Libby vs Hoopla: Wait Lists, Limits and What You Can Borrow

Pick Libby if you mainly want ebooks, audiobooks and magazines, and you don't mind joining a wait list for popular titles. Pick Hoopla if you want to borrow something right now with no waiting, or you also want movies, TV shows, comics and music, and can live with a monthly borrowing limit.

Both apps are free and both work through your public library: you sign in with a library card, and your library pays for what you borrow. Some libraries offer both, so check your library's website first. You may not have to choose at all.

Libby vs Hoopla at a glance

Why do you have to wait in Libby but not in Hoopla?

Because the two apps license books in different ways.

Libby, built by OverDrive, works like a physical library. Its help page explains that libraries usually buy individual copies of digital titles, and "publishers often require that each digital copy is only loaned to one person at a time." If every copy is out, you place a hold and wait. Popular new releases can have long wait lists.

Hoopla handles its Instant titles differently. Its site says "Instant titles are always immediately available - with no holds or waiting." The catch is a monthly cap: "Your Library provides you with" a set number of "new Instant Borrows at the start of each month." Hoopla also has Flex titles, which work more like Libby: you can borrow a limited number at a time, and if no copies are free, you place a hold.

We checked both on 6 November 2026, in Libby's help article "Why do I need to wait for a copy of a digital title?" and on Hoopla's help site, and that is the core trade-off. Libby makes you wait when every copy of a popular book is out. Hoopla's Instant titles never make you wait, but your library decides how many you get each month.

Which has more to borrow?

Hoopla covers more formats. Its App Store listing says you can "borrow audiobooks, eBooks, movies, TV episodes, comics, and music, all in one app." SeasonPass lets you borrow a full season of a TV show, and BingePass gives seven days of access to a collection of premium content with one borrow. Comics have a panel-by-panel ActionView reader.

Libby focuses on reading and listening: ebooks, audiobooks and magazines, from classics to "the latest New York Times bestsellers." What you see in either app depends on what your library has licensed, and Hoopla notes that titles, formats and limits vary by library.

Which app is better for reading and listening?

Libby has the more detailed reader and audiobook player. You can change text size, background colour and book design, zoom into magazines and comics, look up words, and add bookmarks, notes and highlights. The audiobook player goes from 0.6x to 3.0x speed and has a sleep timer. In the US, Libby can also send ebooks to a Kindle, and it syncs your reading position across devices.

Hoopla covers the basics well: streaming or offline downloads, a sleep timer, dark mode, Kids Mode and Apple CarPlay. Libby also supports CarPlay for audiobooks. Hoopla titles return automatically when the loan ends, so there are never late fees.

Where can you use each app?

Libby runs on iPhone, iPad and Android and in a web browser at libbyapp.com, which says "thousands of public libraries offer ebooks and audiobooks (for free!) in Libby."

Hoopla runs on phones, tablets and the web, and its help center has guides for Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, LG and Samsung TVs. That makes it the better choice for watching borrowed movies on a big screen. Hoopla says libraries across the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand offer it.

Which should you choose?

• You read a lot of new bestsellers and can wait: Libby.
• You want to start a book tonight, with no hold: Hoopla Instant.
• You read magazines: Libby.
• You want movies, TV shows or music from the library: Hoopla.
• You read on a Kindle (US): Libby, which can send ebooks to it.
• You like comics and graphic novels: both, with Hoopla's ActionView reader a plus.
• Your library offers both: use both, Libby for holds and Hoopla while you wait.

For other reading and listening apps, including Kindle, Audible and Kobo, see our Libby alternatives.

FAQ

Are Libby and Hoopla really free?

Yes. Both are free with a library card from a participating library. Your library pays for the titles, and Hoopla has no subscription and no ads.

Why is there a wait list in Libby?

Libraries buy a limited number of digital copies, and publishers often require each copy to be loaned to one person at a time. When all copies are out, you place a hold.

How many Hoopla borrows do you get each month?

It depends on your library. Each library sets how many Instant borrows you get at the start of each month.

Can you use Libby and Hoopla with the same library card?

Yes, if your library offers both. Each app asks you to find your library and sign in with your card.