SimplyE review
A privacy-focused library app with broad integrations, retired in August 2025.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
SimplyE was a free, open-source library app for discovering, borrowing, reading, and listening to digital books. It brought library e-books and audiobooks together in one place for public libraries and their patrons, with access tied to a library card and participating content platforms. The app supported web, iOS, and Android, and included open-access and public-domain collections alongside library-provided content. SimplyE retired in August 2025, so it is not a choice for new deployments or ongoing audiobook access.
Its strongest area was library and ecosystem coverage. SimplyE integrated with Baker & Taylor Axis360, cloudLibrary by Bibliotheca, the Digital Public Library of America, EBSCO NoveList, Biblioboard, Odilo, OverDrive, and RBdigital. That range supported discovery and borrowing across participating library services rather than limiting patrons to one catalog or provider. Library-card integration also kept the core workflow focused: find content, borrow it, then read or listen in the same app. The open-source model and privacy-focused design, including no patron tracking, made it especially relevant to libraries and patrons concerned about control over digital access.
Accessibility was another practical strength. Patrons could customize fonts, font sizes, and background colors, use the OpenDyslexic font, and access screen-reader compatibility. Those options complemented the combined reading and listening experience. However, SimplyE’s value depended on library participation and supported provider connections, and its retirement is a decisive limitation. Libraries seeking an active app or patrons looking for a current audiobook subscription should choose an alternative. SimplyE is best understood as a retired, privacy-oriented library access project with a broad integration model and a clear public-library focus.
SimplyE pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free and open source
- Supports library borrowing for e-books and audiobooks
- Accessibility features include screen-reader support and OpenDyslexic
- Where it doesn't
- The app retired in August 2025
- Access depends on a participating library and library card
- Designed for library content rather than general audiobook subscriptions
SimplyE fact sheet, pricing and score →
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