BookPlayer vs Sapling
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BookPlayer
This app is a dedicated audio player for your personal audiobook collection. It supports various audio file formats and offers convenient playback features like automatic bookmarking and sleep timers. Enjoy your audiobooks offline without any advertisements.
- Plays MP3, MP4, M4B, M4A formats
- Automatic bookmarking
- Quick chapter jumping
- Headset controls
- Control Center/lock screen integration
- Sleep timer
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BookPlayer is the perfect way to enjoy audiobooks in MP3, MP4, M4B, M4A formats on your iPhone or iPod Touch! *** Please note: the app does not include audiobooks. It is designed to play your audio files. *** This app is designed with a single purpose - to provide maximum convenience and simplicity when listening to audiobooks of various formats! There are many online resources where you can find audiobooks on a wide variety of topics, voiced by both professional actors and audio enthusiasts. Most of these audiobooks are available in folders containing many files, predominantly in MP3 format and others similar. I, the creator of this app, am also a devotee of audiobooks and have tried to incorporate everything necessary into BookPlayer to make listening as easy and enjoyable as possible. • Supports MP3, MP4, M4B, M4A formats (except files with DRM protection). • Automatically remembers where you left off in audiobooks. • The ability to quickly jump to any part of the audio file. • Control playback through the headset. • Control the player through the Control Center and lock screen. • Sleep timer with a choice of different time intervals or until the end of the chapter. If you liked BookPlayer, don't forget to share your impressions with others and leave a review. Terms & Conditions: https://bookplayer.tilda.ws/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://bookplayer.tilda.ws/privacy-policy
Sapling
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Sapling is a focused reading app for iPhone. Import your books, documents, and PDFs — then read at your own pace, listen hands-free in audiobook mode, or let Sapling pace you word by word. Read your way Choose scrolling or paginated reading. In scrolling mode, Sapling can pace you word by word and dim everything but the lines you're reading. Adjust font, size, spacing, and theme to build your perfect reading environment. Listen, hands-free Turn any book or document into an audiobook. Sapling reads aloud with natural voices and follows along word by word, with full lock-screen and Control Center controls and background playback — so you can listen on a walk, on your commute, or with the screen off. Stay in the text Highlight passages, add notes, and drop bookmarks — all stored locally, no account required. Jump to any chapter, revisit your highlights, or search within a document from the reader menu. Build the habit Set a daily reading goal and keep your streak going. A reading-activity calendar and per-book stats — time spent, days read, reading speed — show your progress over time. Your library, your files Import EPUB, PDF, and plain text from Files or any app, including EPUBs with inline images. Sapling keeps everything private — nothing leaves your device. Features • Audiobook mode — listen to any book or document read aloud • Natural text-to-speech with voice selection • Background playback with lock-screen & Control Center controls • Word-by-word speed reading with adjustable WPM • Paginated and scrolling reading modes • Focus mode that dims around the current line • Daily reading goals, streaks, and an activity calendar • Per-book reading stats • Highlights with color and notes • Bookmarks with optional notes • In-document search • Chapter navigation • EPUB inline images • Light, dark, and sepia themes • Fully offline — no account, no tracking
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sapling at none against BookPlayer's 6. BookPlayer's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 18.0). On price, 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. BookPlayer sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Sapling asks for nothing beyond the download.
BookPlayer ships an update weekly, Sapling every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BookPlayer | Sapling |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (197 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 58.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 197 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 12.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alevtina Liubimova | Jelle Van Eyck |
In-app purchases
BookPlayer
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Pro$2.991 Month
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- Annual$12.991 Year
- Yeraly7 Days trial$12.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime$8.99
Sapling
No in-app purchases









