Storyteller Reader vs SoundLeaf
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Storyteller Reader
This app allows you to read EPUB ebooks with guided narration on your device. It supports immersive reading features and can sync with a self-hosted backend for automatic audiobook and ebook alignment.
- Read EPUB books
- Guided narration support
- Immersive reading
- Self-hosted backend pairing
- Automatic audiobook/ebook alignment
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Storyteller is a self-hosted platform for creating and reading ebooks with guided narration. You can use the app to read any EPUB books, including those with Media Overlays (also called “immersive reading” or “guided narration”) on your device, or you can pair it with the Storyteller self-hosted backend server, which can automatically align audiobooks and ebooks for immersive reading!
SoundLeaf
This app provides a premium iOS client for the open-source Audiobookshelf server. It offers a beautiful, intuitive interface for listening to your personal audiobook collection with features like CarPlay support and offline downloads.
- CarPlay support
- Connect to Audiobookshelf server
- Intuitive library browsing
- Variable playback speed
- Offline listening
- Smart sleep timer
- Cross-device progress tracking
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SoundLeaf is a premium iOS client for Audiobookshelf, the open-source, self-hosted audiobook and podcast server. Connect to your own server and get your whole collection — audiobooks, podcasts and ebooks — in a beautiful, fast app built for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and CarPlay. Learn more, read setup guides and see the app in action at https://soundleafapp.com OFFLINE FIRST • Your library syncs to the app, so you can browse everything even with the server off • Download books and episodes and play them anywhere, no connection needed • Downloads are free for everyone, podcast auto-download included • Local and remote server addresses: the app uses your local address on home Wi-Fi and your remote address everywhere else, on its own BUILT FOR LONG LISTENS • A powerful player with chapters, variable playback speed and position memory • A smarter sleep timer: tell it your night hours and it starts itself, fades out instead of stopping cold, and restarts when you press play • Progress syncs with your server, so every device stays on the same page • Background playback, lock screen controls and full landscape support PODCASTS, DONE RIGHT • Podcast transcripts: when a show publishes one, it runs along with the audio, and a tap opens a full reader • Smart Downloads keep the next episodes ready before you ask • A queue that shows what is playing, what is next and what is on the phone • Episode management per show: keep counts, auto-download, mark played THE EBOOK READER • Read the ebook that lives next to your audiobook • One tap jumps the page to where the narrator is, and back • Fonts, text size, line spacing, margins, and Light, Sepia and Dark pages EVERYWHERE YOU LISTEN • A real Apple Watch app, with offline playback on your wrist if you want it • CarPlay with library switching and a downloaded-only filter • Home screen widgets: now playing, recent books, your listening time MAKE IT YOURS • 32 themes and 55 app icons • Listening stats with streaks, totals, a year heatmap and daily patterns • Multiple libraries, series, authors, collections and search SoundLeaf is made for self-hosters and their families: people who keep their audiobook library on their own server with Audiobookshelf and want the best way to listen to it on Apple devices. Note: SoundLeaf requires an Audiobookshelf server to connect to. Audiobookshelf is free and open source; learn how to set one up at https://audiobookshelf.org and find help at https://soundleafapp.com/server/ Website: https://soundleafapp.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Storyteller Reader at 5.0 against SoundLeaf's 4.3. Storyteller Reader also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 65%) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, ads and 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
Both are free to download. SoundLeaf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Storyteller Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.
Storyteller Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37 and 20 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Storyteller Reader's written reviews are positive against 65% of SoundLeaf's.
Storyteller Reader ships an update weekly, SoundLeaf fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Storyteller Reader | SoundLeaf |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (37 ratings) — better | 4.3 (20 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 65.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 37 — better | 20 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Shane Friedman | Hemant Kumar |
Customer experience
Storyteller Reader
SoundLeaf
In-app purchases
Storyteller Reader
No in-app purchases
SoundLeaf
- SoundLeaf Supporter$19.991 Year
- Pro$9.99








