Anobii alternative

    An Anobii alternative for the books on your own shelves

    Anobii is built around sharing your reading with other people, and it does that job well. If what you really want is a list of the printed books you own, Librisync is an Anobii alternative that starts from your shelves.

    apps like Anobiireaders who know Anobii but mainly want an inventory of the physical books they ownA clear picture of which tool does which job, and a calm way to catalog your own copies without giving up your reading community.

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    How Librisync helps

    This page compares two different kinds of tools, and we try to do it fairly. What we say about Anobii comes from its own website, its app store listing and published sources. What we say about Librisync comes from our live site.

    Librisync is not affiliated with Anobii. This page helps readers compare workflows and choose the right tool for their personal library.

    apps like Anobii

    You use your reading network mostly as a shelf list, and for that job the reviews, groups and follows are more than you need.

    A clear picture of which tool does which job, and a calm way to catalog your own copies without giving up your reading community.

    What Anobii is, in its own words

    Anobii calls itself a social network for sharing your passion for reading, and that description fits. On anobii.com you add books to your library or your wishlist, rate them, read the latest reviews from other members and join groups built around specific topics. You can follow other readers. There are apps for iPhone and Android; as of October 2026 the iOS app is listed as free and includes a barcode scanner for digitizing a physical library. Since 2019 Anobii has belonged to Ovolab, an Italian app and software developer, and it is most popular in Italy. The iOS app is available in Italian and English. We think Anobii does the social side of reading well.

    Why readers look for an Anobii alternative

    Looking for an Anobii alternative doesn't have to mean you're unhappy with Anobii. Often the question has simply changed. Maybe you joined during a year abroad in Bologna to swap reviews with new friends. Today you're standing in a secondhand shop holding a battered Discworld paperback, and all you want to know is whether that book already sits in the hallway bookcase. In that moment, what you need is a plain, complete list of the copies you physically own, ideally with a note on which room they're in. That is a different job from a reading community, and wanting a separate tool for it is perfectly reasonable.

    How Librisync handles the books you own

    Librisync turns your physical bookshelves into a searchable digital library, and it starts from the shelf itself. You photograph a shelf and the AI identifies the visible books with title, author, cover and ISBN; single books go in by barcode or ISBN. The scanner also handles comics and manga. Every book carries cover, author, genre, rating and personal notes, plus your own review if you want to write one. You build shelves by room, theme, mood or reading status, and you note who borrowed which book. You keep one central wishlist, and in the bookstore you can check whether you already own a book. Sharing your library, single shelves or wishlists by link is optional and can be revoked at any time.

    Apps like Anobii: two jobs, two tools

    When you compare apps like Anobii, it helps to sort them by the job they do. Some are reading communities first, with reviews, groups and people to follow. Others are catalogs first: an inventory of what stands on your shelves, kept for yourself. Neither kind is better; they answer different questions. Using one of each is a sensible setup, we think. Keep your reviews and reading groups where your friends already are, and keep the inventory of your own copies somewhere calm. One note: If you have an Anobii CSV export, you can import your books directly via Librisync's file import tab in manual entry. Librisync also offers data export and account deletion at any time, so your list stays yours.

    Updated on October 30, 2026

    Methodology

    This comparison looks at capture speed, metadata review, privacy, reading context, sharing, and how much work each tool creates once a personal collection grows.

    Librisync pros

    • Photo-first capture for real shelves
    • Private organization with reading context
    • Duplicate checks and wishlist in the same workflow

    Trade-offs

    • Newer ecosystem than long-established catalog tools
    • Best suited to personal libraries, not institutional circulation systems

    What to look for

    Who the list is for

    On a reading network you write partly for others: reviews, ratings and activity that other members see. A home catalog is written for you alone. Decide first which of the two you actually need on a Tuesday evening in front of your shelves.

    How books get in

    Look at how a tool captures a full shelf, and how it copes with older editions that have no barcode.

    Loans and rooms

    If you lend books or keep them in several rooms, a list of titles isn't enough. A note on the borrower and on the shelf where a book lives is what saves you the search later.

    Your data, your exit

    Check whether you can export your list and delete your account. A catalog you build over years should never be locked in one place, whichever of the apps like Anobii you end up using.

    Your first evening: rebuild the shelf, not the history

    Don't try to recreate years of ratings and reviews. Start with the physical books. Choose one bookcase, ideally the one in the room you use least, and photograph it shelf by shelf. Go through the matches, then import them. Put each book on a shelf named after the room it lives in. If something is lent out right now, add the borrower's name. Leave your Anobii account as it is; your reviews and groups don't need to move for this to work. After one evening you'll know whether a quiet catalog next to your reading network is worth keeping.

    1. 1

      Pick one bookcase and photograph it

    2. 2

      Review matches, name shelves by room

    3. 3

      Note loans, keep Anobii for reviews

    Related guides

    Features · Home Library App

    Features

    Questions people ask

    Is Anobii still active?
    Yes, as far as public sources show. As of October 2026 anobii.com is online and describes itself as a social network for readers. The iOS app, published by Ovolab, shows version 5.13.0 with an update dated 18 July, and there is an Android app on Google Play. We know nothing beyond these public pages.
    Can I move my Anobii library into Librisync?
    Yes. If you download your Anobii library as a CSV export, you can upload it directly into Librisync via the file import tab in manual book entry. You can preview all detected titles, verify duplicates against your library, and import them with one click. You can also photograph your shelves to capture physical books quickly.
    Can I use Anobii and Librisync side by side?
    Yes, and we think that's often the best setup. Anobii is built for reviews, groups and following other readers. Librisync focuses on the copies you own: shelves by room and loans. Sharing in Librisync is optional, so your catalog can stay just for you.
    What does Librisync cost?
    Librisync is free up to 100 books, permanently, and no credit card is needed. There are no banner ads, no tracking ads and no sale of personal data. For larger collections, LibriSync Pro is available from €2.99 a month, €24.99 a year, or €49.99 for lifetime access.

    Build the book system around your real shelves

    Start with a few books or scan a whole shelf. Librisync keeps the structure useful after the first import.