# Hardcover.app vs plappa

The clearest difference is rating: plappa at 4.7 against Hardcover.app's 4.2. plappa also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 52%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hardcover.app sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and plappa sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

plappa holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: plappa has 331 ratings behind it against 60, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Hardcover.app's written reviews are positive against 86% of plappa's.

Hardcover.app ships an update every 6 months, plappa every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hardcover.app | plappa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardcoverapp/id1663379893/reviews) | **[4.7 (331 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plappa/id6475201956/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 60 | **331** |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | **86.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hardcover LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663379895) | [Leo Wehrfritz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663611386) |

## What reviewers say

### Hardcover.app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardcoverapp/id1663379893)

This app helps you organize and discover books. Track what you've read, create custom lists, and see what friends are reading. Set reading goals and share your thoughts on books.

**Highlights:** Track read and to-read books, Organize with lists and tags, See friends' reading activity, Discover trending books, Rate and review books, Set reading goals, Track reading statistics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Supporter - Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


### plappa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plappa/id6475201956)

This app is a client for self-hosted media servers like Jellyfin and AudioBookShelf, designed specifically for playing audiobooks. It supports common audio formats, reads metadata, and allows for offline listening with optional in-app purchases for advanced features.

**Highlights:** Jellyfin, Emby, AudioBookShelf client, Supports common audio formats, Saves and syncs playback states, Reads audiobook metadata, Offline listening (via IAP), Podcast and collection support (AudioBookShelf)

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription (1 Year) | $1.99 | per year |
| Full Version (Lifetime) | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app with all the same features
- 🚀 Excellent, love download to watch
- 🚀 Works great! Just what I needed!
- 👍 Brilliant app
- 👍 Amazing!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Great player. Audiobookshelf support needs work
- 🐛 Small bugs, good app

**Reported bugs**

- Can't login Audiobookshelf
- Podcasts library not listing all podcasts

**Requested features**

- Auto download when start playing book
- Auto delete when finished book
- Option to add multiple servers
- More sorting and filtering options in the library section
- Refresh button for libraries


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hardcover.app free?

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

### Is plappa free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hardcover.app or plappa?

plappa is rated higher. Hardcover.app averages 4.2 out of 5 from 60 ratings, while plappa averages 4.7 from 331 ratings.

### Do Hardcover.app or plappa have ads?

Neither Hardcover.app nor plappa shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hardcover.app or plappa?

Hardcover.app ships an update every 6 months, and plappa every 5 weeks. Most recently, Hardcover.app was updated on September 23, 2026 and plappa on September 24, 2026.

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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.*