LAABS Audio vs ReadCast

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.

ReadCast reads to you. Bring a PDF, an ebook, an article or your favorite newsletter, pick a voice, and press play. WHAT IT READS • PDF, EPUB and text files from Files • Any article link, shared from Safari or pasted in • Newsletters and blogs with a feed, refreshed each time you open them • Free books: public-domain classics and open-access novels on shelves that restock daily • Pasted text, like a long email or your study notes VOICES WITH CHARACTER Choose from 13 natural voices and give them a style: calm, warm, cheerful, a whisper, dramatic, even spooky. Hear a sample in your language before you pick. READ AND LISTEN Follow along as each word lights up while it is read, or put the phone away and just listen. Change the speed from 0.75x to 2x, keep your place in every book, and build a daily listening streak. PLANS Start free. Upgrade to Pro, Premium or Max for more listening hours each month. Terms of Use: https://readcast.cc/terms