Comparison

Libro.fm Audiobooks vs DeerReader

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

DeerReader

Organize and listen to your digital audiobooks with a beautiful, intelligent player. Features adaptive UI, fast search, and automatic sorting into collections using AI. Enjoy a seamless listening experience with home screen widget access.

Highlights
  • Adaptive player UI matching audiobook cover
  • Fast, unified search for books and authors
  • Home screen widget for instant access
  • AI-powered automatic organization into collections
  • Intuitive playback controls
  • Support for large digital libraries
Read full description

Your audiobooks, beautifully organized. DeerReader is a sleek, intelligent audiobook player designed for serious listeners and collectors. Whether you have a few favorites or a sprawling digital library, DeerReader gives you the tools to make listening effortless and beautiful. -- Seamless Listening Experience -- DeerReader adapts to you. The player UI matches your audiobook cover, so every session feels immersive and cohesive. Play, pause, and skip with intuitive controls designed for long sessions. -- Instant Search, Instant Listening -- Find the right book, author, or collection in seconds. Our fast, unified search makes browsing huge libraries feel light and responsive. -- Home Screen Widget -- Stay in the story, right from your home screen. Instantly jump back into your audiobook with our widget and see your recent listens at a glance. -- Let Apple Intelligence Do the Sorting -- DeerReader can use Apple Intelligence to automatically organize your audiobooks into themed collections and series, complete with matching artwork and clean labels (perfect for large libraries). ----- Why DeerReader? - Designed with audiobook lovers in mind - Gorgeous, adaptive design - Home screen widget access - Full collection support - Lightning-fast search - Intelligent auto-sorting Whether you’re replaying a classic or diving into something new, DeerReader makes every listen smoother, smarter, and more beautiful. 100% Private DeerReader never collects or transmits your data. Everything stays on your device, always. A subscription removes the hourly support message. Payment will be charged to your Apple account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Your account will be charged according to your plan for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. You can manage or turn off auto-renew in your Apple ID account settings at any time after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://www.deerreader.app/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Please reach out for support at: cloverfield.tech.llc@gmail.com

Screenshots

Libro.fm Audiobooks4 screens
DeerReader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Libro.fm Audiobooks at none against DeerReader's 1. Libro.fm Audiobooks also leads on ratings volume (37K vs 2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. DeerReader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. 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 5.0 for DeerReader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Libro.fm Audiobooks has 37K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Libro.fm Audiobooks's written reviews are positive against 100% of DeerReader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Libro.fm Audiobooks ships an update every 3 weeks, DeerReader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Libro.fm Audiobooks versus DeerReader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLibro.fm AudiobooksDeerReader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (37K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings37K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#85 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS16.2 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB27 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLibro.fmCloverfield Technologies LLC

Customer experience

Libro.fm Audiobooks

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

DeerReader

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

DeerReader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Libro.fm Audiobooks

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

DeerReader

Subscriptions1
  • Yearly Support Subscription$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Libro.fm Audiobooks free?
Libro.fm Audiobooks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DeerReader free?
DeerReader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Libro.fm Audiobooks or DeerReader?
DeerReader is rated higher. Libro.fm Audiobooks averages 4.9 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while DeerReader averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Libro.fm Audiobooks or DeerReader have ads?
Neither Libro.fm Audiobooks nor DeerReader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Libro.fm Audiobooks or DeerReader?
Libro.fm Audiobooks ships an update every 3 weeks, and DeerReader every 2 months. Most recently, Libro.fm Audiobooks was updated on September 25, 2026 and DeerReader on September 7, 2026.

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