# Absorb vs Paguely

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Absorb at none against Paguely's 2. Paguely's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paguely sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Absorb asks for nothing beyond the download.

Absorb ships an update every 5 weeks, Paguely every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Absorb | Paguely |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (164 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absorb-for-audiobookshelf/id6760673498/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **164** | — |
| Positive reviews | 97.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nathan Poulson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885644242) | [Mereltech LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791655891) |

## 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


### Paguely

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paguely/id6791655889)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Paguely+ Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Paguely+ Annual | $34.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Absorb free?

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

### Is Paguely free?

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

### Do Absorb or Paguely have ads?

Neither Absorb nor Paguely shows ads.

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

Absorb ships an update every 5 weeks, and Paguely every 6 weeks. Most recently, Absorb was updated on October 31, 2026 and Paguely 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.*