Audiobooks HQ vs Storius Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Audiobooks HQ
Access a vast library of premium and free audiobooks, including bestsellers and classics. Listen on demand without subscriptions, with features like adjustable playback speed and a sleep timer. Also includes old-time radio dramas.
- Large selection of audiobooks
- Free and premium titles
- On-demand listening
- No subscription required
- Adjustable playback speed
- Sleep timer
- Old-time radio dramas
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FEATURED ON CNET—this is *the* app for busy people who have a graveyard of eBooks (you know who you are, you well-meaning intellectual, you.) ROAD TRIP? TRAIN RIDE? JUST TRYING TO TUNE OUT THE PERSON SITTING NEXT TO YOU ON THE PLANE? ;) With over 895,000 premium audiobooks, and 100,000 free, you can get your wisdom on—and politely protect your headspace. IT’S LIKE MUSIC...ERRR, NARRATION TO YOUR EARS. From the latest bestsellers to timeless classics to up-and-coming indie authors, Free Audiobooks HQ is the app for a massive selection of studio-recorded quality audiobooks at your fingertips. Or should we say earbuds? ON DEMAND, NO SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Just open, search, click and listen. There are no credits and no recurring monthly fees. Free Audiobooks HQ lets you download and listen on demand, wherever you are, whenever you're ready. Even find the top rated books with the click of a button, or switch the language and get your Spanish on! FANCY FEATURES YOU’LL WANT TO BRAG ABOUT TO YOUR FRIENDS Free Audiobooks HQ even does neat tricks like adjusts the speed, slows down or speeds up playback in 40 increments (without affecting pitch!), and even sets a sleep timer when it's time for bed. BONUS: ACCESS 158,000 EPISODES OF OLD TIME RADIO, TOO! It's the best radio dramas of the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's and more. Because what's modern technology without a little old-school entertainment? GREAT FOR AROUND THE HOUSE, TOO! Washing the car. Check. Washing the dog. Probably that, too. Whether you're logging some miles on the ol' treadmill, or logging 'em driving cross country, we're the companion you didn't know you needed. (Sorry, dog.)
Storius Reader
Organize and read your Storius books in a single library. Customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts and spacing. Enjoy a built-in audiobook player with playback controls and a sleep timer.
- Centralized book management
- Customizable reading settings
- Built-in audiobook player
- Adjustable playback speed
- Cross-device syncing
- Sleep timer
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MANAGE YOUR BOOKS Keep your Storius books in one place and start reading any book in your library with just a tap. HOW DOES IT WORK When you buy or receive books from Storius, they will be added to your app library automatically. Tapping any book cover in the app will open it instantly. READ COMFORTABLY Read in our app or cloud reader and customize the settings for your comfort. Choose your ideal font type and text size, line spacing, and margins. Tap any book cover in your library to open it in our reader and get started. START LISTENING NOW The built-in audiobook player has the features you expect— bookmarks, download quality, and a beautiful, easy-to-navigate player. The Storius app also gives you the ability to fine-tune the settings you really care about, including playback speed, custom skip-back and skip-forward buttons, and a sleep timer. READ WHERE YOU LIKE Sync your books across devices and never lose your place. When you’re reading a book in our app, it will automatically mark your last page read and take you back to it the next time you open the book, so switch freely between your phone and tablet and back again.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Storius Reader at none against Audiobooks HQ's shown. Storius Reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Audiobooks HQ's advantage is ratings volume (6.8K vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Storius Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Audiobooks HQ has 6.8K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Audiobooks HQ ships an update every 2 months, Storius Reader every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Audiobooks HQ | Storius Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (6.8K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6.8K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Inkstone Software, Inc. | BookFunnel |
Customer experience
Audiobooks HQ
Storius Reader
Bugs and requests
Audiobooks HQ
Reported bugs
3 issues- Cellular data issues preventing downloads
- Purchased books disappearing from library
- Inconsistent playback and navigation controls
Requested features
5 requests- More modern and popular book selections
- Improved search and discovery functionality
- Gradual volume reduction for sleep timer
- Ability to resume playback from last position
- Support for younger/teen-oriented content
Storius Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Audiobooks HQ
No in-app purchases
Storius Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Audiobooks HQ free?
Is Storius Reader free?
Which has better reviews, Audiobooks HQ or Storius Reader?
Do Audiobooks HQ or Storius Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, Audiobooks HQ or Storius Reader?
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