Libro.fm Audiobooks vs Academic Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Explore 600,000+ audiobooks
- Use audiobook credits
- Apple Watch listening
- Automatic sync across devices
- Bookmarks and playback speed
- Sleep timer
- DRM-free downloads
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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
Academic Reader
This application allows users to read ebooks published by Glassboxx Academic Publishers. It provides a dedicated platform for accessing and viewing academic content on mobile devices.
- Ebook reading
- Access academic content
- Glassboxx publisher support
- Mobile viewing
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An ebook reader app designed for Glassboxx Academic Publishers
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Libro.fm Audiobooks at 4.9 against Academic Reader's 4.0. Libro.fm Audiobooks also leads on ratings volume (41K vs 4) and chart position (#90 vs unranked). Academic Reader's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Libro.fm Audiobooks holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Libro.fm Audiobooks has 41K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Libro.fm Audiobooks ships an update monthly, Academic Reader every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Libro.fm Audiobooks | Academic Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (41K ratings) — better | 4.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 41K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #90 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.2 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Libro.fm | Glassboxx Limited |
Customer experience
Libro.fm Audiobooks
Academic Reader
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
Academic Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Libro.fm Audiobooks
No in-app purchases
Academic Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Libro.fm Audiobooks free?
Is Academic Reader free?
Which has better reviews, Libro.fm Audiobooks or Academic Reader?
Do Libro.fm Audiobooks or Academic Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, Libro.fm Audiobooks or Academic Reader?
Other comparisons
