Sponge Audiobooks vs Listen This
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sponge Audiobooks
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.
- 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
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Play audiobooks directly from your Apple Watch. No iPhone required. Connect to multiple different sources of audiobooks, from the great Librivox site online, or use your own self-hosted audiobooks with Audiobookshelf. And more sources are on the way! Designed particularly for Apple Watch For Your Kids (formerly "Family Setup"). Kids can listen to audiobooks instead of staring at screens. Features: - No iPhone required - Download to play books offline. Swipe to the left to download. - Auto sync progress to Audiobookshelf server (when available) - Add many audiobook sources. Press+Hold to copy a source - No need to type URL or password on your tiny watch: https://spongeaudio.com/setup-sources.html
Listen This
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A simple, focused audiobook player for your M4B files. Listen on iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch — your progress syncs automatically via iCloud. FEATURES • Import M4B audiobooks from Files or iCloud Drive • Chapter navigation with skip controls • Adjustable playback speed (0.5x - 2.5x) • Sleep timer with shake-to-extend • Background playback with Now Playing controls • Home Screen widget showing current book APPLE WATCH Listen without your iPhone. Transfer audiobooks to your Watch for offline playback during workouts, walks, or whenever you leave your phone behind. Large files transfer in the background while you use your phone. AUDIOBOOKSHELF Connect to your self-hosted Audiobookshelf server to browse and download your library. SYNC Your library and playback position sync automatically across all your devices via iCloud. Start listening on your iPhone, continue on your iPad, finish on your Watch.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Sponge Audiobooks at 13.0 against Listen This's 26.2. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sponge Audiobooks ships an update monthly, Listen This every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sponge Audiobooks | Listen This |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Expeditionary Logic | Eetu Sutinen |
In-app purchases
Sponge Audiobooks
No in-app purchases
Listen This
No in-app purchases
