Comparison

Leviathan vs ShelfPlayer

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

Head to head
About

Leviathan

Features
Read full description

LEVIATHAN: an interactive comic by Jason Shiga A seaside village – and a monstrous threat. Explore as you choose, by day or by night. Can you unravel the secrets of history and defeat the Leviathan? LEVIATHAN is not an ordinary comic. YOU make the choices that determine how the story unfolds. LEVIATHAN splits off into hundreds of different adventures. - A thrilling adventure of monsters, myths, and magic on the high seas (and the islands in between them). - Completely redesigned by the author for an infinite scrollable canvas. - Full audio accessibility with VoiceOver; every panel and choice can be spoken.

About

ShelfPlayer

This app provides a native iOS experience for managing and listening to audiobooks and podcasts from your self-hosted Audiobookshelf library. It offers robust playback controls, offline access, and seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem.

Highlights
  • Unified audiobook and podcast management
  • Multi-server support
  • Flexible authentication options
  • Global and library search
  • Playback queues and chapter navigation
  • Configurable playback speed and skip intervals
  • Offline mode and automatic downloads
Features
Read full description

ShelfPlayer is a powerful iOS app for listening to audiobooks and podcasts, built for people who run their own self-hosted Audiobookshelf libraries. Written in Swift 6 for iOS 18+, it's fast, privacy-respecting, and deeply integrated with the Apple ecosystem. ShelfPlayer does not include any media content. A running Audiobookshelf instance is required to use the app. Why Choose ShelfPlayer? - One app for everything: A single native experience for audiobooks, podcasts, episodes, authors, narrators, series, collections, and playlists - Connect your own libraries: Works with multiple Audiobookshelf servers and libraries at the same time - Flexible sign-in: Supports both username/password and OpenID, plus custom HTTP headers for advanced setups - Find anything fast: Global and per-library search across books, podcasts, people, series, and episodes - Stay in sync: Listening progress and sessions stay synchronized with your Audiobookshelf server - Made for Apple devices: Native iPhone and iPad layouts, CarPlay, Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight, Home Screen widgets, Live Activities, and Dynamic Island Features at a glance: - Listen Now to continue and discover content across connected libraries - Chapter navigation with quick-access controls in playback - Configurable skip intervals for forward and backward jumps - AirPlay and native Apple media controls - Bookmarks with optional notes to save key moments - Detailed, item-level listening history and daily listening goals - Offline mode with manual and automatic background downloads - Built-in tools to create, edit, and organize collections and playlists - In-app PDF viewer for attached documents - Customizable tabs, sorting, and filters Premium features ShelfPlayer subscription unlocks the following: - Offline listening: Download audiobooks and episodes and keep listening without a connection - Custom playback speed: Adjust the rate beyond the default 1× - Flexible sleep timer: Choose any duration or a chapter-based timer, beyond the default 5 minutes - Bookmarks: Save and revisit key moments with notes - Add to queue: Build your own listening order with the main and Up Next queues - Statistics: Track your listening time, streaks, and finished titles Download ShelfPlayer today and get the most out of your Audiobookshelf library! Subscribe to access premium app features; subscription details are the following: - Length: weekly or yearly - Free trial: only on selected subscriptions - Your payment will be charged to your Apple Account as soon as you confirm your purchase - You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal from your Account Settings after the purchase - Your subscription will renew automatically, unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - The cost of renewal will be charged to your account in the 24 hours prior to the end of the current period - When canceling a subscription, your subscription will stay active until the end of the period. Auto-renewal will be disabled, but the current subscription will not be refunded - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when purchasing a subscription Terms & Conditions: https://magic-cake-e95.notion.site/Shelf-Player-Terms-Conditions-39ccf6557a0880139826d06e6b87f4eb Privacy Policy: https://magic-cake-e95.notion.site/Shelf-Player-Privacy-Policy-39ccf6557a088010979bc16876532f5c If you have any questions, please contact us at aitools@gmail.com

Screenshots

Leviathan4 screens
ShelfPlayer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ShelfPlayer at Free against Leviathan's $3.99. ShelfPlayer also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 11 months). Leviathan's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On 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

ShelfPlayer is free to download; Leviathan costs $3.99 up front. ShelfPlayer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Leviathan asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Leviathan ships an update every 11 months, ShelfPlayer every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Leviathan versus ShelfPlayer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLeviathanShelfPlayer
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating—3.8 (134 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—55.2% of reviews
Number of ratings—134 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB62 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperZarfhome Software ConsultingAI Tools Apps SRL

Bugs and requests

Leviathan

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ShelfPlayer

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Unable to present all books from an author
  • Keeps resetting book progress
  • Offline mode broken, can't play downloaded books
  • Crashes after recent update
  • Widgets not updating with last played book
Show 1 more
  • Login issues and app getting stuck in offline mode

Requested features

6 requests
  • Option to load fully downloaded books without server handshake
  • Ability to filter library view to only downloaded books
  • Add support for ebooks and PDF files
  • Customizable playback speed options beyond 2x
  • Implement a static reading queue/playlist
Show 1 more
  • Add Apple Watch support for offline listening

In-app purchases

None

Leviathan

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

ShelfPlayer

Subscriptions4
  • Weekly premium7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Weekly premium$2.997 Days
  • Yearly premium7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly premium$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Leviathan free?
Leviathan costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ShelfPlayer free?
ShelfPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Leviathan or ShelfPlayer have ads?
ShelfPlayer shows ads; Leviathan does not.
Which is updated more often, Leviathan or ShelfPlayer?
Leviathan ships an update every 11 months, and ShelfPlayer every 4 weeks. Most recently, Leviathan was updated on October 1, 2026 and ShelfPlayer on October 14, 2026.

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