# BARD Mobile vs Libro.fm Audiobooks

The clearest difference is rating: Libro.fm Audiobooks at 4.9 against BARD Mobile's 3.9. Libro.fm Audiobooks also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 58%) and ratings volume (41K vs 201). BARD Mobile's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.2). 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.

Libro.fm Audiobooks holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Libro.fm Audiobooks has 41K ratings behind it against 201, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of BARD Mobile's written reviews are positive against 92% of Libro.fm Audiobooks's.

BARD Mobile ships an update every 3 months, Libro.fm Audiobooks monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BARD Mobile | Libro.fm Audiobooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (201 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bard-mobile/id705229586/reviews) | **[4.9 (41K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librofm-audiobooks/id1057776523/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 201 | **41K** |
| Positive reviews | 57.6% of reviews | **91.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#63** |
| Size | 22 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Library Of Congress](https://appshunter.io/developer/380309748) | [Libro.fm](https://appshunter.io/developer/1057776522) |

## What reviewers say

### BARD Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bard-mobile/id705229586)

Access a vast digital library of audiobooks, electronic braille books, magazines, and music scores. This service is provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled to eligible US residents and citizens abroad who cannot read standard print.

**Highlights:** Tens of thousands of books, Current best sellers and classics, Popular magazines, Music instruction and scores, Audio and electronic braille formats, New selections added daily

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Massive library of audiobooks and magazines
- 👍 User-friendly interface with VoiceOver support
- 🎙️ Human narrators instead of text-to-speech
- 📱 Convenient mobile access to books
- ⚡ Ability to download books offline

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login and authentication failures
- 🐛 Download queue issues and stalled downloads
- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 📵 Poor braille display compatibility
- 🔌 Inconsistent VoiceOver and accessibility support

**Reported bugs**

- Login credentials cannot be decrypted error
- Device registration failed when logging in from different locations
- Downloads stuck in queue indefinitely
- App crashes on iOS 26 and recent iOS versions
- VoiceOver focus jumping unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Genre and category filtering for book browsing
- Cross-device synchronization of bookmarks and reading position
- Equalizer and pitch shifter controls
- More playback speed options
- Volume control within the app


### Libro.fm Audiobooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librofm-audiobooks/id1057776523)

**Currently charting:** #63 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access a vast library of audiobooks while supporting local bookstores. Purchase audiobooks with credits, enjoy DRM-free downloads, and listen on the go with features like playback speed control and a sleep timer. Your purchases directly benefit independent booksellers.

**Highlights:** Explore 600,000+ audiobooks, Use audiobook credits, Apple Watch listening, Automatic sync across devices, Bookmarks and playback speed, Sleep timer, DRM-free downloads

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Support for local bookstores
- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 💡 DRM-free audiobooks
- 🎨 Great user interface
- 🎁 Generous membership benefits

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy playback and syncing issues
- 🔍 Limited search and browsing functionality
- 💰 Audiobook prices can be high
- 🤔 Lack of certain features (e.g. chapters, in-app purchases)

**Reported bugs**

- Playback stops when device goes to sleep
- Inability to download audiobooks on cellular data
- App crashes and loses progress in books

**Requested features**

- Add chapter support for audiobooks
- Improve search and browsing capabilities
- Allow in-app purchases and account management
- Implement syncing across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BARD Mobile free?

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

### Is Libro.fm Audiobooks free?

Libro.fm Audiobooks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BARD Mobile or Libro.fm Audiobooks?

Libro.fm Audiobooks is rated higher. BARD Mobile averages 3.9 out of 5 from 201 ratings, while Libro.fm Audiobooks averages 4.9 from 41K ratings.

### Do BARD Mobile or Libro.fm Audiobooks have ads?

Neither BARD Mobile nor Libro.fm Audiobooks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BARD Mobile or Libro.fm Audiobooks?

BARD Mobile ships an update every 3 months, and Libro.fm Audiobooks monthly. Most recently, BARD Mobile was updated on October 21, 2026 and Libro.fm Audiobooks 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.*