Comparison

Libro.fm Audiobooks vs Build A Reader

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

Build A Reader

Read full description

The Build A Reader app from Tulsa City-County Library is a free tool that can help parents develop early literacy skills in children from birth to pre-K in order to grow and sustain a love of reading. The app offers short, bite-sized videos led by professional library staff demonstrating songs, finger plays, and great book recommendations in thematic categories such as Animals and Feelings to prepare young children for a lifetime of reading joy. Plus, when you can’t make it to the library for story time, you can still get a story time… in your pocket!

Screenshots

Libro.fm Audiobooks4 screens
Build A Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Libro.fm Audiobooks at every 3 weeks against Build A Reader's every 14 months. Libro.fm Audiobooks also leads on chart position (#80 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Libro.fm Audiobooks ships an update every 3 weeks, Build A Reader every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Libro.fm Audiobooks versus Build A Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLibro.fm AudiobooksBuild A Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (37K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews92.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings37K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 14 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#80 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.215.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB204 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLibro.fmTulsa City-County Library

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

Build A Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Libro.fm Audiobooks

No in-app purchases

None

Build A Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Libro.fm Audiobooks free?
Libro.fm Audiobooks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Build A Reader free?
Build A Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Libro.fm Audiobooks or Build A Reader have ads?
Neither Libro.fm Audiobooks nor Build A Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Libro.fm Audiobooks or Build A Reader?
Libro.fm Audiobooks ships an update every 3 weeks, and Build A Reader every 14 months. Most recently, Libro.fm Audiobooks was updated on September 28, 2026 and Build A Reader on September 13, 2026.

Other comparisons