# plappa vs Dzen Reader

plappa and Dzen Reader are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. plappa sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year and Dzen Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

plappa ships an update every 5 weeks, Dzen Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | plappa | Dzen Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (340 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plappa/id6475201956/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **340** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 47 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Leo Wehrfritz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663611386) | [Oleksandr Zheliezniak](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570664017) |

## What reviewers say

### plappa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plappa/id6475201956)

This app is an audiobook player that connects to self-hosted media servers like Jellyfin and AudioBookShelf. It supports various audio formats, reads metadata, and allows for offline listening through optional in-app purchases. Users can sync playback states across devices or their server.

**Highlights:** Connects to Jellyfin, Emby, AudioBookShelf, Supports common audio formats, Purpose-built for audiobooks, Sync playback states, Reads audiobook metadata, Offline listening (via IAP), Podcast and series support

**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


### Dzen Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dzen-reader/id6793226273)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dzen monthly subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Dzen yearly subscription | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is plappa free?

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

### Is Dzen Reader free?

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

### Do plappa or Dzen Reader have ads?

Neither plappa nor Dzen Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, plappa or Dzen Reader?

plappa ships an update every 5 weeks, and Dzen Reader every 2 months. Most recently, plappa was updated on October 30, 2026 and Dzen Reader on October 29, 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.*