Comparison

Audiobooks Plus vs Staread

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

Head to head
About

Audiobooks Plus

Listen to a vast library of original audiobook stories across various genres, including romance, fantasy, and crime. Enjoy fresh content weekly, personalized features like offline listening, and discover emerging authors.

Highlights
  • Original audiobook stories
  • Weekly fresh content
  • Multiple genres (romance, fantasy, crime)
  • Offline listening
  • Dark mode
  • Personalization options
Features
Read full description

Completely Reimagined Audiobooks Plus! Welcome to the massive rebirth of Audiobooks Plus, where the internet's most-loved romance and fantasy stories become addictive, bite-sized audio series. Here is everything waiting for you in our biggest update ever: • Binge-Worthy Audio Series: We sit right between an audiobook and a podcast. Every story is serialized, fully voiced, and written to end at the exact moment you cannot walk away. • Daily Chapter Drops: The story never stops. New chapters land constantly across active series so your daily commute, gym session, or laundry folding is always sorted. • Reader-Proven Hits: No adaptations of books nobody read. We only record what readers already devoured. Explore massive hits in Romance, Werewolf & Shifter, Romantasy, Billionaire, and Thriller genres. • A Brand-New Listening Engine: Custom Playback Speed: Your pace, your story. Choose Your Narrator: Hear the voice that fits the story for you. Background Playback: Keep listening with the screen off, while you commute, train, or fold laundry. Cross-Device Sync: Sign in and pick up exactly where you left off on your iPhone or iPad. • Try It For Free: Series open with free chapters. Never spend a minute on a story that isn't for you. • No Subscription: Unlock chapters with points. Buy them whenever you like, or just wait for the next one to open. Your points never expire.

About

Staread

Discover a vast library of stories across numerous genres, from werewolf to billionaire romance. Enjoy an immersive reading experience with customizable options and support for authors worldwide. Upgrade for unlimited access and an ad-free environment.

Highlights
  • Extensive genre selection
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Author support and publishing platform
  • Unlimited chapter access with premium
  • Ad-free reading with premium
  • Weekly new book additions
Read full description

Staread brings you endless stories. Dive in and feel every twist, every heartbreak, every happy ending. All Genres, One App Billionaire, Werewolf, Mafia, LGBTQ+,Urban, CEO, Paranormal—whatever you’re craving, you’ll discover it here. Thousands of titles, endless possibilities. Immersive Moments With adjustable display options, you can lose yourself in your favorite novels and enjoy a perfect reading experience anytime, anywhere. For Readers, By Authors Behind every story is a passionate writer. Staread is proud to support talented authors worldwide, giving them a platform to share their creativity and connect with readers. If you’re an aspiring author, you can join our writer project, publish your work, and reach readers across the world. Premium Experience at Your Fingertips While you can explore Staread for free, upgrading to Staread Premium unlocks the full experience: Unlimited access to exclusive chapters Ad-free, immersive reading environment Constantly updated library with brand-new books added every week No more annoying coin-per-chapter unlocking — just binge without limits With Staread Premium, every moment of your reading becomes seamless and unlimited. Subscription Agreement Payment: The purchase will be charged to your Apple Store account. Renewal: Subscriptions renew automatically 24 hours before expiration. Cancel: You can cancel at any time at least 24 hours before renewal. Manage: Subscriptions can be managed in your account settings. Privacy Policy: https://page.stareadapp.com/site/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://page.stareadapp.com/site/user-agreement

Screenshots

Audiobooks Plus4 screens
Staread4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Audiobooks Plus at 81% against Staread's 37%. Audiobooks Plus also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Audiobooks Plus sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Staread sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Audiobooks Plus holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Audiobooks Plus has 712 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Audiobooks Plus's written reviews are positive against 37% of Staread's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Audiobooks Plus ships an update every 9 days, Staread fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Audiobooks Plus versus Staread: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAudiobooks PlusStaread
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (712 ratings) — better3.3 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews81.2% of reviews — better37.2% of reviews
Number of ratings712 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size142 MB81 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperInkittJIN FAN TECHNOLOGY CO.LIMITED

Customer experience

Audiobooks Plus

All ratings712 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive81.2%
Neutral8.2%
Negative10.6%

Staread

Written reviews121 reviews
Positive37.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative62.0%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Audiobooks Plus

One-time7
  • Trial Package$0.99
  • Small Package$1.99
  • Medium Package$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Big Package$9.99
  • Bigger Package$15.99
  • Points pack - biggest$19.99
  • Ultimate Package$29.99
9 purchases

Staread

Subscriptions9
  • Weekly Pack7 Days trial$14.997 Days
  • Weekly VIP7 Days trial$14.997 Days
  • Weekly VIP$14.997 Days
Show 6 more
  • Weekly VIP$19.997 Days
  • Weekly VIP7 Days trial2 variants$19.997 Days
  • Weekly VIP$24.997 Days
  • Weekly VIP107 Days trial$24.997 Days
  • Weekly VIP7 Days trial$24.997 Days
  • Yearly VIP$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Audiobooks Plus free?
Audiobooks Plus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Staread free?
Staread is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Audiobooks Plus or Staread?
Audiobooks Plus is rated higher. Audiobooks Plus averages 4.6 out of 5 from 712 ratings, while Staread averages 3.3 from 12 ratings.
Do Audiobooks Plus or Staread have ads?
Staread shows ads; Audiobooks Plus does not.
Which is updated more often, Audiobooks Plus or Staread?
Audiobooks Plus ships an update every 9 days, and Staread fortnightly. Most recently, Audiobooks Plus was updated on November 11, 2026 and Staread on November 9, 2026.

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