BookPlayer vs CLAUDIO
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BookPlayer
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.
- 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
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A wonderful player for your M4B/M4A/MP3/FLAC based audiobooks. Import – Using AirDrop from your Mac or iOS device – From Files and other apps on your device – Via File Sharing in iTunes on your Mac or PC – From your own AudibookShelf or Jellyfin server – Zip files with your folders and books Manage – Maintain and see progress of your books – Mark books as finished – Drag & Drop to sort your library – Create playlists – Automatically play items in turn – Play the first unfinished file by tapping on the playlist artwork – Move files to playlists from the library or import them directly – Edit your book details (title, author, artwork) – Connect to your Hardcover.app account, and track your library progress Listen – Control audio playback from the lock screen, control center or from the companion app on the Apple Watch – Play and navigate books with Chapters – Jump to start of the current book – Change playback speed – Smart rewind – Volume Boost – Support for remote events from headset buttons and the lock screen – Sleep timer with adjustable duration – CarPlay support – VoiceOver support – Dolby Atmos support – Dark mode for night owls – Continue listening across your devices with Cloud Sync, including stand alone playback on your Apple Watch Supported M4B/M4A/MP3 BookPlayer is licensed under GNU General Public License v3.0. The source code and a list of all its contributors can be found on the GitHub page of this project at www.github.com/TortugaPower/BookPlayer You can see our Privacy policy and terms of use in the following links: – https://github.com/TortugaPower/BookPlayer/blob/main/PRIVACY_POLICY.md – https://github.com/TortugaPower/BookPlayer/blob/main/TERMS_CONDITIONS.md For help and ways to contribute to the project see the support section in the Settings screen of BookPlayer or visit www.bookplayer.app If you enjoy BookPlayer, we would be glad if you consider writing a review.
CLAUDIO
This app is a versatile audio player for personal audiobooks, podcasts, and music. It supports various sources like local files, cloud storage, and servers, offering advanced playback features and offline access. Prioritizing data protection, it provides a customizable listening experience without ads or analytics.
- Plays local files, iCloud Drive, NAS, Jellyfin, Subsonic, etc.
- Advanced audiobook features: chapter support, sleep timer, speed control
- Podcast subscriptions and episode management
- Music playback with EQ, visualizers, and synced lyrics
- Offline caching and CarPlay support
- Privacy-focused with no ads or analytics
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CLAUDIO is an audio player for your own audiobooks, podcasts and music that takes data protection seriously. It plays from the sources you already use: local files, iCloud Drive, NAS/SMB, Jellyfin, Audiobookshelf, Subsonic and Navidrome, DLNA, WebDAV and SFTP. AUDIOBOOKS • Chapters from M4B and tagged MP3 • Sleep timer to the end of the chapter or book, with Knock to Resume if it stopped too soon • Playback speed with pitch correction and silence trimming • Resumes a few seconds earlier after a pause, so you don't land mid-sentence • Read along with downloaded audiobooks and podcasts: on-device transcription in supported languages, with the text following the audio • Ten background sounds such as rain, sea or fireplace PODCASTS • Subscribe and stream by URL or Apple Podcasts search • Episode downloads, intro and outro skipping • OPML import and export, chapters and sleep timer MUSIC • Album Wall and LP Mode • 10-band EQ with matching curves for more than 6,000 headphones from AutoEq measurement data • ReplayGain, gapless playback, crossfade, stereo widening and volume normalization • Animated visualizers and synced lyrics • Scrobbling to ListenBrainz and Last.fm YOUR LIBRARY, ANYWHERE • Offline cache and pinning for titles from your server • CarPlay for downloaded and local titles • Cast local and downloaded titles to Google Cast, DLNA/UPnP and Sonos • Favorites that sync with Navidrome, Jellyfin and Audiobookshelf • Smart Lists, Smart Shuffle and listening statistics • Widgets for Home Screen and Lock Screen, controls for Control Center PRIVACY No CLAUDIO account, no ads, no analytics SDKs, no telemetry. Your library, history and subscriptions stay on your device, and in your private iCloud if you use iCloud Sync. Apart from the sources you choose, CLAUDIO only contacts LRCLIB for lyrics and Apple for podcast search and app recommendations. WHAT'S FREE Local files, iCloud Drive, 2 podcast subscriptions, Smart Lists, Smart Shuffle and all themes are free. Server sources, offline cache, CarPlay, casting and statistics need CLAUDIO Ultra, a monthly or yearly subscription that includes Pro. All other features need CLAUDIO Pro, a one-time purchase. CLAUDIO Pro+ unlocks both permanently with a single purchase and can be shared through Family Sharing. The yearly Ultra plan starts with a 14-day free trial for new subscribers, then the yearly price applies. Ultra renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Cancel anytime in App Store Settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: BookPlayer at 20K against CLAUDIO's 1. BookPlayer also leads on chart position (#63 vs unranked). CLAUDIO's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days). 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
Both are free to download. BookPlayer sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and CLAUDIO sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
CLAUDIO 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of BookPlayer's written reviews are positive against 86% of CLAUDIO's.
BookPlayer ships an update every 9 days, CLAUDIO every 4 days. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.
| Parameter | BookPlayer | CLAUDIO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (20K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 82.6% of reviews | 85.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 20K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #63 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 91 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gianni Carlo | Tobias Reithmeier |
Customer experience
BookPlayer
CLAUDIO
Bugs and requests
BookPlayer
Reported bugs
3 issues- Playback issues with certain audio formats
- Importing problems with large audiobook libraries
- Crashes when deleting books
Requested features
6 requests- Bookmark management
- Percentage completion tracking
- Improved multi-file book handling
- Customizable sleep timer
- iCloud/cloud sync between devices
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- Siri/Shortcuts integration
CLAUDIO
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BookPlayer
- Support Monthly (1 Month)$3.991 Month
- Pro Monthly (1 Month)$4.991 Month
- Support Monthly (1 Month)$6.991 Month
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- Pro Yearly (1 Year)$49.991 Year
- Kind tip$2.99
- Kind Tip$2.99
- Excellent Tip2 variants$4.99
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- Incredible Tip2 variants$9.99
CLAUDIO
- CLAUDIO Ultra Monthly$3.991 Month
- CLAUDIO Ultra Annual14 Days trial$15.901 Year
- CLAUDIO Pro$3.99
- CLAUDIO Pro+$34.99









