# Tonspur vs Absorb

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Absorb at none against Tonspur's 1. Absorb also leads on ratings volume (111 vs 6) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tonspur sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Absorb asks for nothing beyond the download.

Absorb holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Absorb has 111 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Tonspur's written reviews are positive against 97% of Absorb's.

Tonspur ships an update every 3 weeks, Absorb monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tonspur | Absorb |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonspur/id6739758347/reviews) | **[4.9 (111 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absorb-for-audiobookshelf/id6760673498/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **111** |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | **97.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 32 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tim Olbrich](https://appshunter.io/developer/1623192062) | [Nathan Poulson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885644242) |

## What reviewers say

### Tonspur

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonspur/id6739758347)

Listen to your personal audiobook collection with this companion app. Enjoy features like adjustable playback speed, a sleep timer, and easy chapter navigation. Download books for offline listening and sync your progress across devices.

**Highlights:** Variable playback speed, Sleep timer, Offline listening, Chapter navigation, Progress syncing, CarPlay support, Multi-library support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Downloads | $8.99 | 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 Tonspur free?

Tonspur 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, Tonspur or Absorb?

Absorb is rated higher. Tonspur averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Absorb averages 4.9 from 111 ratings.

### Do Tonspur or Absorb have ads?

Neither Tonspur nor Absorb shows ads.

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

Tonspur ships an update every 3 weeks, and Absorb monthly. Most recently, Tonspur was updated on October 11, 2026 and Absorb on October 17, 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.*