# plappa vs Absorb

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Absorb at none against plappa's 2. Absorb also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (97% vs 87%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. plappa sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. Absorb asks for nothing beyond the download.

Absorb holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 338 and 157 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of plappa's written reviews are positive against 97% of Absorb's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | plappa | Absorb |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plappa/id6475201956/reviews) | **[4.9 (157 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absorb-for-audiobookshelf/id6760673498/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **338** | 157 |
| Positive reviews | 86.5% of reviews | **97.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 34 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Leo Wehrfritz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663611386) | [Nathan Poulson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885644242) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Absorb

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absorb-for-audiobookshelf/id6760673498)

This app provides a streamlined mobile experience for listening to audiobooks and podcasts from your self-hosted media server. Enjoy features like offline playback, chapter navigation, and listening statistics. It's a free, open-source solution with no ads or data collection.

**Highlights:** Offline listening, Chapter navigation, Sleep timer, Playback speed control, Home screen widgets, Listening statistics, CarPlay support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is plappa free?

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

### Is Absorb free?

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

### Which has better reviews, plappa or Absorb?

Absorb is rated higher. plappa averages 4.7 out of 5 from 338 ratings, while Absorb averages 4.9 from 157 ratings.

### Do plappa or Absorb have ads?

Neither plappa nor Absorb shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, plappa or Absorb?

plappa ships an update every 5 weeks, and Absorb every 5 weeks. Most recently, plappa was updated on October 24, 2026 and Absorb on October 22, 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.*