# Booken vs Sponge Audiobooks

The clearest difference is rating: Sponge Audiobooks at 5.0 against Booken's 4.5. Sponge Audiobooks also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Booken's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Sponge Audiobooks holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Booken has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Booken ships an update every 2 months, Sponge Audiobooks monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Booken | Sponge Audiobooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/booken/id6550895937/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sponge-audiobooks/id6755274146/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 24 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Riley Brookins](https://appshunter.io/developer/1704731895) | [Expeditionary Logic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852905845) |

## What reviewers say

### Booken

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/booken/id6550895937)

This app provides a simple and efficient way to listen to your audiobook files. It offers features for importing, managing, and tracking your listening progress, with playback controls accessible from your phone and Apple Watch.

**Highlights:** Import own audiobook files, Track listening progress, Mark books as finished, Lock screen playback controls, Apple Watch companion app, Variable scrubbing speed, Adjustable playback speed

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sponge Audiobooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sponge-audiobooks/id6755274146)

Listen to audiobooks directly on your Apple Watch without needing your iPhone. Supports offline playback and connects to various audiobook sources like Librivox and Audiobookshelf. Ideal for children to enjoy stories independently.

**Highlights:** Play audiobooks directly on Apple Watch, No iPhone required, Offline playback via downloads, Supports Librivox and Audiobookshelf, Sync progress to Audiobookshelf, Designed for Apple Watch For Your Kids

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Booken free?

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

### Is Sponge Audiobooks free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Booken or Sponge Audiobooks?

Sponge Audiobooks is rated higher. Booken averages 4.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Sponge Audiobooks averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Booken or Sponge Audiobooks have ads?

Neither Booken nor Sponge Audiobooks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Booken or Sponge Audiobooks?

Booken ships an update every 2 months, and Sponge Audiobooks monthly. Most recently, Booken was updated on November 4, 2026 and Sponge Audiobooks on November 5, 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.*