ABI Player vs LAABS Audio

Reclaim your audiobook collection with ABI Player – the dedicated, intuitive app for self-hosted ABI Gateway users. Tired of restrictive cloud services or messy file management? ABI Player connects to your personal ABI Gateway server for unparalleled control, privacy, and a tailored listening experience from your own library. ABI Player is your command center for audiobooks hosted on your ABI Gateway. It's an intelligent client that fetches your library, tracks progress, and provides robust playback without third-party servers.

LAABS Audio is a full-featured iPhone player for Audiobookshelf. Stream, download, organize, and enjoy your audiobooks and podcasts—with unique tools that go beyond standard ABS players. YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR SERVER - Connect directly to your Audiobookshelf server - Stream over Wi-Fi or cellular - Download audiobooks and podcast episodes - Sync listening progress automatically - Keep your library under your control AMBIENT AUDIO - Create your ideal soundscape by layering rain, fireplace sounds, brown noise, music, or any compatible audio file beneath your narration. - Import tracks from your device or iCloud, adjust the volume for each audiobook, and let Ambient Audio pause and resume automatically with playback. BOOKMARKS & AUDIO CLIPS - Save a point bookmark or select an exact passage as an audio clip. - Trim clips to the second - Preview clips without losing your listening position - Add titles and notes - Export clips as M4A files (book must be downloaded for clip export) - Transcribe clips on supported devices - Create bookmarks and clips from podcast episodes BOOKS & PODCASTS - Browse, search, stream, and download both audiobook and podcast libraries. - Podcast support includes Continue Listening, recent and downloaded episodes, customizable Home shelves, episode details, offline playback, and progress sync. YOUR HOME, YOUR WAY - Browse Continue Listening, Recently Added, and Discover - Create device-only custom shelves - Turn Audiobookshelf playlists into Home shelves - Reorder or hide shelves - See progress, favorites, and download status at a glance FIND & ORGANIZE - Search by title or author - Filter by genre, tag, favorite, or finished status - Sort by author, title, date added, duration, or publication date - Browse Series, Collections, and Playlists - Rename, reorder, and edit Collections and Playlists LISTEN ANYWHERE - Play downloads without a connection - Sync offline progress when you reconnect - Browse and control playback with CarPlay - Use iOS Home Screen widgets for progress and play/pause - Set playback speeds up to 4× - Automatically rewind after longer pauses - Use configurable lock-screen controls and a sleep timer LAABS Audio has no subscription. Optional one-time tips are available for listeners who want to support continued development. **Requires an active Audiobookshelf server running version 2.3.0 or later and iOS 26.0 or later.