Read vs Fable Frog
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Read
Transform written text into spoken words from PDFs, images, and web pages. Ideal for hands-free listening, accessibility, or multitasking.
- PDF to speech conversion
- Image to speech conversion
- Web article to speech
- Hands-free listening
- Accessibility for visually impaired
Read full descriptionHide full description
Read empowers users to transform any written text into spoken words effortlessly, opening up a world of possibilities for those on the go, visually impaired, or simply seeking a hands-free reading experience. Key Features: PDF: Read enables users to effortlessly convert PDF documents into spoken words. Users can simply upload their PDF files, and Read will convert the text into clear, natural-sounding speech. This feature is perfect for students, professionals, or anyone who prefers to listen to content while on the move. Image: With Read's image to speech feature, users can extract text from images and have it read aloud. Whether it's capturing text from photos, screenshots, or scanned documents, Read makes it easy to access and listen to the content. Web: Read allows users to convert web articles, blogs, or online content into spoken words. Users can simply paste the URL of the web page, and Read will extract the text and convert it into an audio format for seamless listening. Install Read today, for free! Privacy Policy: https://read-web.web.app/#/privacy Terms of Service: https://read-web.web.app/#/terms
Fable Frog
This app offers a premium listening experience for your self-hosted audiobooks. Enjoy advanced playback controls, library management, offline downloads, and detailed listening statistics. It's designed with accessibility and privacy in mind, connecting seamlessly to your Audiobookshelf server.
- Variable speed and volume boost
- Sleep timer with shake to extend
- Chapter navigation with durations
- Bookmarks with notes
- Per-book playback settings
- Offline downloads with smart management
- Listening statistics and charts
- CarPlay and widget support
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The best way to enjoy your audiobooks. Fable Frog is a native iOS client for Audiobookshelf — built from the ground up for a premium listening experience. Connect to your self-hosted server and enjoy your library with a beautiful, feature-packed player designed for how you actually listen. PLAYBACK THAT JUST WORKS • Variable speed (0.5x – 3x) and volume boost up to 200% • Sleep timer with presets, custom duration, or end of chapter • Shake to extend your timer without opening your phone • Chapter navigation with durations at a glance • Bookmarks with notes up to 5,000 characters • Per-book playback settings that remember how you like each title • AirPlay streaming to your favorite speakers YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR WAY • Browse by books, authors, series, narrators, or genres • Filter by progress and genre, sort by title, author, date added, duration, or last listened • Instant search across your entire library • Follow series and track upcoming releases automatically • Create custom playlists, rate and review books • Alphabetical index for jumping through large collections OFFLINE DOWNLOADS Download books and listen anywhere — no connection needed. Smart Downloads automatically grab your next listen and clean up finished titles. Wi-Fi only mode keeps your data plan safe. LISTENING STATISTICS Understand your listening life with daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly charts. See genre breakdowns, top series rankings, speed savings, finished book trophies, and fun facts about your habits. CARPLAY A dedicated driving interface built for safe, distraction-free listening in the car. Large touch targets, simplified controls, and quick access to recent and library books. WIDGETS Lock screen widget with a circular progress gauge for your current listen. iOS 18 Control Center widgets for quick play/pause without leaving what you're doing. MAKE IT YOURS • 20 themes including 3 accessibility-optimized options • Custom app icons (Neon, Sunset, Forest) • 6 text size levels from XS to XXL • Customizable lock screen widget icons • Configurable skip durations and player controls BUILT FOR EVERYONE • Full VoiceOver support with comprehensive labels and adjustable controls • Voice Control compatible — navigate by voice • Dynamic Type support — text scales to 200%+ with in-app size slider • Accessibility themes: High Contrast (AAA), Blue-Orange (CVD), Pink-Teal (CVD) • Differentiate Without Color support — shapes and icons supplement color • All themes validated for WCAG AA contrast standards • Respects Reduce Motion and Reduce Transparency system settings • Car mode with extra-large touch targets • Siri integration for hands-free playback control PRIVACY FIRST No analytics. No telemetry. No tracking. No ads. Your data stays between your device and your server — nothing else. Credentials are stored exclusively in the iOS Keychain. CONNECTS TO YOUR SETUP • Username/password and OIDC authentication (Keycloak, Authelia, Authentik, and more) • Custom HTTP headers for reverse proxies (Caddy, Nginx, Traefik) • Multi-library support on the same server • Several accounts and servers, with a quick switcher on Home • Automatic token refresh and session management Available in 15+ languages with full RTL support. Requires a self-hosted Audiobookshelf server (v2.x). Fable Frog is an independent third-party client and is not affiliated with the Audiobookshelf project. Terms of Service: https://fablefrog.app/terms Apple EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stddla/ Privacy Policy: https://fablefrog.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Read at 100% against Fable Frog's 50%. Read also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, update cadence, 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. Fable Frog sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.00 per year. Read asks for nothing beyond the download.
Read ships an update every 6 days, Fable Frog weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Read | Fable Frog |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.3 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Weekly |
| 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 | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ifeanyi Onuoha | Paul DeVito |
Customer experience
Read
Fable Frog
In-app purchases
Read
No in-app purchases
Fable Frog
- Premium Annual$8.001 Year
- Premium Lifetime$12.00









