Comparison

BookPlayer vs Cindy's Books

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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.

About

Cindy's Books

Catalog your personal book collection with this offline-first mobile app. Quickly add books by scanning barcodes, automatically filling in details. Syncs with a self-hosted server for seamless management.

Highlights
  • Offline library catalog
  • Barcode scanning for adding books
  • Automatic book detail population
  • Search and browse by author/series
  • Mark books as read
  • CSV import/export
  • Optional BookNexus server sync
Features
Read full description

Cindy's Books is named for my wife, Cindy — whose ever-growing shelves started all of this. It began with a simple problem: standing in a thrift store holding a paperback, she had no quick way to know whether she already owned it. I looked everywhere for an app to catalog her collection. Everything was either a heavy-handed "library management" system built for institutions, or so bare-bones it was barely more than a list. Nothing hit the sweet spot — a simple, fast, personal book catalog. So I built one, and made it a public project so any book lover could use it. Then reality hit: a web app is useless in the back of a thrift store with one bar of signal. So this is a native app that keeps your entire collection on your device — instant lookups, no connection needed. Point your camera at a barcode and it tells you "already owned" or "not yet — add it?" And for self-hosters running the open-source BookNexus web app, it syncs both ways with your own server: add books on your phone, edit them at a keyboard on the web, both stay in sync. What it does • Your whole library on your phone — fully offline • Scan a barcode to add a book, or catch a duplicate before you buy it • Auto-fills title, author, and cover from Open Library • Browse by author or series; instant search • Mark what you've read • CSV import/export and iCloud backup • Optional two-way sync with your self-hosted BookNexus server No account. No ads. No tracking. Your collection is one file on your phone that you own.

Screenshots

BookPlayer4 screens
Cindy's Books4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cindy's Books at none against BookPlayer's 10. Cindy's Books also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 83%) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). BookPlayer's advantage is ratings volume (20K vs 1) and chart position (#67 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and device support 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. BookPlayer sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Cindy's Books asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cindy's Books 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 100% of Cindy's Books's.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
BookPlayer versus Cindy's Books: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookPlayerCindy's Books
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (20K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews82.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings20K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 9 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#67 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGianni CarloDavid Rodgers

Customer experience

BookPlayer

All ratings19,792 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews1,322 reviews
Positive82.7%
Neutral4.9%
Negative12.4%

Cindy's Books

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
Show 1 more
  • Siri/Shortcuts integration

Cindy's Books

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

BookPlayer

Subscriptions4
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$3.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly (1 Month)$4.991 Month
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$6.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Pro Yearly (1 Year)$49.991 Year
One-time4
  • Kind tip$2.99
  • Kind Tip$2.99
  • Excellent Tip2 variants$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Incredible Tip2 variants$9.99
None

Cindy's Books

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BookPlayer free?
BookPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cindy's Books free?
Cindy's Books is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BookPlayer or Cindy's Books?
Cindy's Books is rated higher. BookPlayer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Cindy's Books averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do BookPlayer or Cindy's Books have ads?
Neither BookPlayer nor Cindy's Books shows ads.

Other comparisons