# Storyteller Reader vs ShelfPlayer

The clearest difference is rating: Storyteller Reader at 4.9 against ShelfPlayer's 4.1. Storyteller Reader also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 55%) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). ShelfPlayer's advantage is ratings volume (225 vs 45). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShelfPlayer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Storyteller Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Storyteller Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ShelfPlayer has 225 ratings behind it against 45, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Storyteller Reader's written reviews are positive against 55% of ShelfPlayer's.

Storyteller Reader ships an update every 2 weeks, ShelfPlayer every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Storyteller Reader | ShelfPlayer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyteller-reader/id6474467720/reviews)** | [4.1 (225 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfplayer-audio-book-shelf/id6475221163/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 45 | **225** |
| Positive reviews | **95.0% of reviews** | 55.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 79 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shane Friedman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721687723) | [AI Tools Apps SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1854689122) |

## What reviewers say

### Storyteller Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyteller-reader/id6474467720)

Create and read ebooks with guided narration on your device. This self-hosted platform allows you to enjoy EPUB books, including those with immersive reading features. Pair it with a backend server for automatic alignment of audiobooks and ebooks.

**Highlights:** Create and read ebooks, Guided narration, EPUB support, Media Overlays, Immersive reading, Self-hosted backend integration

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ShelfPlayer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfplayer-audio-book-shelf/id6475221163)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly premium | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Runs on all Apple platforms
- 👍 Provides better UI experience
- 💡 Potential for great features
- 🚀 Smooth playback
- 👍 Beautiful and intuitive UI

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Critical bugs preventing usage
- 🐛 Constantly losing book progress
- 🐛 Crashes and instability issues
- 🐛 Offline mode not working
- 🐛 Slow startup and loading times

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Storyteller Reader free?

Storyteller Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ShelfPlayer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Storyteller Reader or ShelfPlayer?

Storyteller Reader is rated higher. Storyteller Reader averages 4.9 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while ShelfPlayer averages 4.1 from 225 ratings.

### Do Storyteller Reader or ShelfPlayer have ads?

ShelfPlayer shows ads; Storyteller Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, Storyteller Reader or ShelfPlayer?

Storyteller Reader ships an update every 2 weeks, and ShelfPlayer every 4 weeks. Most recently, Storyteller Reader was updated on October 30, 2026 and ShelfPlayer on October 30, 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.*