Comparison

Enve vs PrivateShelf

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

Head to head
About

Enve

Features
Read full description

Bring every part of your reading life together with Enve Book Player, a private, flexible home for audiobooks, ebooks, comics, and podcasts. Use the files you already own, connect the self-hosted services you already run, and move naturally between listening and reading. Enve does not sell books or lock features behind a subscription. It is built around your library. LISTEN YOUR WAY Stream or download audiobooks and podcast episodes for offline listening. Navigate chapters, add bookmarks, adjust playback speed, customize skip intervals, and fall asleep with a sleep timer that gently fades the audio. A 10-band equalizer lets you shape narration for your headphones, speakers, or car. AirPlay, background audio, lock-screen controls, CarPlay, widgets, and the Apple Watch companion keep playback close at hand. Optional sleep insights can use read-only Apple Health sleep data to identify when you may have fallen asleep and offer to rewind your audiobook. Health information is processed on your device and is never sent to Enve. READ YOUR WAY Open EPUB and PDF books in a focused reader with adjustable fonts, type size, line spacing, margins, justification, themes, and page-turn behavior. Per-book settings remember how you like each title to look. Listen with text to speech, highlight passages, write notes, build vocabulary lists, and export your work to Markdown, Obsidian, or Anki-compatible formats. When a compatible ebook and audiobook can be paired, Enve can create a read-along experience that follows the narration through the text. Storyteller integration and on-device StoryAlign provide deeper synchronized reading on supported devices. ONE LIBRARY, MANY SOURCES Connect Audiobookshelf, Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, Grimmory, BookOrbit, Silo, Storyteller, Komga, Kavita, OPDS, WebDAV, Premiumize, Real-Debrid, or local files. Enve combines books from different sources into one library while preserving where each item came from. Browse by books, series, authors, narrators, or genres. Filter by source, media type, progress, and download state. Create collections by hand or build smart collections that update automatically. Enve can recognize related editions and keep audiobook and ebook versions of the same work together. PODCASTS WITHOUT ANOTHER APP Discover podcasts, add an RSS feed, follow shows, download episodes, and keep podcast listening beside your books. Continue-listening queues make it easy to return to unfinished episodes. SYNC ON YOUR TERMS Keep progress with supported services including Audiobookshelf, Plex, Storyteller, Grimmory, Komga, Kavita, BookOrbit, Silo, KOReader/KOSync, and Hardcover. Optional iCloud sync can keep Enve progress available across your Apple devices. Enve does not operate an account service or route your library through an Enve server. YOUR READING JOURNAL Track listening and reading time, completed books, weekly goals, streaks, and long-term history. Keep bookmarks, highlights, notes, vocabulary, and progress connected to each book, with export options for the tools you already use. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Enve has no advertising, behavioral tracking, or analytics. There is no hosted Enve account. Server credentials are stored securely in the iOS Keychain. Your media and activity remain on your device or travel directly to services you choose. FREE, WITH EVERY FEATURE There is no subscription or paid feature tier. The optional Tip Jar supports development but does not unlock content or functionality. Enve does not include or sell books, audiobooks, comics, or podcasts. A compatible self-hosted service, podcast feed, or your own lawfully obtained media files are required for content. Some features require a supported service, device, or iOS version.

About

PrivateShelf

Features
Read full description

A private audiobook player designed for Plex users who care about listening comfort. Connect seamlessly to your own Plex server and enjoy a listening experience tailored specifically for audiobooks โ€” clean, focused, and distraction-free. Key features include: Skip intros and outros for uninterrupted listening Sleep timer so you can relax without worry AirPlay support for easy playback on supported devices Chapter navigation to jump exactly where you want Author-based browsing to organize your library Multi-language support: English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese Custom theme colors to match your personal style This isnโ€™t just another media player. Itโ€™s a comfortable, thoughtfully designed audiobook app, built to make listening feel effortless.

Screenshots

Enve4 screens
PrivateShelf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Enve at 3 against PrivateShelf's 1. Enve also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Enve versus PrivateShelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEnvePrivateShelf
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 โ€” better26.2
Further details โ€” not scored
Size75 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIsaac Lambๅฎ‡ ้‡‘

In-app purchases

None

Enve

No in-app purchases

None

PrivateShelf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Enve free?
Enve is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PrivateShelf free?
PrivateShelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Enve or PrivateShelf have ads?
Neither Enve nor PrivateShelf shows ads.

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