AllMyBooks vs LibraryThing
AllMyBooks helps you capture whole shelves, find the copy you own, and manage a library together. Compare those everyday workflows with LibraryThing’s catalogue and community tools.
Every LibraryThing fact on this page was checked against LibraryThing's own public pages, most recently in October 2026.
One Library co-owned by the people who keep it — family, or a church or school’s volunteers — a shared catalogue with member roles, and no cap on members or books.
No cap on books or library members.
How sharing a Library worksWhy choose AllMyBooks for your own shelves?
Capture a shelf, then check the results
Read book spines from a shelf photo and review the suggested matches before adding them. You can also scan ISBN barcodes straight in your browser.
Adding books from shelf photos →Give each keeper their own access
Invite family or volunteers into one shared Library with their own accounts and Admin, Member or Guest roles.
Shared libraries and roles →Keep track of the physical copy
Record where each copy lives, its condition, dated photos and purchase details. Check a shelf against your records and print book or shelf labels.
Checking a shelf →Take your catalogue to the shelf or shop
The phone app keeps library text for offline browsing and checking whether you already own a book. ISBN scans saved without a connection sync when you reconnect.
Using the phone app offline →Feature by feature
| Feature | AllMyBooks | LibraryThing |
|---|---|---|
| Shared library | AllMyBooks strength: One Library co-owned by the people who keep it — family, or a church or school’s volunteers — a shared catalogue with member roles, and no cap on members or books. How sharing a Library works → | Caveat: Family collections can use one LibraryThing account. TinyCat provides separate staff logins for circulation; LibraryThing cataloguing uses the shared account. |
| Adding books | AllMyBooks strength: ISBN barcode scanning in the browser — no app install — plus shelf-photo scanning for whole shelves, both uncapped. Pre-ISBN books resolve by LCCN. Ways to add books → | ISBN barcode scanning in the mobile app and cataloguing from library sources. The app documentation describes barcode capture and cover uploads. |
| Collector detail | AllMyBooks strength: Every copy is its own record: printing, condition with dated photos, inscription notes, a value basis you set yourself, and custom fields. How copies and editions are catalogued → | Work and edition records, tags, reviews, and library classifications. |
| Lending | Loans with due dates and return nudges, plus a patron checkout mode for classroom shelves and little free libraries. How lending works → | LibraryThing includes basic lending with borrowers, due dates and statuses. TinyCat adds a patron-facing catalogue and circulation tools. |
| Public sharing | Share a curated showcase by link, or give a tiny library its own public catalogue page anyone can browse without an account. Sharing your library → | Catalogues can be shared with the LibraryThing community; TinyCat gives a small library a patron-facing online catalogue. |
| Import & export | AllMyBooks strength: Readerware, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and LibraryThing exports are recognized automatically — a Readerware TAB export brings copies, shelves, Dewey and call numbers, loans and want-list rows across; any other CSV (CLZ Books included) imports via column mapping, and a UTF-8 MARC 21 file — a LibraryThing MARC export, say — imports with its LC and Dewey classes. Export your whole catalogue as CSV or JSON anytime. Importing and exporting → | Exports as Excel, tab-delimited text, JSON, or MARC. AllMyBooks imports both the tab-delimited export and the UTF-8 MARC export: a MARC file carries the LC and Dewey classes, keeps "Your library" records as copies, and offers Wishlist records for the want list. |
When LibraryThing may fit
- Shared bibliographic records, community tags and classification browsing support readers researching books beyond their own shelves.
Sources checked in October 2026
Switching from LibraryThing
Export your catalogue as tab-delimited text from LibraryThing's Import/Export page, then drop the file into the AllMyBooks importer — LibraryThing's export format is recognized automatically, so your books, authors, and ISBNs come across without manual column matching. A UTF-8 MARC export works too, and brings the LC and Dewey classes with it.