# Novelwave vs DeerReader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Novelwave at none against DeerReader's 1. Novelwave also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (66 vs 2). DeerReader's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and review sentiment (100% vs 90%). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DeerReader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Novelwave asks for nothing beyond the download.

DeerReader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Novelwave has 66 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Novelwave's written reviews are positive against 100% of DeerReader's.

Novelwave ships an update weekly, DeerReader every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Novelwave | DeerReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (66 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelwave-an-audiobook-player/id6720100886/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deerreader-audiobook-player/id6748619971/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **66** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 90.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 17 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.1 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mihai Petrenco](https://appshunter.io/developer/1566847213) | [Cloverfield Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1744210662) |

## What reviewers say

### Novelwave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelwave-an-audiobook-player/id6720100886)

This app provides a personalized listening experience for your DRM-free audiobooks. It allows for flexible imports, easy organization, and advanced playback customization. Enjoy features like chapter navigation, headphone controls, and bookmarking.

**Highlights:** Import various audio formats, Organize audiobooks into collections, Merge audio files, Adjust playback speed, Set sleep timers, Chapter navigation, Headphone gesture controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### DeerReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deerreader-audiobook-player/id6748619971)

Organize and listen to your digital audiobooks with a beautiful, intelligent player. Features adaptive UI, fast search, and automatic sorting into collections using AI. Enjoy a seamless listening experience with home screen widget access.

**Highlights:** Adaptive player UI matching audiobook cover, Fast, unified search for books and authors, Home screen widget for instant access, AI-powered automatic organization into collections, Intuitive playback controls, Support for large digital libraries

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Support Subscription | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Novelwave free?

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

### Is DeerReader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Novelwave or DeerReader?

DeerReader is rated higher. Novelwave averages 4.8 out of 5 from 66 ratings, while DeerReader averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Novelwave or DeerReader have ads?

Neither Novelwave nor DeerReader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Novelwave or DeerReader?

Novelwave ships an update weekly, and DeerReader every 5 weeks. Most recently, Novelwave was updated on November 4, 2026 and DeerReader 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.*