Comparison

Audiary vs AudioBookSync

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

Head to head
About

Audiary

Features
Read full description

Audiary is the perfect app for audiobook and podcast lovers. Connect to your personal Audiobookshelf server or explore thousands of free audiobooks on Librivox. AUDIARY ASSISTANT • Ask by voice or in writing: "resume Dune", "a thriller under 6 hours" • It knows your library, your podcasts, your listening time and your ratings • It also looks further afield: public domain, Apple Books, the podcast directory • Dictation transcribed on your device, and your past requests are kept MULTIPLE CONTENT SOURCES • Sync with your Audiobookshelf server • Access 15,000+ free audiobooks via Librivox • Import local files (MP3, M4B, M4A) • Subscribe to your favorite podcasts via RSS ADVANCED AUDIO PLAYER • Full controls: play, pause, skip forward/back • Adjustable playback speed from 0.5x to 2.0x • Audio equalizer with 6 presets • Smart sleep timer • Chapter navigation with visual indicators • Bookmarks to mark your favorite passages LISTEN ANYWHERE • Offline mode: download books to listen without connection • CarPlay support for in-car listening • Apple Watch to track your progress • iOS Widgets for quick access • Lock screen controls ORGANIZED LIBRARY • Customizable grid or list view • Filter by status: in progress, finished, not started • Search by title, author, or narrator • Series management with volume ordering • Complete reading history SYNC & BACKUP • Auto-sync progress with Audiobookshelf • iCloud backup of your preferences • Wishlist synced via Apple Reminders • Multi-library support CUSTOMIZATION • Themes: Neon (modern) or Classic (warm) • 7 alternative app icons • Adaptive interface for iPhone and iPad PREMIUM FEATURES • Reading history export (CSV) • Custom themes • Alternative icons Audiary respects your privacy: no personal data is collected. Your books, your data, your control.

About

AudioBookSync

Features
Read full description

AudioBookSync is the intelligent audiobook player that bridges listening and reading. LISTEN YOUR WAY • Plays M4B, MP3 and MP3 folders • Background playback with lock-screen controls • Adjustable speed (0.5Ɨ to 3Ɨ) • Adaptive skip-back when resuming — AudioBookSync remembers where you stopped • Sleep timer (including "end of chapter") • Bookmarks with notes FIND ANY SPOT IN YOUR BOOK • Point the camera at a page — OCR + fuzzy matching jump the audio to the exact passage • Works with printed books, screenshots and handwritten pages • Fully on-device: no cloud, no upload, no tracking • Choose between Apple Speech (fast) or Whisper (local, best for German) READ WHERE YOU STOP LISTENING • Built-in EPUB reader with themes (Light/Dark/Sepia), 8 fonts, adjustable size and margins • "Listen here" button jumps from reader to the matching audio position • Seamless cross-navigation: open the book in either mode CARPLAY + HOME-SCREEN WIDGET • CarPlay: full library, chapter navigation and Now Playing while driving • Home-screen widget: current book with progress ring and quick actions • No subscription, no upsell — included with the free version iCLOUD DRIVE LIBRARY • Drop your audiobooks into iCloud Drive → AudioBookSync → Audiobooks • Bookmarks and library state stay on your device • Nothing ever leaves your iCloud account AUDIOBOOKSYNC PRO — OPTIONAL ONE-TIME PURCHASE The free version keeps one audiobook active at a time. Switch books for free at any time, or unlock Pro for: • Unlimited audiobooks — use your entire library at once • Multi-device sync — listening progress syncs automatically between iPhone and iPad via your private iCloud Drive • Shared transcription index — transcribe a book once, every other device picks up the index • Apple Watch — slice off a section of your audiobook, send it to your Apple Watch and listen offline — leave the iPhone at home. Position syncs back to iPhone and iPad automatically. NO ADS. NO SUBSCRIPTION. NO TRACKING. Your library, your bookmarks, your progress — all stored in your iCloud Drive.

Screenshots

Audiary4 screens
AudioBookSync4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: AudioBookSync at 18.6 against Audiary's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Audiary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and AudioBookSync sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Audiary ships an update fortnightly, AudioBookSync every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
Audiary versus AudioBookSync: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAudiaryAudioBookSync
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS26.018.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMathieu ColletHans-Peter Jordi

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Audiary

One-time1
  • Audiary Premium$0.99
1 purchases

AudioBookSync

One-time1
  • AudioBookSync Pro$5.99

Questions

Is Audiary free?
Audiary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AudioBookSync free?
AudioBookSync is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Audiary or AudioBookSync have ads?
Neither Audiary nor AudioBookSync shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Audiary or AudioBookSync?
Audiary ships an update fortnightly, and AudioBookSync every 2 weeks. Most recently, Audiary was updated on October 1, 2026 and AudioBookSync on October 7, 2026.

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