{"slug": "overdrive", "name": "OverDrive", "category": "dev-libs", "category_name": "Libraries and frameworks", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 5, "warners": 1, "score": 1.98, "rising": -0.98, "first": "2025-12-15", "latest": "2026-07-06", "why": "It also integrates directly with Overdrive so you can download free library books directly to your device.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 1, "compare": 0, "warn": 1}, "spark": [0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "It also integrates directly with Overdrive so you can download free library books directly to your device.", "kind": "", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://www.overdrive.com", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["OverDrive", "Overdrive"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 765700288, "item_id": 47856268, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47856268", "by": "mingus88", "date": "2026-04-21", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It\u2019s amazing to check out a book from your library and have it sync to your kobo", "excerpt": "Kobo also integrates with public libraries via Overdrive It\u2019s amazing to check out a book from your library and have it sync to your kobo, all paid for with your library card You literally would have to pay me to go back to a Kindle", "context": "", "use_case": "library ebook lending", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you"}, {"id": 765394785, "item_id": 47837174, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47837174", "by": "jm4", "date": "2026-04-20", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It also integrates directly with Overdrive so you can download free library books directly to your device.", "excerpt": "Kobo has an equivalent to Kindle Unlimited (as well as a good store). It also integrates directly with Overdrive so you can download free library books directly to your device. I recently switched to one and it's superior in just about every way.", "context": "", "use_case": "Free library ebook lending", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you"}, {"id": 740543538, "item_id": 46283971, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46283971", "by": "47282847", "date": "2025-12-15", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love Overdrive but cannot imagine to stick to the forced regime of lending periods", "excerpt": "Is it? Calibre with deDRM is a must for me. I love Overdrive but cannot imagine to stick to the forced regime of lending periods and random waiting times. I also typically read multiple (sometimes dozens of) non-fiction books in parallel, plus one or two fiction. That just wouldn\u2019t work at all with digital lending.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Quill OS: An open-source OS for Kobo's eReaders"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 765386512, "item_id": 47836657, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47836657", "by": "boplicity", "date": "2026-04-20", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "the integration with Overdrive is unreliable, only working some of the time", "excerpt": "I really want to like the Kobo. I really do. But I've had such bad luck with their devices. For example, sometimes the pages randomly start turning, really fast, so I completely lose my place. It also never reliably syncs between devices. And the integration with Overdrive is unreliable, only working some of the time. I also read it in the bath sometimes, which supposedly is one of the features available due to the w", "context": "", "use_case": "Library ebook lending", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you"}]}], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["library ebook lending", "free library ebook lending"], "compared": [{"slug": "libby", "name": "Libby", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47835775", "title": "I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48809208", "title": "What does Jeff Bezos think is going to happen?", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46283016", "title": "Quill OS: An open-source OS for Kobo's eReaders", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"warn": 1, "recommend": 2}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 780967553, "item_id": 48810472, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48810472", "by": "SoftTalker", "date": "2026-07-06", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use it to check out books from the library via Libby/Overdrive.", "excerpt": "I have a kobo. I use it to check out books from the library via Libby/Overdrive. I have never purchased an e-book.", "context": "", "use_case": "library ebook lending", "switched_from": "", "story": "What does Jeff Bezos think is going to happen?"}, {"id": 765700288, "item_id": 47856268, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47856268", "by": "mingus88", "date": "2026-04-21", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It\u2019s amazing to check out a book from your library and have it sync to your kobo", "excerpt": "Kobo also integrates with public libraries via Overdrive It\u2019s amazing to check out a book from your library and have it sync to your kobo, all paid for with your library card You literally would have to pay me to go back to a Kindle", "context": "", "use_case": "library ebook lending", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you"}, {"id": 765394785, "item_id": 47837174, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47837174", "by": "jm4", "date": "2026-04-20", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It also integrates directly with Overdrive so you can download free library books directly to your device.", "excerpt": "Kobo has an equivalent to Kindle Unlimited (as well as a good store). It also integrates directly with Overdrive so you can download free library books directly to your device. I recently switched to one and it's superior in just about every way.", "context": "", "use_case": "Free library ebook lending", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you"}, {"id": 765386512, "item_id": 47836657, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47836657", "by": "boplicity", "date": "2026-04-20", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "the integration with Overdrive is unreliable, only working some of the time", "excerpt": "I really want to like the Kobo. I really do. But I've had such bad luck with their devices. For example, sometimes the pages randomly start turning, really fast, so I completely lose my place. It also never reliably syncs between devices. And the integration with Overdrive is unreliable, only working some of the time. I also read it in the bath sometimes, which supposedly is one of the features available due to the w", "context": "", "use_case": "Library ebook lending", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you"}, {"id": 740543538, "item_id": 46283971, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46283971", "by": "47282847", "date": "2025-12-15", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love Overdrive but cannot imagine to stick to the forced regime of lending periods", "excerpt": "Is it? Calibre with deDRM is a must for me. I love Overdrive but cannot imagine to stick to the forced regime of lending periods and random waiting times. I also typically read multiple (sometimes dozens of) non-fiction books in parallel, plus one or two fiction. That just wouldn\u2019t work at all with digital lending.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Quill OS: An open-source OS for Kobo's eReaders"}]}