Comparison

Hoowlib vs BookDeck!

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

Head to head
About

Hoowlib

Features
Read full description

**Hoowlib** is your all-in-one reading tracker and personal library app. Effortlessly save and organize your books, add new titles to your collection, and mark them as read once you’ve finished. You can rate each book, jot down thoughts, and keep your entire reading journey in one place. Hoowlib also helps you build better reading habits by tracking your progress day by day, giving you insights into your routine and motivating you to read more consistently. **Your privacy matters:** Hoowlib stores all your data securely on your device with no external services or tracking. No accounts, no cloud sync — just a private, secure reading experience that's fully yours.

About

BookDeck!

Experience audiobooks with a unique, vinyl-inspired player offering analog warmth and tactile controls. Organize your library, customize playback speed, and enjoy features like Smart Rewind and Volume Boost. Supports CarPlay and widgets for seamless listening.

Highlights
  • Vinyl-inspired turntable interface
  • Variable playback speed (0.75x-2.0x)
  • Smart Rewind and Volume Boost
  • Organized library with folder support
  • Sleep timer with fade-out
  • CarPlay and widget support
  • Supports M4B, MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC
Features
Read full description

BookDeck is a sanctuary for the spoken word — an audiobook player designed for intentional listeners who want analog warmth in a modern iOS experience. A spinning turntable, tactile controls, and your own library bring ritual to every listening session. Whether you are studying, commuting, or winding down, BookDeck makes room for your books. THE PLAYER Choose BookDeck’s signature vinyl-inspired turntable or put your book’s artwork front and center in the Standard player. Set your listening speed from 0.5x to 3.0x with a slider or quick presets. Smart Rewind gently brings you back after a pause, based on how long you were away. YOUR LIBRARY Two distinct library views let you browse your collection your way. Cover art and listening progress stay in view. Organize with folders, search, and multi-select. Light and dark themes let you make BookDeck your own. MADE FOR IPHONE DUO BookDeck adapts as you fold, unfold, and rotate. Keep the familiar phone layout when closed, with room for artwork or vinyl, playback controls, and chapters as the screen opens up. PRECISION CONTROLS Set a sleep timer by the minute or let it stop at the end of a chapter with a gentle fade-out. Fine-tune playback speed to match every narrator. Move between chapters from a dedicated chapter list, and save bookmarks for the passages you want to revisit. AUDIOBOOKSHELF Connect your own Audiobookshelf server to browse, search, and bring books into your BookDeck library. Explore series and collections, with a clear way back to your local books. SIRI, SHORTCUTS & WIDGETS Continue your last book, play a title, set a sleep timer, or create a bookmark with Siri and Shortcuts. Home Screen widgets keep playback close at hand. On iOS 27, a full-page vinyl widget shows your current book, chapter, and progress, with playback and speed controls. IMPORT YOUR WAY Browse files directly, sync from your Documents folder, or share from another app using the share extension. No BookDeck account is required. Supported formats: M4B, MP3, AAC, WAV, and lossless FLAC. No conversion needed. BEYOND THE APP Control playback through CarPlay, the Lock Screen, and Control Center. BookDeck supports VoiceOver and Dynamic Type. CRAFTED FOR THE INTENTIONAL LISTENER BookDeck is a tool for people who already own their audiobooks and want a beautiful, focused way to listen. No ads. No tracking.

Screenshots

Hoowlib4 screens
BookDeck!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: BookDeck! at weekly against Hoowlib's every 2 months. Hoowlib's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hoowlib ships an update every 2 months, BookDeck! weekly. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Hoowlib versus BookDeck!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHoowlibBookDeck!
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNikolas PalmDeAndrae Shivers

In-app purchases

None

Hoowlib

No in-app purchases

None

BookDeck!

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hoowlib free?
Hoowlib is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BookDeck! free?
BookDeck! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hoowlib or BookDeck! have ads?
Neither Hoowlib nor BookDeck! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hoowlib or BookDeck!?
Hoowlib ships an update every 2 months, and BookDeck! weekly. Most recently, Hoowlib was updated on November 5, 2026 and BookDeck! on November 5, 2026.

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