# BookPlayer vs Watch Reader

The clearest difference is price: BookPlayer at Free against Watch Reader's $3.99. BookPlayer also leads on ratings volume (20K vs 3) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). Watch Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On rating, ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

BookPlayer is free to download; Watch Reader costs $3.99 up front. BookPlayer sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Watch Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Watch Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BookPlayer has 20K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of BookPlayer's written reviews are positive against 71% of Watch Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

BookPlayer ships an update every 9 days, Watch Reader every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookPlayer | Watch Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookplayer/id1138219998/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watch-reader-txt-file/id6447301850/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **82.6% of reviews** | 70.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #70 | **#64** |
| Size | 81 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gianni Carlo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1138219997) | [kim juyoung](https://appshunter.io/developer/918406157) |

## What reviewers say

### BookPlayer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookplayer/id1138219998)

**Currently charting:** #70 Top Free · Book, #157 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Support Monthly (1 Month) | $3.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly (1 Month) | $4.99 | per month |
| Support Monthly (1 Month) | $6.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly (1 Year) | $49.99 | per year |
| Kind tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Kind Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Excellent Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Incredible Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Bookmark management
- Percentage completion tracking
- Improved multi-file book handling
- Customizable sleep timer
- iCloud/cloud sync between devices


### Watch Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watch-reader-txt-file/id6447301850)

**Currently charting:** #64 Top Paid · Book (US App Store)

This app allows you to view text files on your smartwatch. It supports various customization options for text display and offers TTS playback. A companion phone app is required to import files.

**Highlights:** View TXT and EPUB files, Customizable font, spacing, and colors, Text-to-Speech (TTS) playback, iCloud sync for reading progress, File management via companion phone app, Support for external font files

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookPlayer free?

BookPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Watch Reader free?

Watch Reader costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BookPlayer or Watch Reader?

Watch Reader is rated higher. BookPlayer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Watch Reader averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do BookPlayer or Watch Reader have ads?

Neither BookPlayer nor Watch Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookPlayer or Watch Reader?

BookPlayer ships an update every 9 days, and Watch Reader every 6 weeks. Most recently, BookPlayer was updated on November 6, 2026 and Watch Reader on November 3, 2026.

### Which is more popular, BookPlayer or Watch Reader?

BookPlayer currently peaks at #70 in the App Store charts, and Watch Reader at #64. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*