ISBNdb.com is a large online database of book information available both via web interface and API. The database includes title, author, ISBN, ISBN13, publisher, publishing date, binding, pages, list price, and more. It contains data on 33+ million books by more than 11 million authors, with more books added every day. The service is mostly used by businesses and educational institutions, including Yale University, Blinklist, and Booknook.
Type of site | Bibliographic database |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Founder(s) | Andrew Maltsev |
| Industry | Internet, E-commerce, Big Data |
| Products | books, used books, textbooks |
| Services | Book data API |
| URL | isbndb |
| Commercial | "Yes" |
| Launched | 2001 |
| Current status | Active |
| Written in | PHP |
History
ISBNdb.com was founded in 2001 by Andrew Maltsev. It started as a hobby project and gradually grew into a business. In July 2005 ISBNdb.com released an XML-based API, which enables users to access all of the book information in real-time.
In May 2006, the site provided data on more than 2 million unique ISBNs and corresponding books. Ten years later, information on more than 15 million titles became available. As of April 2023, it contained data on more than 33 million books by over 11 million authors, with more books added every day.
Overview
ISBNdb aggregates information for its database from hundreds of libraries, publishers, merchants, and other sources around the globe. The database is searchable by title, author, ISBN with many endpoint options. Multiple languages are available. ISBNdb.com also features a real-time price comparison service for books.
ISBNdb offers up to 19 data points per book including ISBN10, ISBN13, title, author, publication date, publisher, binding, pages, list price, cover image, language, edition, format, synopsis, and dimensions. For some books, it also provides an overview, dewey decimal, weight, and subject. ISBNdb adds thousands of data records daily. Any book that has an ISBN can become included in the database regardless of the language or format.
Business model
ISBNdb provides free limited book data to unregistered users via a web interface. Registered users can access full book data with the help of a web interface and API, based on a subscription. There are several subscription options, each with a 7-day free trial. There's also a heavily discounted subscription option for educational institutions and non-profit organizations.