TinyCat vs Libib
Updated onCompare TinyCat and Libib side-by-side. See how they stack up on features, pricing, and target market.
TinyCat
TinyCat is a web-based online catalog and small-library management system from LibraryThing for schools, churches, and other libraries with up to 20,000 items.
Starts at $0 / per library / month
Has a free trial
vs
Libib
Libib is a cloud-based library cataloging and management service for books, board games, movies, music, and video games, offering free and paid plans for individuals and organizations.
Starts at $0
Which should you choose?
TinyCat
Choose TinyCat if you want an inexpensive, library‑grade OPAC + circulation built on LibraryThing with MARC import/export and copy‑cataloging for collections up to 20,000 items, and you’re fine with web self‑checkout rather than a kiosk app.
Libib
Choose Libib if you need mobile apps and kiosk self‑checkout, a REST API and optional SSO (Ultimate), higher item limits (up to 100,000), or flat per‑account pricing with add‑on managers.
Typical cost comparison
Scenario: Volunteer‑run community library with 2,000 items, 1 manager, needs circulation; billed monthly in USD.
TinyCat
$6 per month
Libib
$9 per month
TinyCat saves you $3 per month in this scenario.
Key differences
| Category | TinyCat | Libib | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Both are cloud‑based with quick setup and self‑checkout options; Libib adds mobile scanning, while TinyCat’s admin and OPAC are streamlined for small libraries. | ||
| Pricing | TinyCat charges by item count and whether the library is volunteer‑run or has paid staff, while Libib Pro is flat $9/month plus $2 per additional manager—each can be cheaper depending on staffing and size. | ||
| Feature Depth (Cataloging) | TinyCat leverages LibraryThing for MARC import/export and copy‑cataloging from thousands of sources, giving more library‑centric metadata out of the box. | ||
| Integrations | Libib offers a REST API, native iOS/Android apps and a kiosk app for self‑checkout, plus SSO on the Ultimate tier. | ||
| Scalability | Libib supports up to 100,000 items per account, while TinyCat is designed for ‘tiny’ libraries up to 20,000 items. |
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