# Spine vs Leaf

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Spine at none against Leaf's 1. Spine also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 days) and ratings volume (29 vs 5). Leaf's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 86%). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Leaf sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. Spine asks for nothing beyond the download.

Leaf holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spine has 29 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Spine's written reviews are positive against 100% of Leaf's.

Spine ships an update every 4 days, Leaf every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spine | Leaf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spine-audiobook-player/id6764636615/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leaf-epub-library/id6771504450/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **29** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 15 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | **26.0** | 26.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Accelyze Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895859588) | [Deadpan, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1521868530) |

## What reviewers say

### Spine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spine-audiobook-player/id6764636615)

This app enhances audiobook listening with features like listener levels, daily streaks, and shareable year-end recaps. It offers a beautiful, integrated player and syncs with Hardcover, all while keeping your data private on-device.

**Highlights:** Integrated audiobook player, Listener levels and daily streaks, Hardcover sync, On-device AI summaries, Shareable year-in-review recap, Lock screen and widget controls

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


### Leaf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leaf-epub-library/id6771504450)

Organize and read your DRM-free EPUB books with customizable reading settings and smart library management. Sync your progress across devices using iCloud and discover new titles through integrated sources.

**Highlights:** Customizable reading experience, Smart library organization, iCloud sync for progress and settings, Offline reading support, Import from various sources, Public domain classics included

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Leaf Pro Annual | $4.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spine free?

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

### Is Leaf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spine or Leaf?

Leaf is rated higher. Spine averages 4.8 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Leaf averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Spine or Leaf have ads?

Neither Spine nor Leaf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spine or Leaf?

Spine ships an update every 4 days, and Leaf every 8 days. Most recently, Spine was updated on October 24, 2026 and Leaf on October 24, 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.*