/print-to-pdf
- 5Libib, pricinghttps://www.libib.com/pricing
- 6Libib, tarifs en euroshttps://www.libib.com/pricing?lang=fr
- 7Libib, Quickstart: mobile apphttps://support.libib.com/getting-started/quickstart-mobile-app.html
- 8Libib, Item overviewhttps://support.libib.com/libib/website/library/item-overview.html
- 9LibraryThing blog, LibraryThing goes freehttps://blog.librarything.com/2020/03/librarything-goes-free/
- 10LibraryThing, App Storehttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/librarything/id948824489
- 11LibraryThing, Google Playhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.librarything.librarything
- 12LibraryThing blog, Excel exporthttps://blog.librarything.com/2016/08/new-feature-true-excel-export/
- 13BookBuddy, App Storehttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/bookbuddy-book-tracker/id395150347
- 14Kimico, supporthttps://www.kimicoapps.com/support.html
This page is published by What I Already Own, one of the apps compared. We review it every three months. Spotted an error or a fact that has changed? Write to us at [email protected].