Best Book Catalogue App for Your Personal Library (2026)
There's a specific kind of frustration that comes from owning 400 books and not being able to find the one you want.
You know you have it. It's definitely in the house. Might be the study. Might be the bedroom. Might be in the box you still haven't unpacked from the last move. You end up spending 20 minutes looking, give up, and buy the ebook.
That's what a catalogue solves. Not reading tracking. Not social recommendations. A proper catalogue — the kind that knows what you own, where it is, and whether it's the hardback or the paperback.
What makes a good book catalogue app
The comparison
| Feature | CLZ Books | Libib | LibraryThing | BookBuddy | Plumerie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | iOS, Android, desktop | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | iOS, Mac only | Any device (PWA) |
| Free tier | 100 books | 5,000 books | 200 books | 50 books | 100 books |
| Barcode scanning | ✓ | ✓ | Limited | ✓ | ✓ |
| Organisation features | Excellent — custom fields | Collections, tags | Tags, collections | Categories, tags | Location tags, AI enrichment |
| Data export | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Limited | ✓ |
| Price | $24.95/yr | Free / $60/yr Pro | $25/yr | $6.99 once | €29.99/yr |
✓ yes · ~ partial · ✗ no/unavailable — Pricing and features last verified April 2026
What each one does well
CLZ Books is the most thorough cataloguing tool available. Custom fields for everything. Batch editing. Multiple view modes. The desktop companion (CLZ Cloud) adds even more depth. There's a learning curve — but if you're cataloguing 1,000+ books with specific metadata needs, CLZ was built for exactly that. 100 books free, $24.95/year.
Libib keeps it simple. 5,000 books free. Collections, tags, statuses. Also catalogues music, films, and games. Less metadata depth than CLZ, but it covers the essentials without overwhelming you. iOS, Android, and web.
LibraryThing draws from over 200 million records — including data from hundreds of libraries worldwide. For rare or out-of-print books that other apps can't find, LibraryThing is still the one. The export options are strong. The mobile app feels its age. 200 books free, $25/year.
BookBuddy is a polished cataloguing experience on Apple. ISBN lookup is fast. The interface is clean and considered. iCloud keeps everything in sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple-only. 50 books free, $6.99 for Pro.
Plumerie catalogues with an emphasis on the physical. Where books are in your home. Who's borrowed what. What your family shares. AI enrichment adds themes, mood, and content notes automatically — metadata you didn't have to type. Works on every device as a progressive web app. 45-language support means non-English books catalogue well. 100 books free, €29.99/year for Plus.
The verdict
“A catalogue isn't about counting your books. It's about finally knowing what you have.”
For deep control: CLZ. For the biggest free tier: Libib. For rare books and deep metadata: LibraryThing's database is still unmatched. For Apple polish: BookBuddy. For multilingual collections, family sharing, and lending — especially if you read in more than one language — Plumerie was built around that. Full comparison →
Pricing and features last verified: April 2026.