Libib is one of the easiest ways to start a library catalogue: sign up, scan a few ISBNs with your phone, and the books appear. Many small libraries start there and then hit the same wall. The free plan catalogues books but doesn’t lend them. The moment you want to record who has which book, you need a paid plan.
If that’s where you are, this guide explains exactly what Libib’s plans include, when paying for Libib is the right call, and the free alternatives that include lending.
What Libib’s free plan includes, and what it leaves out
From Libib’s pricing page, as of October 2026:
| Basic | Pro | Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $9/month or $99/year | $900/year |
| Items | Up to 5,000 | Up to 100,000 | Up to 100,000 |
| Lending and holds | No | Yes | Yes |
| Patrons | No | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Barcode labels | No | Yes | Yes |
| Reports | No | CSV reports | CSV and custom reports |
| Extra managers (staff) | No | $2/month each | 50 included |
Libib gives education and non-profit customers 25% off Pro, and Basic still includes cloud sync, book details looked up for you, and CSV import and export.
So Basic is a catalogue: a good record of what you own. Libib describes it as being for personal use. A library that lends needs Pro, and a library with several volunteers pays for each extra manager on top.
For many libraries that’s fair value. For a school in Nepal, a church reading room or a village library run on donations, a recurring bill in US dollars, paid by card, is often the one thing that stops them.
What to look for in an alternative
Before comparing, decide what you actually need:
- Lending: issue, return, due dates, a list of what’s overdue.
- Members, with different rules for children, adults or staff.
- More than one person at the desk, each with their own sign-in.
- Labels: barcodes so issuing a book is one scan.
- Works on your internet: if the connection drops for an afternoon, can you still lend?
- Getting your data out: a backup or export you control.
- An online catalogue, if members need to search from home.
Point 7 decides more than anything else. If members must search from home, you need a hosted or web-based system. If they don’t, a desktop app is simpler and costs nothing to run.
Libib alternatives compared
| Software | Type | Cost | Lending | Without internet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libib Pro | Online service | $9/month or $99/year | Yes | Online service |
| TinyCat | Online catalogue from LibraryThing | See its plans | Yes | Online service |
| Koha | Open-source, web-based | Free software; a server or paid hosting | Yes | Only on a local server |
| Khulla | Open-source desktop app | No cost | Yes | Yes |
| A spreadsheet | Excel or Google Sheets | Free | By hand | Excel, yes |
TinyCat
TinyCat is LibraryThing’s catalogue for small libraries, and the closest thing to Libib in spirit: online, simple, with patron self-checkout. It’s paid, with different rates for volunteer-run and staffed libraries; check its current plans. Choose it if you want what Libib Pro does and prefer LibraryThing’s cataloguing.
Koha
Koha is the best-known open-source library system, used by national and university libraries. The software is free, but it runs on a Linux server: you either host it yourself or pay a company to. It gives members an online catalogue and handles almost anything a library does. For a small library it’s often more system than needed. See what Koha really costs and the Koha alternative page.
Khulla
Khulla is an open-source desktop app, the one this site is about, so weigh that. It installs on Windows, Linux or Android, keeps the catalogue on that device, and works with no internet at all. Lending, holds, fines, member categories with their own loan rules, staff sign-ins with roles, barcode spine labels and reports are all included, with no plan to upgrade to.
Its limits, compared with Libib:
- No online catalogue. Members can’t search from home.
- One catalogue per device. Two computers can’t share the same catalogue.
- No import. It can’t load a Libib CSV or a spreadsheet; titles are entered by hand.
- No ISBN lookup. You type the book’s details rather than having them fetched.
If those are deal-breakers, Libib Pro or TinyCat will suit you better. If your library lends from one desk, often without reliable internet, they matter less. See library software without a server for how that works.
A spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is free and familiar, and fine for a few hundred books. Lending by hand is where it breaks: overdue lists, member limits and holds all become manual work. See library catalogue in Excel vs library software.
When to stay with Libib
Be honest about what you’d lose. Libib is the better choice when:
- Members need to search the catalogue online, or place holds from home.
- Several people catalogue from different places, on their own phones.
- You catalogue with a phone camera and want each book’s details filled in from its ISBN.
- The library’s budget covers $99 a year, and nobody wants to look after a computer.
A home library that never lends doesn’t need an alternative at all: Libib Basic is free and does the job well. See home library catalogue software for other options.
Moving away from Libib
If you decide to switch:
- Export your catalogue from Libib as a CSV. Every plan can do this; keep the file even after you’ve moved.
- Check whether the new system imports it. If it doesn’t, plan to re-enter titles, starting with the books that are borrowed most.
- Finish open loans first. Bring borrowed books back, or note who has what, before switching the desk to the new system.
- Number and label each copy. Copies need barcodes in the new system; see how to barcode library books.
- Run both for a week or two, then cancel the Libib subscription.
Summary
- Libib Basic is free but has no lending: circulation needs Pro at $9 a month or $99 a year.
- If members need an online catalogue, stay with Libib Pro or try TinyCat.
- If you can run a server or pay for hosting, Koha does everything, at no licence cost.
- If you lend from one desk and want no subscription and no internet dependence, a desktop app such as Khulla fits, with no online catalogue and no import.
- Whatever you choose, export your Libib catalogue first and keep the file.
Questions
Is Libib free?
Libib's Basic plan is free and catalogues up to 5,000 items, but it has no lending, patrons, barcode management or reports. Those need Libib Pro, which costs $9 a month or $99 a year, with a 25% discount for education and non-profit customers.
What is a free alternative to Libib with circulation?
Open-source library software includes lending at no licence cost. Khulla is a desktop app that runs on one computer without the internet; Koha and other web-based systems need a server but give members an online catalogue.
Can I move my catalogue from Libib to another system?
Libib exports a catalogue as a CSV file on every plan. Whether you can load that file elsewhere depends on the other system: some import spreadsheets, others, including Khulla today, need titles entered by hand.
When is Libib the better choice?
When members must search the catalogue online, when several people catalogue from different devices, or when you want to scan an ISBN with a phone and have the book's details filled in. Those are things a hosted service does well.
Try Khulla in two minutes
Open the demo in a browser: nothing to install, no account to create. When it fits, download Khulla for Windows, Linux or Android.
Want a hand setting it up?
We can install it with you, move your records over from a register or spreadsheet, or add a feature your library needs. Message us on WhatsApp (+977 981-9102869) or email info@sangamadhikari.com. See contact for what to tell us.