Absorb vs CaliMob
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Absorb
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.
- Offline listening
- Chapter navigation
- Sleep timer
- Playback speed control
- Home screen widgets
- Listening statistics
- CarPlay support
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Absorb is a free, open source audiobook and podcast player built for Audiobookshelf, a self-hosted media server for your personal book library. Connect to your own Audiobookshelf server and enjoy your audiobook collection with a clean, polished mobile experience built specifically for iOS. Features: Stream or download books for offline listening Full playback controls with chapter navigation, sleep timer, and playback speed Home screen widgets for quick playback controls Listening stats and streaks to track your progress Bookmarks with notes Series tracking and discovery Light and dark mode CarPlay support And much more!!! Absorb is built by a solo developer and is completely free with no ads, no subscriptions, and no data collection. Your library stays between you and your server. Requires a self-hosted Audiobookshelf server. Visit audiobookshelf.org to learn more.
CaliMob
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Your entire Calibre library, in your pocket. CaliMob syncs your Calibre ebook library to your phone or tablet — with full support for EPUB, PDF, CBR/CBZ/CB7, MOBI, AZW3 and audiobooks. Read, annotate, and pick up exactly where you left off. FORMATS & READERS • EPUB reader with custom fonts, themes, margins and text-to-speech (TTS) • Comic and manga reader with full-screen mode (CBR, CBZ, CB7) • PDF viewer with reflow support • MOBI and AZW3 reader — no conversion needed • Audiobook player (MP3, M4B, AAC, OGG, FLAC) SYNC YOUR LIBRARY • Connect to Calibre's own Content Server over Wi-Fi • Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive — use your existing cloud storage • WebDAV, FTP and SFTP for self-hosted setups • OPDS catalog browsing (Calibre-Web, Kavita, Komga and more) FIND ANY BOOK INSTANTLY • Filter by author, series, tag, publisher or format • AI-powered semantic search across your entire collection • Multiple libraries with independent settings DESIGNED FOR READING • Dark mode with true black OLED theme • Reading progress tracking with statistics • Highlights, bookmarks and notes • Offline reading — download books for reading anywhere • Customizable reading experience (fonts, spacing, colors) • Import books from any app via share intent PRIVATE & SECURE • Your books stay on your device and your cloud — no third-party servers • No ads, no tracking CaliMob is built for Calibre users who want their library everywhere. Whether you read novels, comics, manga, technical PDFs or listen to audiobooks — CaliMob handles it all. Questions or feedback? Visit caliwebapp.com/help
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: CaliMob at every 4 days against Absorb's every 5 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
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, CaliMob every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Absorb | CaliMob |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (174 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 97.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 174 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 113 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nathan Poulson | Frada SRL |
In-app purchases
Absorb
No in-app purchases
CaliMob
No in-app purchases
