Softwr

Libraries · head to head

CONTENTdm vs Hoopla

CONTENTdm logo

CONTENTdm

Libraries

Build, showcase, and preserve digital collections

From
$1495/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hoopla logo

Hoopla

Libraries

Free library streaming app with instant borrowing, capped by a monthly checkout limit set by your library

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Hoopla has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CONTENTdm pricing requires custom quote with no public pricing available; Hoopla the monthly borrow limit is a hard cap, so a heavy user runs out of checkouts partway through the month and simply cannot borrow more, unlike a queue they can wait out.
  • They diverge on capability: CONTENTdm covers Digital collection management, Hoopla covers Instant borrowing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CONTENTdm and Hoopla actually diverge.

Attributes where CONTENTdm and Hoopla differ
AttributeCONTENTdmHoopla
Starting price$1495/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree with a participating library card, capped by monthly borrow limit
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloudiOS, Android, Web, Roku, Amazon Fire TV
Founded1967Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Libraries).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CONTENTdm

  • Digital collection management
  • Metadata management
  • Compound object support
  • Full-text search
  • Faceted browse
  • IIIF viewer
  • WorldCat integration
  • Custom websites

Only in Hoopla

  • Instant borrowing
  • Video and music
  • Monthly borrow cap
  • Comics and graphic novels
  • Kids mode
  • Offline downloads

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CONTENTdm

  • Digital collectionsnot Hoopla
  • Digitization projectsnot Hoopla
  • Archival collectionsnot Hoopla
  • Special collectionsnot Hoopla

Hoopla

  • A patron who wants to watch a specific movie or listen to an album tonight without waiting in a queuenot CONTENTdm
  • A family wanting streaming video and music alongside books in one library-card appnot CONTENTdm
  • A light-to-moderate reader whose habits fit comfortably inside a monthly borrow capnot CONTENTdm
  • Someone using a Roku or Fire TV who wants library video content on the living room screennot CONTENTdm

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CONTENTdm

  • Pricing requires custom quote with no public pricing available
  • Expensive relative to open-source alternatives

Hoopla

  • The monthly borrow limit is a hard cap, so a heavy user runs out of checkouts partway through the month and simply cannot borrow more, unlike a queue they can wait out.
  • Borrow limits and even Hoopla availability itself vary by library and can be reduced if a library needs to control its licensing costs, sometimes with little notice to patrons.
  • Because libraries pay per checkout, a library under budget pressure may cut its Hoopla limit or drop the service entirely, which is a risk outside the app.
  • The video and music catalogue is decent but noticeably smaller than Netflix or Spotify, so it is a supplement, not a replacement, for those services.
  • Audio and video quality and metadata are sometimes inconsistent, particularly for older or niche titles licensed from smaller distributors.

Pricing, plan by plan

CONTENTdm

$1495/year
  • Basic$1495/year
    • Up to 10,000 items
    • 5GB storage
    • Basic discovery
  • Standard$2995/year
    • Up to 50,000 items
    • 25GB storage
    • Custom branding
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Unlimited items
    • Custom storage
    • IIIF support

Hoopla

Free
  • HooplaFree
    • Free with an eligible library card
    • Monthly borrow limit set by your library, commonly 5 to 15 items
    • No holds queues, instant availability

Which should you pick?

Choose CONTENTdm if

  • You need digital collection management.
  • You work on Cloud.
  • You also want metadata management.
CONTENTdm review

Choose Hoopla if

  • You need instant borrowing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web, Roku, Amazon Fire TV.
  • You also want video and music.
Hoopla review

Questions people ask

Is CONTENTdm or Hoopla better?
Neither clearly leads. CONTENTdm starts at $1495/year and Hoopla at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CONTENTdm or Hoopla?
Hoopla has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1495/year for CONTENTdm and Free for Hoopla.
Does CONTENTdm or Hoopla run on more platforms?
CONTENTdm runs on Cloud. Hoopla runs on iOS, Android, Web, Roku, Amazon Fire TV.
Can I use Hoopla for free?
Yes. Hoopla has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CONTENTdm starts at $1495/year.
What is CONTENTdm best used for?
CONTENTdm is most often used for digital collections, digitization projects, archival collections, special collections. Of those, digital collections and digitization projects are not what Hoopla is typically brought in for.
What can CONTENTdm do that Hoopla cannot?
CONTENTdm covers Digital collection management, Metadata management, Compound object support, Full-text search. Hoopla covers Instant borrowing, Video and music, Monthly borrow cap, Comics and graphic novels.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CONTENTdm: What types of organizations use CONTENTdm?

CONTENTdm is used by libraries of all types including academic and research libraries, public libraries, historical societies, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions worldwide.

Source
Hoopla: Does Hoopla have holds queues like Libby?

No, everything is available instantly, but your library sets a monthly limit on how many items you can borrow.

CONTENTdm: Does CONTENTdm preserve digital collections?

Yes, CONTENTdm secures and monitors digital originals in a cloud-based preservation archive to ensure collections remain safe for the future.

Source
Hoopla: What happens when I hit my monthly limit?

You cannot borrow anything further until the limit resets, usually on the first of the next month.

CONTENTdm: How much metadata access does CONTENTdm provide?

CONTENTdm allows libraries to describe digitized materials with structured metadata and provides access to over 153 million books and 169 million library-vetted tags.

Source
Hoopla: Does Hoopla include movies and music, not just books?

Yes, that is one of its main differences from Libby, which only offers ebooks, audiobooks and magazines.

Share

Related pages

More on CONTENTdm

More on Hoopla

Keep looking

Other head to heads