Broadly Fine

Like many good apps, Liberotus started as an attempt to solve a problem for myself.

For a while I’ve been running various self-hosted software. Immich, Audiobookshelf, Plex, Jellyfin, the usuaI suspects. I value the ownership, privacy, and independence it provides. Running your own services isn’t always the easiest path, but there is something deeply satisfying about knowing your data belongs to you and remains under your control.

I’d been following the now-defunct Booklore project and was just building out my ebook library when development abruptly ceased. When Grimmory was resurrected from the ashes of Booklore,  it immediately caught my attention.

It was exactly the sort of software I wanted to use. But as well as being a fan of self-hosted services, I’ve been a longtime Apple fan and user too. 

There was just one problem. I couldn’t find an iPhone client for Grimmory.

There were existing solutions. Some were functional. Some were powerful. Some offered extensive feature lists. And yes I know I can run Grimmory as a web app on my iPhone. But none of those solutions quite matched the experience I was looking for.

I wanted something that felt genuinely native to iOS. Something fast, focused, elegant, and enjoyable to use every day. Eventually I reached the conclusion many developers reach sooner or later.

If the app I wanted didn’t exist, perhaps I should build it myself and so I started building this app. 

Building the Reader I Wanted to Use

From the beginning, Liberotus wasn’t conceived as a product for everybody. In fact, I think many of the best apps succeed precisely because they aren’t trying to be everything to everyone.

Good software is often opinionated. It makes choices. It decides what matters. It decides what doesn’t. It focuses on doing a smaller number of things exceptionally well instead of attempting to satisfy every possible use case. Liberotus is built around that philosophy.

Every significant design decision starts with a simple question:

‘Would I enjoy using this every day?’

If the answer is no, it doesn’t make it into the app.

That means Liberotus won’t be the perfect reader for everyone. Some people will want features that aren’t there. Some people will prefer different workflows. Some will disagree with particular design decisions.

The goal isn’t universal approval. The goal is to create software that feels coherent, intentional, and enjoyable for the people it is built for.

Privacy Matters

Another principle that shaped Liberotus is privacy. And this one is aligned with my love of self-hosting.

Many modern apps collect enormous amounts of behavioural data. They track what you do, how long you do it for, what keeps your attention, and how you interact with every part of the product.I’ve never been comfortable with that model. There’s a reason I’m not on Facebook and Instagram!

Reading is personal. The books you choose, the ideas you explore, and the knowledge you pursue are nobody else’s business. Liberotus was designed around the belief that your reading habits should remain your own. No advertising networks. No behavioural profiling. No analytics dashboards tracking every interaction.

A Native Experience Matters

I also believe software should respect the platform it runs on.

Liberotus is not a website wrapped inside an app. It is built specifically for iPhone using Apple’s frameworks, technologies, and design principles. The goal is not simply to access your books. The goal is to make accessing your books feel good.

I’m aiming for fast navigation, thoughtful interactions, and clear typography. Smooth animations. Small details that most people never consciously notice, but which collectively make an app feel at home on the platform.

The Road Ahead

Liberotus 1.0 is only the beginning.

Although the first version has only just arrived on the App Store, development is already planned well into the future, (and because App Store review took a little while, v1.1 is almost ready!). I’ve got a roadmap covering at least the next 12 months, with a clear vision for how the app will continue to evolve.

That doesn’t mean the roadmap is fixed.

One of the advantages of being an independent developer is the ability to listen closely to users and respond quickly. I’m always interested in hearing feedback, feature suggestions, bug reports, and ideas from the community. Some of the best improvements come directly from the people who use the software every day. Not every suggestion will make it into the app. Liberotus will continue to be a focused and opinionated product. But good ideas are always welcome, and the roadmap will continue to evolve as the app and its community grow.

Looking ahead, I’m particularly excited about the opportunities presented by the latest Apple technologies. Future releases will continue to embrace new platform capabilities, and work is already planned to take advantage of the best features arriving with iOS 27 and the wider Apple ecosystem.

The goal isn’t simply to add more features.

The goal is to make Liberotus a better reading experience with every release and make something that feels at home on Apple devices.

If that sounds alright with you, then I hope Liberotus becomes the Grimmory reader you’ve been looking for too.