OverDrive
Hacker ApprovedRanked 2 of 3 library apps by recommenders
Free ebook and audiobook borrowing through public libraries, with native support on Kobo and other readers. The most common caveat is long waits for popular titles.
Free ebook and audiobook borrowing through public libraries, with native support on Kobo and other readers. The most common caveat is long waits for popular titles.
15 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 11
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 73%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 11 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 2.8 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Free books from public libraries
“I make a lot of use of my local library through the native Overdrive integration”
Comment from 24 May 2026 in “Kindle loyalists scramble as Amazon turns page on old e-readers” “I like my Overdrive library books and Kobo Store.”
Comment from 15 Jun 2026 in “Your ePub Is Fine. Kobo Disagrees. Blame Adobe” “which are also free from the library”
Comment from 9 Apr 2026 in “Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead” Holds let you queue popular titles
“If you read one book a week you can queue up fifty good books and wait for that one to come available at some point in the year.”
Comment from 16 Dec 2025 in “Quill OS: An open-source OS for Kobo's eReaders” “What works for me with overdrive is using holds and then when it comes available”
Comment from 16 Dec 2025 in “Quill OS: An open-source OS for Kobo's eReaders” Good integration with Kobo
“The Kobo does have good Overdrive integration and that's a huge plus.”
Comment from 31 Aug 2026 in “Rakuten Kobo returns to U.S. retail as sales double” “Kobo also integrates with public libraries via Overdrive”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Long waits for popular titles
“I love Overdrive but cannot imagine to stick to the forced regime of lending periods and random waiting times.”
Comment from 16 Dec 2025 in “Quill OS: An open-source OS for Kobo's eReaders” “Either the book I'm interested in isn't available or it's unavailable for weeks.”
Comment from 16 Dec 2025 in “Quill OS: An open-source OS for Kobo's eReaders” Unreliable integration and missed holds
“the Overdrive issues are infuriating, especially when you miss out on a hold from the library”
Comment from 20 Apr 2026 in “I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you” “the integration with Overdrive is unreliable, only working some of the time”
Comment from 20 Apr 2026 in “I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you”
Other library apps people recommend
The two most recommended other library apps, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
See all 3 library apps, rankedWhat people said
15 of the 16 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Overdrive is for public libraries everywhere, so the choice of which is better should be pretty clear as well”
“The Kobo does have good Overdrive integration and that's a huge plus.”
“you can get books from hell dimensions like Overdrive”
“I like my Overdrive library books and Kobo Store.”
“I make a lot of use of my local library through the native Overdrive integration”
“Kobo also integrates with public libraries via Overdrive”
“You can only use one library card at a time with OverDrive”
“the Overdrive issues are infuriating, especially when you miss out on a hold from the library”
“the integration with Overdrive is unreliable, only working some of the time”
“which are also free from the library”
“My local city's library offers access to several Digital Library apps, including Overdrive, Hoopla, and Libby.”
“I love Overdrive but cannot imagine to stick to the forced regime of lending periods and random waiting times.”
“What works for me with overdrive is using holds and then when it comes available”
“If you read one book a week you can queue up fifty good books and wait for that one to come available at some point in the year.”
“Either the book I'm interested in isn't available or it's unavailable for weeks.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.