# ShelfPlayer vs MagicReader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MagicReader at none against ShelfPlayer's 4. MagicReader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). 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. MagicReader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ShelfPlayer ships an update every 4 weeks, MagicReader monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShelfPlayer | MagicReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (134 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfplayer-audio-book-shelf/id6475221163/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **134** | — |
| Positive reviews | 55.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 62 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AI Tools Apps SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1854689122) | [Leo Rivas-Micoud](https://appshunter.io/developer/302776955) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### MagicReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicreader-hands-free-reader/id6794322508)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShelfPlayer free?

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

### Is MagicReader free?

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

### Do ShelfPlayer or MagicReader have ads?

ShelfPlayer shows ads; MagicReader does not.

### Which is updated more often, ShelfPlayer or MagicReader?

ShelfPlayer ships an update every 4 weeks, and MagicReader monthly. Most recently, ShelfPlayer was updated on October 16, 2026 and MagicReader on October 11, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*