# Absorb vs Wyrdspinner

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Absorb at none against Wyrdspinner's 10. Absorb also leads on ratings volume (172 vs 3). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Wyrdspinner sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Absorb asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Absorb against 5.0 for Wyrdspinner. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Absorb has 172 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Absorb ships an update every 5 weeks, Wyrdspinner every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Absorb | Wyrdspinner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (172 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absorb-for-audiobookshelf/id6760673498/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wyrdspinner/id6768847040/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **172** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 97.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 65 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Nathan Poulson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885644242) | [Sqrrlbrain Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896610080) |

## 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


### Wyrdspinner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wyrdspinner/id6768847040)

An AI-powered text adventure engine where you build a living world and live out your story. Choose from procedurally generated campaigns or create your own, with a narrator that responds to your every choice. Visualize scenes with AI-generated art and customize your reading experience with various themes.

**Highlights:** AI-powered text adventure engine, Build living worlds and stories, Procedurally generated campaigns, AI-generated scene visualization, Customizable themes and fonts, Adjustable difficulty and stakes

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wyrdspinner Lite | $4.99 | per month |
| Wyrdspinner Standard | $7.99 | per month |
| Wyrdspinner Pro | $12.99 | per month |
| Wyrdspinner Patron | $29.99 | per month |
| Wyrdspinner Lite (Annual) | $37.99 | per year |
| Wyrdspinner Standard (Annual) | $59.99 | per year |
| Wyrdspinner Pro (Annual) | $97.99 | per year |
| Wyrdspinner Patron (Annual) | $229.99 | per year |
| Token Pack XL | $49.99 | one-time |
| Token Pack XXL | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Absorb free?

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

### Is Wyrdspinner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Absorb or Wyrdspinner?

Wyrdspinner is rated higher. Absorb averages 4.9 out of 5 from 172 ratings, while Wyrdspinner averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Absorb or Wyrdspinner have ads?

Neither Absorb nor Wyrdspinner shows ads.

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

Absorb ships an update every 5 weeks, and Wyrdspinner every 2 months. Most recently, Absorb was updated on November 5, 2026 and Wyrdspinner on October 31, 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.*