# Absorb vs Frontiera

The clearest difference is update cadence: Frontiera at every 2 weeks against Absorb's every 5 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Absorb ships an update every 5 weeks, Frontiera every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Absorb | Frontiera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (163 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absorb-for-audiobookshelf/id6760673498/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **163** | — |
| Positive reviews | 97.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nathan Poulson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885644242) | [Mihai Uricaru](https://appshunter.io/developer/1490192736) |

## 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


### Frontiera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frontiera/id6766354941)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Absorb free?

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

### Is Frontiera free?

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

### Do Absorb or Frontiera have ads?

Neither Absorb nor Frontiera shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Absorb or Frontiera?

Absorb ships an update every 5 weeks, and Frontiera every 2 weeks. Most recently, Absorb was updated on October 25, 2026 and Frontiera on October 4, 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.*