# SoundLeaf vs Absorb

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Absorb at none against SoundLeaf's 3. Absorb also leads on review sentiment (97% vs 71%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). SoundLeaf's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). 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. Absorb asks for nothing beyond the download.

Absorb holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43 and 164 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of SoundLeaf's written reviews are positive against 97% of Absorb's.

SoundLeaf ships an update fortnightly, Absorb every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SoundLeaf | Absorb |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundleaf/id6738635634/reviews) | **[4.9 (164 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absorb-for-audiobookshelf/id6760673498/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 43 | **164** |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | **97.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 56 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hemant Kumar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1781589937) | [Nathan Poulson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885644242) |

## 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 |


### Absorb

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absorb-for-audiobookshelf/id6760673498)

This app provides a streamlined mobile experience for listening to audiobooks and podcasts from your self-hosted media server. Enjoy features like offline playback, chapter navigation, and listening statistics. It's a free, open-source solution with no ads or data collection.

**Highlights:** Offline listening, Chapter navigation, Sleep timer, Playback speed control, Home screen widgets, Listening statistics, CarPlay support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SoundLeaf free?

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

### Is Absorb free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SoundLeaf or Absorb?

Absorb is rated higher. SoundLeaf averages 4.6 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while Absorb averages 4.9 from 164 ratings.

### Do SoundLeaf or Absorb have ads?

Neither SoundLeaf nor Absorb shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SoundLeaf or Absorb?

SoundLeaf ships an update fortnightly, and Absorb every 5 weeks. Most recently, SoundLeaf was updated on October 27, 2026 and Absorb on October 28, 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.*