Start with your library and the audiobook you want. A library must offer Libby or Hoopla for you to use it, and each service’s catalog and borrowing rules depend on that library. Search for the exact title in both apps if your library provides both: Libby is useful for holds and managing multiple library cards, while Hoopla’s Instant titles are available to borrow immediately. Both can be worth keeping.
Libby vs. Hoopla at a glance
| What matters | Libby | Hoopla |
|---|---|---|
| Access | You need a card for each library you want to use; you can add multiple libraries and cards. | You need a valid card from a library that offers Hoopla. |
| Finding a title | Search your library’s catalog. If an audiobook is unavailable, you may be able to place a hold. | Instant titles are available to borrow immediately. Some libraries also offer Flex titles, which can have holds. |
| Borrowing limits | Your library sets loan and hold limits. | Your library sets limits, which may include personal and collective caps. |
| Offline listening | The mobile app downloads audiobooks over Wi-Fi by default. The website requires an internet connection. | You can stream or download, but download availability depends on the title. |
| Other formats | Books, audiobooks, magazines and library Extras. | Audiobooks, ebooks, comics and manga, music, movies, TV and other offerings. |
Can you use Libby or Hoopla with your library card?
Only if your library participates in that service. Libby requires a card for each library you add; Hoopla requires a valid card from a participating library. Whether you can get a card—and whether you qualify if you live outside the library’s service area—is determined by the library, not the app. Check the library’s website or ask staff before assuming you can use both.
If your library offers both services, you can use both with the eligible card. The choice does not have to be either-or.
Will the audiobook be available now?
Search for the exact audiobook in each app connected to your library. Catalogs vary because libraries choose what to license and how to lend it, so a title may be missing from one service, available in the other, or temporarily unavailable.
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Libby: borrow now or place a hold
If a Libby title is checked out or otherwise unavailable, you may be able to place a hold and borrow it when it becomes available. A ready hold has a limited pickup window. Libby may also show availability through a partner library when a lending partnership exists, but partner arrangements can have different conditions. The specific catalog and rules depend on your library.
Hoopla: Instant and Flex titles
Hoopla Instant titles can be borrowed immediately. Some libraries also offer Flex titles, which may be available to borrow or may require a hold. So “available instantly” describes Instant titles—not every audiobook in every library’s Hoopla catalog.
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How many audiobooks can you borrow?
There is no dependable universal loan quota to compare. Libby says, “Your library chooses how many loans and holds you can have at a time.” Its audiobook and ebook loans count toward the loan limit. Hoopla limits and available content also vary by library; local policies may include personal monthly limits and a collective daily cap.
Check your library’s borrowing rules and the limits shown in the app. A figure that applies to one library should not be assumed to apply to another.
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Which app is better for offline listening?
Libby’s mobile app downloads books and audiobooks over Wi-Fi by default, so you can listen offline after downloading. Libby’s website always requires an internet connection.
Hoopla supports streaming and downloads, but not every audiobook is necessarily downloadable. Check the selected title’s options in the app before relying on offline access.
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Which app offers more than audiobooks?
Hoopla may be more convenient if you want other media in the same service: its offerings can include ebooks, comics and manga, music, movies and TV as well as audiobooks. Libby offers library books, audiobooks, magazines and Extras. What you can actually borrow in either app depends on what your library provides.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose for a specific audiobook
- Confirm that your library offers Libby, Hoopla, or both, and that your card is eligible.
- Search the exact audiobook title in every service your library supports.
- Compare whether it is available now, requires a Libby hold, or appears as a Hoopla Instant or Flex title.
- Check your library’s loan and hold limits, then confirm download availability if you need offline listening.
Choose Libby when its catalog, holds, multiple-card support or mobile offline downloads suit your needs. Choose Hoopla when the title is available there—especially as an Instant title—or when access to other media is useful. If both have the audiobook, your library’s current availability and rules are the practical deciding factors.
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