# Learning Ally Audiobooks vs Bookshare Reader

The clearest difference is monetization model: Bookshare Reader at free against Learning Ally Audiobooks's subscription. Bookshare Reader also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). Learning Ally Audiobooks's advantage is ratings volume (757 vs 68) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.4). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.4 for Learning Ally Audiobooks against 3.3 for Bookshare Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learning Ally Audiobooks has 757 ratings behind it against 68, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 42% of Learning Ally Audiobooks's written reviews are positive against 36% of Bookshare Reader's.

Learning Ally Audiobooks ships an update every 4 months, Bookshare Reader every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Learning Ally Audiobooks | Bookshare Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.4 (757 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learning-ally-audiobooks/id1131235021/reviews)** | [3.3 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshare-reader/id1605201737/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **757** | 68 |
| Positive reviews | **41.9% of reviews** | 35.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 17 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Learning Ally](https://appshunter.io/developer/418888453) | [Beneficent Technology, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/425585906) |

## What reviewers say

### Learning Ally Audiobooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learning-ally-audiobooks/id1131235021)

Access a vast library of human-read audiobooks, including bestsellers, classics, and textbooks. This app offers interactive learning tools like synced text highlighting, speed control, and note-taking to support students with reading deficits or visual impairments.

**Highlights:** Human-read audiobook library, Synced text highlighting, Adjustable playback speed, Bookmarking, Note-taking, Textbook access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Amazing for people with dyslexia
- 🚀 Helps with reading and learning
- 💡 Allows customization of text and audio
- 👍 Useful for students and college readers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent playback issues and app crashes
- 🐛 Loses user's place in books
- 🔋 Drains battery when screen is locked
- 🐛 Glitchy user interface and navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to log in or access account
- Books fail to download or disappear from library
- Inconsistent performance across different devices
- Syncing issues between mobile and desktop apps

**Requested features**

- Add more recent and popular book titles
- Improve audio playback controls and options
- Implement a sleep timer or auto-off feature
- Better integration with other devices and platforms


### Bookshare Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshare-reader/id1605201737)

Access a vast library of ebooks designed for individuals with reading barriers. Enjoy high-quality audio narration and customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts, colors, and speeds. Continue reading seamlessly from where you left off.

**Highlights:** Access millions of ebooks, High-quality audio narration, Customizable reading experience, Adjustable font size and colors, Follow along with highlighted text, Offline reading

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for dyslexic readers
- 👍 Realistic text-to-speech voices
- 👍 Offline book downloads
- 👍 Essential for blind users
- 👍 Significant improvements made

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Prolonged pauses in speech
- 🐛 Library not syncing across devices
- 🐛 Reading lists don't sync
- 🐛 Progress not saved across devices
- 🐛 Stuck on copyright page (manga)

**Reported bugs**

- Prolonged pauses in text-to-speech
- Library not syncing across devices
- Reading lists not syncing
- Reading progress not saved across devices
- Manga stuck on copyright page

**Requested features**

- Fix prolonged pauses in text-to-speech
- Sync library across devices
- Sync reading lists across devices
- Save reading progress across devices
- Fix manga page navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Learning Ally Audiobooks free?

Learning Ally Audiobooks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bookshare Reader free?

Bookshare Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Learning Ally Audiobooks or Bookshare Reader?

Learning Ally Audiobooks is rated higher. Learning Ally Audiobooks averages 3.4 out of 5 from 757 ratings, while Bookshare Reader averages 3.3 from 68 ratings.

### Do Learning Ally Audiobooks or Bookshare Reader have ads?

Neither Learning Ally Audiobooks nor Bookshare Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Learning Ally Audiobooks or Bookshare Reader?

Learning Ally Audiobooks ships an update every 4 months, and Bookshare Reader every 3 weeks. Most recently, Learning Ally Audiobooks was updated on October 13, 2026 and Bookshare Reader on October 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*