Comparison

Libro.fm Audiobooks vs BookPlayer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Libro.fm Audiobooks

Access a vast library of audiobooks while supporting local bookstores. Purchase audiobooks with credits, enjoy DRM-free downloads, and listen on the go with features like playback speed control and a sleep timer. Your purchases directly benefit independent booksellers.

Highlights
  • Explore 600,000+ audiobooks
  • Use audiobook credits
  • Apple Watch listening
  • Automatic sync across devices
  • Bookmarks and playback speed
  • Sleep timer
  • DRM-free downloads
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Looking to read audiobooks, and love supporting your local bookshop? We’re Libro.fm, an employee-owned audiobook company that shares profits with more than 4,000 indie bookshops around the globe. Whether you’re starting a membership or grabbing one of our 600,000+ audiobooks à la carte, every purchase supports your chosen store. • DRM-free (accessible audiobooks) • Reader-friendly features: Create bookmarks, set a sleep timer, adjust playback speed, create and assign tags, and automatically sync your spot across devices • Use your Libro.fm credits to redeem audiobooks in app • Supports Apple Watch and CarPlay • Recommendations from real booksellers As a Social Purpose Corporation and Certified B Corp™, we're proud to put time and resources into supporting indie bookshops and getting more folks to read—even if those goals may at times conflict with our financial interests. We care about the reading ecosystem and want it to thrive. Our privacy policy can be found at https://libro.fm/privacy Our terms of use can be found at https://libro.fm/terms

About

BookPlayer

This app provides a dedicated listening experience for audiobooks in M4B, M4A, MP3, and FLAC formats. It offers robust import, management, and playback features, including chapter navigation, variable playback speed, and cloud sync for seamless listening across devices.

Highlights
  • Import audiobooks via AirDrop, Files, iTunes, servers, and zip files
  • Manage library with progress tracking, sorting, and playlists
  • Advanced playback controls including speed, rewind, and volume boost
  • Chapter navigation and lock screen controls
  • Cloud sync for cross-device listening
  • CarPlay and Apple Watch companion app support
Features
Read full description

A wonderful player for your M4B/M4A/MP3/FLAC based audiobooks. Import – Using AirDrop from your Mac or iOS device – From Files and other apps on your device – Via File Sharing in iTunes on your Mac or PC – From your own AudibookShelf or Jellyfin server – Zip files with your folders and books Manage – Maintain and see progress of your books – Mark books as finished – Drag & Drop to sort your library – Create playlists – Automatically play items in turn – Play the first unfinished file by tapping on the playlist artwork – Move files to playlists from the library or import them directly – Edit your book details (title, author, artwork) – Connect to your Hardcover.app account, and track your library progress Listen – Control audio playback from the lock screen, control center or from the companion app on the Apple Watch – Play and navigate books with Chapters – Jump to start of the current book – Change playback speed – Smart rewind – Volume Boost – Support for remote events from headset buttons and the lock screen – Sleep timer with adjustable duration – CarPlay support – VoiceOver support – Dolby Atmos support – Dark mode for night owls – Continue listening across your devices with Cloud Sync, including stand alone playback on your Apple Watch Supported M4B/M4A/MP3 BookPlayer is licensed under GNU General Public License v3.0. The source code and a list of all its contributors can be found on the GitHub page of this project at www.github.com/TortugaPower/BookPlayer You can see our Privacy policy and terms of use in the following links: – https://github.com/TortugaPower/BookPlayer/blob/main/PRIVACY_POLICY.md – https://github.com/TortugaPower/BookPlayer/blob/main/TERMS_CONDITIONS.md For help and ways to contribute to the project see the support section in the Settings screen of BookPlayer or visit www.bookplayer.app If you enjoy BookPlayer, we would be glad if you consider writing a review.

Screenshots

Libro.fm Audiobooks4 screens
BookPlayer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Libro.fm Audiobooks at none against BookPlayer's 15. Libro.fm Audiobooks also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 83%) and iOS requirement (16.2 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. BookPlayer sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Libro.fm Audiobooks asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Libro.fm Audiobooks against 4.8 for BookPlayer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37K and 19K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Libro.fm Audiobooks's written reviews are positive against 83% of BookPlayer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Libro.fm Audiobooks ships an update every 3 weeks, BookPlayer every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Libro.fm Audiobooks versus BookPlayer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLibro.fm AudiobooksBookPlayer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (37K ratings) — better4.8 (19K ratings)
Positive reviews92.1% of reviews — better83.3% of reviews
Number of ratings37K — better19K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#77#53 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS16.2 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB95 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLibro.fmGianni Carlo

Customer experience

Libro.fm Audiobooks

All ratings37,487 ratings
Positive98.1%
Neutral0.9%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews764 reviews
Positive92.1%
Neutral3.1%
Negative4.7%

BookPlayer

All ratings18,845 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews1,242 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral4.8%
Negative11.8%

User reviews

Libro.fm Audiobooks

From 37K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Support for local bookstores
  • 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
  • 💡 DRM-free audiobooks
  • 🎨 Great user interface
  • 🎁 Generous membership benefits

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy playback and syncing issues
  • 🔍 Limited search and browsing functionality
  • 💰 Audiobook prices can be high
  • 🤔 Lack of certain features (e.g. chapters, in-app purchases)

BookPlayer

From 19K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Flawless playback
  • 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
  • 💡 Ability to import from various sources
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 👍 Remembers playback position

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
  • 🐛 Issues with importing or playing certain files
  • 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
  • 🐛 Unreliable performance after updates

Bugs and requests

Libro.fm Audiobooks

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Playback stops when device goes to sleep
  • Inability to download audiobooks on cellular data
  • App crashes and loses progress in books

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add chapter support for audiobooks
  • Improve search and browsing capabilities
  • Allow in-app purchases and account management
  • Implement syncing across devices

BookPlayer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Playback issues with certain audio formats
  • Importing problems with large audiobook libraries
  • Crashes when deleting books

Requested features

6 requests
  • Bookmark management
  • Percentage completion tracking
  • Improved multi-file book handling
  • Customizable sleep timer
  • iCloud/cloud sync between devices
Show 1 more
  • Siri/Shortcuts integration

In-app purchases

None

Libro.fm Audiobooks

No in-app purchases

11 purchases

BookPlayer

Subscriptions7
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$1.991 Month
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$2.991 Month
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$3.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Pro Monthly (1 Month)$4.991 Month
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$6.991 Month
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$9.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly (1 Year)$49.991 Year
One-time4
  • Kind tip$2.99
  • Kind Tip$2.99
  • Excellent Tip2 variants$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Incredible Tip2 variants$9.99

Questions

Is Libro.fm Audiobooks free?
Libro.fm Audiobooks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BookPlayer free?
BookPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Libro.fm Audiobooks or BookPlayer?
Libro.fm Audiobooks is rated higher. Libro.fm Audiobooks averages 4.9 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while BookPlayer averages 4.8 from 19K ratings.
Do Libro.fm Audiobooks or BookPlayer have ads?
Neither Libro.fm Audiobooks nor BookPlayer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Libro.fm Audiobooks or BookPlayer?
Libro.fm Audiobooks ships an update every 3 weeks, and BookPlayer every 10 days. Most recently, Libro.fm Audiobooks was updated on September 25, 2026 and BookPlayer on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Libro.fm Audiobooks or BookPlayer?
Libro.fm Audiobooks currently peaks at #77 in the App Store charts, and BookPlayer at #53. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons