WorldCat.org
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
Use it if you need to find which libraries worldwide hold a book, recording, or article . it is free and unmatched in scope.
New check
Comparison
WorldCat.org vs Open Library
WorldCat.org and Open Library both land on Worth it.
Open Library
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
Use it if you want free books, a reading log, or open book metadata . it costs nothing.
| Compare | WorldCat.org | Open Library |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Worth it |
| Best for | Genealogists tracing titles | Readers on a zero budget |
| Who it's not for | Anyone wanting full-text reading . it locates items, doesn't serve them | Anyone needing uptime guarantees or support |
| Privacy | No public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; OCLC actively litigates mass scraping of WorldCat data.⁷ | Two 2022 CVEs and an October 2024 Internet Archive breach that took sites offline; incident disclosed on the project blog. |
| Support quality | No support evidence in sources | Volunteer-run community, no SLA |
| Public sentiment | Librarians long praised WorldCat as the best database, but a recent redesign and access problems drew sharp criticism.³ | Redditors and Hacker News users value the free borrowing and clean catalog but repeatedly question its legality and uptime.14 |
| Biggest gotcha | Interlibrary loan costs depend on your library; WorldCat itself doesn't set them. | October 2024 Internet Archive breach; rotate any reused passwords. |
Pick WorldCat.org when
- Genealogists tracing titles
- Librarians and catalogers
- Book collectors locating editions
- Self-publishers checking library holdings
When WorldCat.org is not a fit
- Anyone wanting full-text reading . it locates items, doesn't serve them
- Casual readers; Google Books or a library card is simpler
- Users in regions with reported access blocking
- People needing school (PK-12) library coverage
Pick Open Library when
- Readers on a zero budget
- Casual reading tracking
- Developers needing free book metadata
- Hunting out-of-print books
When Open Library is not a fit
- Anyone needing uptime guarantees or support
- Privacy-sensitive users wary after the 2024 breach
- Publishers and authors opposing digital lending
- Guess: readers who want new bestsellers instantly
Sources
- WorldCat.org homepagesearch.worldcat.orgofficial
- About WorldCat.orgsearch.worldcat.orgofficial
review
- Any good alternatives to Worldcat?reddit.comreview
- Worldcat.org unaccessiblereddit.comreview
- What's Up With WorldCat?ruthtillman.comreview
- OCLC WorldCat.org Services Terms and Conditionspolicies.oclc.orgofficial
news
- WorldCat - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.orgreview
- Welcome to Open Libraryopenlibrary.orgofficial
- Open Library APIsopenlibrary.orgofficial
- Open Library - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.orgofficial
- Open Library discussion - Hacker Newsnews.ycombinator.comreview
- Open Library Reader - App Storeapps.apple.comreview