Comparison

BookPlayer vs Paperheart

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

Paperheart

Features
Read full description

Some people finish forty books a year. The rest of us mean to. Paperheart is the reading tracker that makes picking the book back up the best part of your evening — a shelf worth looking at, a streak worth keeping, and someone to talk to the moment you finish. A SHELF YOU'LL ACTUALLY OPEN Real covers, arranged like a real bookshelf. Reading, to-read, finished — and a small gold mark on every book you got to the end of. It looks like something you'd keep, because it is. LOGGING TAKES ONE TAP Type the page you're on. That's it. Paperheart works out the rest — how far through you are, how many pages today, how many days in a row. No forms, no fuss, nothing to maintain. A STREAK THAT'S KIND ABOUT IT Ten pages counts. So does one. The point isn't to perform reading, it's to keep going — and a streak you can actually hold is the one that lasts. SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT IT Finish a book and there's finally someone to talk to about it at 1am. The reading companion knows the book, knows how far in you are, and will not spoil the ending. It'll even write your review for you when you can't find the words. AND IT KNOWS WHAT'S NEXT Ask what to read next and three books come back — the rest of the series first, then two that feel like the one you just closed. Real covers. One tap puts any of them on your shelf. EVERY WORD YOU MEET 86,000 definitions, built in and fully offline — look a word up mid-page without leaving the book, on a plane, anywhere. Keep the ones you love, and flashcards bring them back just before you'd have forgotten them. YOUR YEAR, MADE BEAUTIFUL Reading Wrapped turns your months and years into something worth sharing. Pages, books, streaks, the genres you leaned into, the one you couldn't put down. FREE FOREVER Tracking your reading is free, forever. Your shelf, your pages, your streak, your notes, your ratings — all of it, no trial, no countdown, no catch. Premium unlocks the rest of the magic: the companion whenever you want it, the dictionary and your words, recommendations, and Reading Wrapped. IT STAYS ON YOUR PHONE No account. No sign-up. No ads, ever, and nothing sold to anyone. Your shelf and everything in it lives on your device — the only thing that ever leaves is a chat message, and only if you say yes first. Made for people who love books and would quite like to read more of them. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://claude.ai/code/artifact/898d8fea-62c5-4532-8d29-c3d9d0831eb7

Screenshots

BookPlayer4 screens
Paperheart4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Paperheart at daily against BookPlayer's every 9 days. Paperheart also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). BookPlayer's advantage is chart position (#64 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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 and Paperheart sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BookPlayer ships an update every 9 days, Paperheart daily. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
BookPlayer versus Paperheart: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookPlayerPaperheart
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (20K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews82.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings20K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#64 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB26 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperGianni CarloLUCA JACK THOMAS DENNISON

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

Paperheart

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
2 purchases

Paperheart

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is BookPlayer free?
BookPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Paperheart free?
Paperheart is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BookPlayer or Paperheart have ads?
Neither BookPlayer nor Paperheart shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BookPlayer or Paperheart?
BookPlayer ships an update every 9 days, and Paperheart daily. Most recently, BookPlayer was updated on November 3, 2026 and Paperheart on October 29, 2026.

Other comparisons