What Is OverDrive? (and How It Powers Libby)

By the Public-Libraries.com Editorial Team · Updated October 4, 2026

What is OverDrive, exactly?

OverDrive, Inc. is a digital distributor — the behind-the-scenes supplier that licenses ebooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines from publishers and lends them out through libraries and schools. Founded in 1986 in Cleveland, Ohio, it has grown into the largest provider of digital library content in the world. A 2023 industry report estimated its share of the library ebook market at roughly 90% (Wikipedia: OverDrive, Inc.). In practice, when your local library offers free ebooks and audiobooks, there's a very good chance OverDrive is the company providing them.

The key thing to understand is that OverDrive is a company and a platform, not an app you use day to day. It's the infrastructure your library pays for; you interact with its catalog through a reading app instead. That app is Libby.

OverDrive vs Libby: what's the difference?

This is the single most common point of confusion, and the answer is simpler than it looks: Libby is OverDrive's reading app. OverDrive is the company that stocks the digital shelves; Libby is the app you use to browse those shelves, borrow a title with your library card, and read or listen. They are made by the same company — you are not choosing between two competing services.

The confusion exists because OverDrive used to have its own app, confusingly called the "OverDrive app" (originally OverDrive Media Console). Libby launched in 2017 as a sleeker, more modern replacement, and for a few years both apps existed side by side. OverDrive then wound the old one down: the legacy OverDrive app was removed from the major app stores in early 2022 and officially discontinued on May 1, 2023. As OverDrive put it in its own announcement, "As of today, the legacy OverDrive app has been discontinued" (OverDrive company blog, May 1, 2023). Anyone who opens the old app now sees a message telling them to switch to Libby.

Where does Sora fit in?

OverDrive also makes Sora, which is the school version of Libby. Sora is designed for K-12 students, who sign in with their school credentials to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from their school's digital collection (and often from the local public library too, if the two are linked). If you're a public-library reader, you'll use Libby; if your child borrows books through their school, that's usually Sora. Both are built on the same OverDrive platform. OverDrive also owns Kanopy, the film and documentary streaming service many libraries offer.

How does an OverDrive library work?

Borrowing through OverDrive/Libby mirrors how physical library lending works. Your library licenses a certain number of digital copies of each title. When you borrow one, that copy is checked out to you for a set loan period — typically 14 or 21 days — and no one else can borrow that copy until you return it or the loan expires. If all copies are out, you join a waitlist and place a hold, and Libby notifies you when your turn comes. The book then returns itself automatically on the due date, so there are never any late fees. Here's the whole flow:

1. Get a library card. You need an active card from a US public library (how to get a library card). If you don't have one, you can usually sign up online in minutes, or find your library here.

2. Download Libby. It's free for iOS and Android, or you can use it in a browser at libbyapp.com.

3. Add your library. Search for your library system by name, city, or zip code and enter your card number and PIN.

4. Borrow a title. Browse or search, tap Borrow, or tap Place Hold if all copies are checked out.

5. Read or listen. Read in Libby's built-in reader, listen to audiobooks in the app, or — for most ebooks at US libraries — send them to a Kindle (see below).

Is OverDrive free? What does it cost?

For you, it's completely free. There is no subscription, no per-book charge, and no late fee — all you need is a library card. Your library pays OverDrive to license the content on your behalf, the same way it pays for the physical books on its shelves. The only real limits are availability (popular titles may have a waitlist) and your library's borrowing caps (how many items and holds you can have at once), which vary by system. For more free digital borrowing, see our guide to borrowing ebooks free with Libby, hoopla, and Kanopy.

Can I read OverDrive library books on a Kindle?

Yes — at US libraries, most ebooks can be sent to a Kindle. OverDrive's own help documentation states plainly: "At US libraries, you'll see the option to send most ebooks to Kindle or to start reading in Libby" (Libby Help). You borrow the book in Libby, tap Manage Loan → Read With → Kindle, and confirm delivery through Amazon. Audiobooks and magazines can't go to Kindle, and the Kindle option is US-only — we walk through the whole process in our step-by-step guide to sending library ebooks to a Kindle.

Who owns OverDrive?

OverDrive is privately held. It was acquired by the Japanese technology company Rakuten in 2015 for about $410 million, then sold to the global investment firm KKR, which completed its purchase in June 2020 and owns the company today. None of this changes anything for library users — your card, your loans, and the Libby app all work the same way regardless of who owns the parent company.

The bottom line

OverDrive is the company that stocks your library's digital shelves; Libby is the free app you use to borrow and read from them. The old OverDrive app retired on May 1, 2023, so there's nothing to choose between — just download Libby, add your library card, and start borrowing. If you want to compare the major free borrowing apps side by side, see Libby vs hoopla vs Kanopy.

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