LibraryKeeper and its competitors, compared

We make LibraryKeeper, so we aren't neutral, and you should read this with that in mind. We've tried to be fair, and there are cases below where another product is the better buy. We say what those are.

Most of the products here run in a web browser. The exception is Handy Library Manager, which you install on a Windows computer. Book Collector has also changed: it's now sold as CLZ Books, so that's what we compare.

Prices come from each company's website and were checked in November 2026. They change, so confirm them before you decide. We know our own product far better than the others, so our section is longer. Please don't compare the lists by counting bullets. If we've got something wrong about any product, tell us and we'll correct it.

The short version

TinyCat

TinyCat comes from LibraryThing, which has been around since 2005. It's made for small libraries, and houses of worship are among its largest groups of users.

Pros

• Low prices for volunteer libraries. That means no paid library staff and no regular buying budget over $1,000. A minister who doesn't run the library doesn't count as staff.
• Self-checkout, extra admin logins and unlimited readers are all included.
• A simple mode lets a congregation share one password instead of keeping separate accounts.
• Imports and exports MARC records, the format libraries use to share catalog data.
• Available in 45 languages, and catalogs DVDs, board games and other items.

Cons

• Cataloging happens on LibraryThing and lending on TinyCat, so you work across two sites.
• Schools pay the paid-staff price, two to three times as much. Only classroom libraries count as volunteer.
• The free option is for personal use only. Shared libraries get a 30-day trial.

Libib

Libib is a clean web app that handles more than books.

Pros

• Good value. Pro is $9 a month, with 25% off for schools and nonprofits.
• Catalogs books, movies, music, video games and board games.
• Holds up to 100,000 items, ten times our largest plan, with no limit on readers.
• Has a self-checkout kiosk, on the web or as a tablet app.
• Imports and exports your collection as CSV on every plan.

Cons

• The free plan doesn't include lending. It's for personal collections.
• Each extra manager costs $2 a month.
• Single sign-on and the patron app need Ultimate, at $900 a year.
• We didn't see search by meaning or age filtering for children on its pricing page. Ask Libib if those matter to you.

Librarika

Librarika is an online library system for schools, organizations and home libraries. It reports over 72,000 libraries, and the ones it features include schools and a Salvation Army corps.

Pros

• The most generous free plan here for lending: 2,000 records, unlimited readers and staff, an online catalog and email reminders.
• Paid plans are priced by the year, from $139 for 5,000 records.
• Imports MARC records, and exports both your catalog and your members.
• Runs several branches from one account, and has mobile apps.

Cons

• The paid plans list "no banner ads", so expect ads on the free plan. The hold queue also needs a paid plan.
• Self-checkout takes some setup. The kiosk is a free desktop app used with a barcode scanner, and it needs a SIP2 license. Gold at $499 includes one. On Silver at $299 you buy it separately, and the price isn't published.
• Paid record limits were halved for new subscribers in May 2026, so older reviews may quote higher numbers.

Handy Library Manager

Handy Library Manager, from PrimaSoft, is Windows software for small and medium libraries, and its customers include schools and churches. It was still being updated in March 2026.

Pros

• You pay once, with no subscription. That suits some church budgets.
• No limit on items or readers, though PrimaSoft says it's ideal up to 20,000 items.
• Your data stays on your own computer, and it runs without a website behind it.
• Covers barcode checkout, holds, fines and email overdue notices.
• Imports from Excel, text and MARC files, and PrimaSoft offers to import your data for free if the files are clean.

Cons

• It has to be installed, and it's Windows only, so Mac users are left out. The "cloud version" is a server you install on your own Windows machine, not a website you sign in to.
• $345 is a big first step, and the real price can be higher. For more than one computer, a school, church or nonprofit pays $200 more for a license covering one location.
• Automatic cataloging by ISBN and the online catalog for readers both need the $59.95 yearly support. Stop paying and you lose them.
• Backups are your job, because the library lives on your own machine.
• We didn't see self-checkout on its features page.

CLZ Books (formerly Book Collector)

Book Collector was desktop software from Collectorz.com, now called CLZ. Development stopped in 2023 and new customers can't buy it, though existing users can renew. CLZ now sells CLZ Books, on the web and as a phone app.

Pros

• Inexpensive for one person. The web version is $39.95 a year or $3.95 a month, and the phone app is $19.95 a year.
• Very quick to fill. Scan an ISBN with your phone and it finds the details and cover, with over 40 million ISBNs recognized.
• Tracks loans in the web version, with due dates, a loan history and notes.
• Lets you add your own fields, and export your list to a text file.

Cons

• It's made for personal collections, not lending libraries. We saw no reader accounts, self-checkout or reminders, so one person records every loan.
• Sharing means showing friends your book list. They can't borrow through it.
• The free trial of the web version is 7 days, and there's no free plan.

LibraryKeeper

Pros

• You can lend books on the free plan, though only 100 books to 3 readers.
• Readers can search by what a book is about, even if they've forgotten the title.
• AI suggests an age range for each book, and self-service hides books rated above a child's age. You can change any range by hand.
• On Bibliotheca, any tablet or laptop can be a kiosk, and readers can check out on their phone with a QR code and their phone number.
• Due-date reminders go to a parent when the reader is a child, if you've added the parent's email.
• On Bibliotheca, churches can connect Planning Center to find members automatically.
• Adding staff logins doesn't cost extra.

Cons

• Books only. We don't catalog DVDs, games or other items.
• No MARC import or export. You bring books in with a spreadsheet or by scanning ISBNs.
• Exporting your data is limited. You can download your books as a CSV file, but there's no export of readers or loan history.
• The free plan is limited. Search by meaning, age ranges and reminders end after 30 days, and there's no reader portal or holds. Librarika's free plan is far larger.
• Self-checkout costs more than our lowest price. The full kiosk and phone checkout both need Bibliotheca at $11.99. Library Lover at $5.99 includes only the Family Kiosk. TinyCat includes self-checkout from $3 a month for volunteer libraries.
• Our largest plan stops at 10,000 books and 500 readers. Libib Pro, TinyCat, Librarika and Handy Library Manager have no reader limit.
• AI age ranges can be wrong, and books without a range are still shown. Treat the filter as a help, not a guarantee.
• There's no offline mode, so you need an internet connection. Handy Library Manager runs on your own computer instead.
• We're a new product, so we don't have the long track record of most others here.

Where LibraryKeeper makes the most sense

We think LibraryKeeper fits best when volunteers run the library and readers help themselves. That usually means a church library, a small private school or a homeschool group with up to a few thousand books, where nobody wants to learn cataloging and nobody is at the desk all day. Self-checkout, phone checkout, age-matched search and reminders do most of that work.

Most of those libraries should expect to pay for Bibliotheca at $11.99 a month, because self-checkout and more than 20 readers both need it.

For a homeschool family that wants children to borrow on their own, look at Library Lover at $5.99 a month. It covers up to 1,000 books and 20 readers, and each child taps their own name on the Family Kiosk.

Pick something else in these cases:

• You lend more than books. Libib or TinyCat will suit you better.
• You want to pay nothing. Librarika's free plan covers 2,000 records with unlimited readers, if you can accept ads.
• Lowest price matters most. TinyCat costs $3 to $8 a month for volunteer libraries up to 5,000 items, self-checkout included. Libib Pro comes to about $6 to $7 a month with the nonprofit discount, at any size.
• You're one family or collector keeping track of your own books. TinyCat is free for personal use, and so is Libib's free plan, up to 5,000 items. CLZ Books is a good paid choice with quick phone scanning.
• You have over 10,000 books. Libib, Handy Library Manager, TinyCat up to 20,000 items, or Librarika Gold up to 15,000 records.
• You have over 500 readers. Libib Pro, TinyCat, Librarika and Handy Library Manager have no reader limit.
• You have a trained librarian who needs MARC records. TinyCat or Librarika both handle them, and Handy Library Manager imports them.
• You'd rather pay once than subscribe. Handy Library Manager is built that way.
• You want your data on your own computer. Handy Library Manager is the only one here that works like that.
• You want a long track record. Most other products here have one, and we don't yet.

The free plan needs no credit card, so you can add a shelf of books and see how it feels. It won't show you self-checkout, though, which is the main reason to choose us. TinyCat has a 30-day trial, Handy Library Manager has a free trial, CLZ Books Web has a 7-day trial, Librarika's free plan lets you try lending, and Libib's free plan lets you try its catalog but not lending. We'd suggest trying more than one before you commit.