# SoundLeaf vs Sponge Audiobooks

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.

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.

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.

SoundLeaf ships an update fortnightly, Sponge Audiobooks monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SoundLeaf | Sponge Audiobooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundleaf/id6738635634/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sponge-audiobooks/id6755274146/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **43** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 56 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hemant Kumar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1781589937) | [Expeditionary Logic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852905845) |

## What reviewers say

### SoundLeaf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundleaf/id6738635634)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SoundLeaf Supporter | $0.99 | per month |
| SoundLeaf Supporter | $9.99 | per year |
| Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


### 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 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 25, 2026 and Sponge Audiobooks on October 13, 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.*