Comparison

SoundLeaf vs Sponge Audiobooks

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SoundLeaf

This app provides a premium iOS client for the open-source Audiobookshelf server. It offers a beautiful, intuitive interface for listening to your personal audiobook collection with features like CarPlay support and offline downloads.

Highlights
  • CarPlay support
  • Connect to Audiobookshelf server
  • Intuitive library browsing
  • Variable playback speed
  • Offline listening
  • Smart sleep timer
  • Cross-device progress tracking
Features
Read full description

SoundLeaf is a premium iOS client for Audiobookshelf, the open-source, self-hosted audiobook and podcast server. Connect to your own server and get your whole collection — audiobooks, podcasts and ebooks — in a beautiful, fast app built for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and CarPlay. Learn more, read setup guides and see the app in action at https://soundleafapp.com OFFLINE FIRST • Your library syncs to the app, so you can browse everything even with the server off • Download books and episodes and play them anywhere, no connection needed • Downloads are free for everyone, podcast auto-download included • Local and remote server addresses: the app uses your local address on home Wi-Fi and your remote address everywhere else, on its own BUILT FOR LONG LISTENS • A powerful player with chapters, variable playback speed and position memory • A smarter sleep timer: tell it your night hours and it starts itself, fades out instead of stopping cold, and restarts when you press play • Progress syncs with your server, so every device stays on the same page • Background playback, lock screen controls and full landscape support PODCASTS, DONE RIGHT • Podcast transcripts: when a show publishes one, it runs along with the audio, and a tap opens a full reader • Smart Downloads keep the next episodes ready before you ask • A queue that shows what is playing, what is next and what is on the phone • Episode management per show: keep counts, auto-download, mark played THE EBOOK READER • Read the ebook that lives next to your audiobook • One tap jumps the page to where the narrator is, and back • Fonts, text size, line spacing, margins, and Light, Sepia and Dark pages EVERYWHERE YOU LISTEN • A real Apple Watch app, with offline playback on your wrist if you want it • CarPlay with library switching and a downloaded-only filter • Home screen widgets: now playing, recent books, your listening time MAKE IT YOURS • 32 themes and 55 app icons • Listening stats with streaks, totals, a year heatmap and daily patterns • Multiple libraries, series, authors, collections and search SoundLeaf is made for self-hosters and their families: people who keep their audiobook library on their own server with Audiobookshelf and want the best way to listen to it on Apple devices. Note: SoundLeaf requires an Audiobookshelf server to connect to. Audiobookshelf is free and open source; learn how to set one up at https://audiobookshelf.org and find help at https://soundleafapp.com/server/ Website: https://soundleafapp.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Sponge Audiobooks

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
Read full description

Play audiobooks directly from your Apple Watch. No iPhone required. Connect to multiple different sources of audiobooks, from the great Librivox site online, or use your own self-hosted audiobooks with Audiobookshelf. And more sources are on the way! Designed particularly for Apple Watch For Your Kids (formerly "Family Setup"). Kids can listen to audiobooks instead of staring at screens. Features: - No iPhone required - Download to play books offline. Swipe to the left to download. - Auto sync progress to Audiobookshelf server (when available) - Add many audiobook sources. Press+Hold to copy a source - No need to type URL or password on your tiny watch: https://spongeaudio.com/setup-sources.html

Screenshots

SoundLeaf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sponge Audiobooks at none against SoundLeaf's 3. Sponge Audiobooks also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). SoundLeaf's advantage is ratings volume (43 vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SoundLeaf sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Sponge Audiobooks asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sponge Audiobooks holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SoundLeaf has 43 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SoundLeaf ships an update fortnightly, Sponge Audiobooks monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
SoundLeaf versus Sponge Audiobooks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSoundLeafSponge Audiobooks
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (43 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings43 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHemant KumarExpeditionary Logic

Customer experience

SoundLeaf

All ratings34 ratings
Positive85.3%
Neutral11.8%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral21.4%
Negative7.1%

Sponge Audiobooks

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

SoundLeaf

Subscriptions2
  • SoundLeaf Supporter$0.991 Month
  • SoundLeaf Supporter$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro$9.99
None

Sponge Audiobooks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SoundLeaf free?
SoundLeaf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sponge Audiobooks free?
Sponge Audiobooks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SoundLeaf or Sponge Audiobooks?
Sponge Audiobooks is rated higher. SoundLeaf averages 4.6 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while Sponge Audiobooks averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do SoundLeaf or Sponge Audiobooks have ads?
Neither SoundLeaf nor Sponge Audiobooks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SoundLeaf or Sponge Audiobooks?
SoundLeaf ships an update fortnightly, and Sponge Audiobooks monthly. Most recently, SoundLeaf was updated on October 24, 2026 and Sponge Audiobooks on October 13, 2026.

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