# Absorb vs Fable Frog

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Absorb at 97% against Fable Frog's 50%. Absorb also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Fable Frog's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Fable Frog sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.00 per year. Absorb asks for nothing beyond the download.

Absorb holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Absorb has 174 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 97% of Absorb's written reviews are positive against 50% of Fable Frog's.

Absorb ships an update every 5 weeks, Fable Frog every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Absorb | Fable Frog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (174 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absorb-for-audiobookshelf/id6760673498/reviews)** | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fable-frog/id6760953386/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **174** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **97.4% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 65 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nathan Poulson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885644242) | [Paul DeVito](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886989873) |

## What reviewers say

### Absorb

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absorb-for-audiobookshelf/id6760673498)

This app provides a streamlined mobile experience for listening to audiobooks and podcasts from your self-hosted media server. Enjoy features like offline playback, chapter navigation, and listening statistics. It's a free, open-source solution with no ads or data collection.

**Highlights:** Offline listening, Chapter navigation, Sleep timer, Playback speed control, Home screen widgets, Listening statistics, CarPlay support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Fable Frog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fable-frog/id6760953386)

This app is a native iOS client for Audiobookshelf, offering a premium listening experience for your self-hosted audiobook library. Enjoy features like variable playback speed, sleep timers, offline downloads, and detailed listening statistics. It also includes a deals feature to track Audible prices and a dedicated Carplay interface.

**Highlights:** Variable playback speed and volume boost, Sleep timer with presets, Chapter navigation with durations, Bookmarks with notes, Per-book playback settings, Offline downloads with smart management, Listening statistics and charts, CarPlay and widget support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Annual | $8.00 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $12.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Absorb free?

Absorb is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Fable Frog free?

Fable Frog is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Absorb or Fable Frog?

Absorb is rated higher. Absorb averages 4.9 out of 5 from 174 ratings, while Fable Frog averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Absorb or Fable Frog have ads?

Neither Absorb nor Fable Frog shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Absorb or Fable Frog?

Absorb ships an update every 5 weeks, and Fable Frog every 6 days. Most recently, Absorb was updated on November 9, 2026 and Fable Frog on November 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*