# Storyteller Reader > Self-hosted platform for creating and reading ebooks with guided narration. (iPhone/iPad app by Shane Friedman.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyteller-reader/id6474467720 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Shane Friedman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721687723) - Category: Books - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 37 App Store ratings · 15 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16.4 · 72 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2023-12-17 - Data updated: 2026-08-31 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyteller-reader/id6474467720/reviews.md ## What is Storyteller Reader? Storyteller is a self-hosted platform for creating and reading ebooks with guided narration. You can use the app to read any EPUB books, including those with Media Overlays (also called “immersive reading” or “guided narration”) on your device, or you can pair it with the Storyteller self-hosted backend server, which can automatically align audiobooks and ebooks for immersive reading! ## Key features - Read EPUB books - Guided narration support - Immersive reading - Self-hosted backend pairing - Automatic audiobook/ebook alignment ## Recent user reviews (10 of 15) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyteller-reader/id6474467720/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Great app *2026-07-25* This application is great & support is amazing ### 5/5 — Exactly what I needed *2026-01-29* This is the perfect app for my reading. Everything is amazing once you have the server running. This is my everyday ereader app. All the features are great. Thank you. Below is feedback on what I want changed. Allow users request to server admin books they want to expand library. Have a request panel for admins or everyone to see on the app. Bring the scrollable layout from web to app on ios and android Maybe a comment section for each section of the book or for each book. But id have that probably toggled off by default so maybe not ### 5/5 — Amazing app, amazing dev *2026-01-08* I love storyteller, my family and I use it daily. The ability to seamlessly swap between listening to an audiobook while driving or on a run and be at the exact sentence when in the ebook has single handedly renewed my love for reading. I also really appreciate how the developer has built a great community on discord and actively responds to support requests. Shane fixed a bug I reported in just a few hours. Insanely awesome! ### 5/5 — A hidden gem. *2026-01-03* This app (back-end server included) is awesome. I don't know of any other solution in the Apple App Store that can do this. You'll need to run your own (Docker) server touhg, so for home lab enthusiasts, this is pure gold. The developer definitely deserves our appreciation and support to keep this project alive and growing so we can get quality-of-life updates and new features in the future. GUI improvements and personalization options would be appreciated. If it’s not too much to ask, metadata scraping and graphically reading stats would be awesome to have as well. Thank you, Shane! ### 5/5 — This app is a hidden gem. *2026-01-02* This app (back-end server included) is awesome. I don't know of any other solution in the Apple App Store that can do what this app does. You'll need to run your own (Docker) server though, so for home lab enthusiasts, this is pure gold. Shane Friedman (the developer) definitely deserves our appreciation and help to keep this project alive and growing so we can get quality-of-life updates and new features in the future. GUI improvements and personalization options would be appreciated and if it’s not too much to ask, metadata scraping and graphically presented reading statistics and data would be awesome to have as well. Thank you, Shane! ### 5/5 — Love this app!! Have feature requests! *2025-12-28* Exactly what I was looking for. Does what is on the label and nice to look at! Suggestive feature auto scroll/ scrolling view. Where the screen scrolls down vertically as it reads along. Would be a nice feature to have! ### 5/5 — Exactly what I was looking for *2025-05-15* Awesome app, can’t believe it’s open source. Brilliant job by the dev. ### 5/5 — If I was Apple, I would buy this app and make it a key feature! *2025-05-14* This is such a good app on its own. It’s pretty and respects users. On top of it, the underlying self-hosted alignment server is amazing! This is truly a gem and I hope the developers are able to continue to work on it. ### 5/5 — This is exactly what I was looking for *2025-04-21* Incredible. Syncing without being beholden to Amazon is a dream come true. ### 4/5 — Amazing app, if this is how all Audio books should be *2025-03-27* You need to learn some Docker commands to setup the Storyteller server but once it's done, it's very easy to build these ebook + audio book synced ebooks. It's the best of both worlds, if you ever got lost in though listening to a audio book and wished you could just read the last few lines to get back to where you were, the try this app. The only thing I wish they added was a sleep timer, so I can go to sleep listening to my book ## Frequently asked questions about Storyteller Reader ### What devices does Storyteller Reader support? Storyteller Reader is available on iPhone and iPad devices. It is designed for mobile reading experiences on Apple's iOS platform. ### How often is Storyteller Reader updated? The latest version, 2.3.4, was released on March 16, 2026. While specific update frequency isn't detailed, this indicates ongoing development and support for the application. ### What is the age rating for Storyteller Reader? Storyteller Reader has an age rating of 4+. This suggests it is suitable for a wide range of users, including children, with content appropriate for this age group. ### What makes Storyteller Reader's guided narration unique? Storyteller Reader supports EPUB books with Media Overlays, also known as 'immersive reading' or 'guided narration'. It can also pair with a self-hosted backend to automatically align audiobooks and ebooks for a seamless guided reading experience. ### Can I use Storyteller Reader offline? The description focuses on reading EPUBs and pairing with a backend server. While offline reading of downloaded EPUBs is implied, specific details on offline functionality for all features are not provided. ### What is the user sentiment for Storyteller Reader? Storyteller Reader has a perfect rating of 5.0 stars from 30 ratings, indicating very positive user sentiment. Users appear to be highly satisfied with its functionality and performance. ### Is Storyteller Reader free to use? Yes, Storyteller Reader is completely free to download and use. There are no costs associated with accessing its features or reading ebooks. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.11.4 — 2026-08-10 - Fix a bug where some readalouds would crash on download ### 2.11.3 — 2026-07-28 - Fix sleep timer and integrate it with keepawake functionality - Replace search results dropdown with search screen ### 2.11.0 — 2026-07-09 fixed (1 change) - Styling improvements post-Expo UI integration by @trcoffman added (1 change) - Footnote popups by @smoores ### 2.10.1 — 2026-07-04 **Release mobile-v2.10.1** ## 2.10.1 (2026-07-03) ### changed (1 change) - Use @expo/ui menus and sliders and switches ### fixed (4 changes) - Fix late readaloud page-turn scheduling - Fix LayoutItem in toolbar to set book setting not global setting - Prevent iOS EPUB mount from emitting current locator - mobile app ustom theme bugfixes ### added (1 change) - Add Underline readaloud decorator style ### 2.9.2 — 2026-06-21 fixed (2 changes) - Fix Android seek increment and iOS remote next/prev behavior by @smoores - Persist Android Auto progress via Headless JS by @noah.bare added (2 changes) - EpubView: Disable the swipe gesture in scroll mode. by @t-real - Use separate playback speeds for listening and readaloud by @t-real changed (1 change) - Set seek forward to 30s, back to 15s by @smoores maintenance (1 change) - Expo 56 by @smoores ## Apps similar to Storyteller Reader | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Little Ape Audio Books (LAAB)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/little-ape-audio-books-laab/id6450146951) | 4.0 (5) | Free | Books | | [SoundLeaf](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundleaf/id6738635634) | 4.3 (19) | Free | Books | | [Inkwell - Customizable Ebooks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkwell-customizable-ebooks/id6449137260) | 3.9 (9) | Free | Books | | [BookFusion](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookfusion/id1141834096) | 4.7 (495) | Free | Books | | [plappa](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plappa/id6475201956) | 4.7 (325) | Free | Books | | [AudioBooth: Audiobooks Player](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/audiobooth-audiobooks-player/id6753017503) | 4.9 (483) | Free | Books | ## Related topics [storyteller reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/storyteller-reader) · [storyteller](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/storyteller) · [the storyteller](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-storyteller) · [the storyteller radio app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-storyteller-radio-app) · [immersive reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/immersive-reader) · [wheel of time reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wheel-of-time-reader) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-31.*