Comparison

Adobe Digital Editions vs BookPlayer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Adobe Digital Editions

This application serves as a digital reader for Adobe DRM-protected eBooks, supporting EPUB and PDF formats. It allows users to borrow library books, organize their collection, and enjoy interactive content. Read online or offline with customizable reading settings and note-taking features.

Highlights
  • Read EPUB and PDF books
  • Supports Adobe DRM
  • Borrow library ebooks
  • Organize custom library
  • Interactive EPUB3 content
  • Customizable reading modes
  • Highlighting and note-taking
Features
Read full description

One eBook reader for all your Adobe DRM protected books across your iPad, Mac or PC. Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) is free-to-download and use, and completely ad-free. Use it to read EPUB and PDF books, both online and offline. Borrow ebooks from many public libraries for use with ADE. Extend your reading experience by transferring books from your personal computer to your iPad. Organize your books into a beautiful custom library. Experience gorgeous media rich books filled with interactive features, videos, and more. ADE’s support for EPUB3 standard allows you: consistent rendering of audio and video content;  dynamic image resizing without loss in clarity; support for multi-column layouts, interactive quizzes, and math formulas. • Choose from different font sizes and five easy-to-read page modes • Highlight your favorite passages and add notes with the built-in bookmarking features • Easily find a word or a character anywhere in the book with the powerful search feature • Use the night mode, or adjust your screen brightness to find the perfect lighting for any environment • Fun stats on how much time you are spending each day to read your book, and more By downloading, you agree to the Terms of Use at, http://www.adobe.com/special/misc/terms.html. Do not sell my information: https://www.adobe.com/privacy/ca-rights-linkfree.html

About

BookPlayer

This app provides a dedicated listening experience for audiobooks in M4B, M4A, MP3, and FLAC formats. It offers robust import, management, and playback features, including chapter navigation, variable playback speed, and cloud sync for seamless listening across devices.

Highlights
  • Import audiobooks via AirDrop, Files, iTunes, servers, and zip files
  • Manage library with progress tracking, sorting, and playlists
  • Advanced playback controls including speed, rewind, and volume boost
  • Chapter navigation and lock screen controls
  • Cloud sync for cross-device listening
  • CarPlay and Apple Watch companion app support
Features
Read full description

A wonderful player for your M4B/M4A/MP3/FLAC based audiobooks. Import – Using AirDrop from your Mac or iOS device – From Files and other apps on your device – Via File Sharing in iTunes on your Mac or PC – From your own AudibookShelf or Jellyfin server – Zip files with your folders and books Manage – Maintain and see progress of your books – Mark books as finished – Drag & Drop to sort your library – Create playlists – Automatically play items in turn – Play the first unfinished file by tapping on the playlist artwork – Move files to playlists from the library or import them directly – Edit your book details (title, author, artwork) – Connect to your Hardcover.app account, and track your library progress Listen – Control audio playback from the lock screen, control center or from the companion app on the Apple Watch – Play and navigate books with Chapters – Jump to start of the current book – Change playback speed – Smart rewind – Volume Boost – Support for remote events from headset buttons and the lock screen – Sleep timer with adjustable duration – CarPlay support – VoiceOver support – Dolby Atmos support – Dark mode for night owls – Continue listening across your devices with Cloud Sync, including stand alone playback on your Apple Watch Supported M4B/M4A/MP3 BookPlayer is licensed under GNU General Public License v3.0. The source code and a list of all its contributors can be found on the GitHub page of this project at www.github.com/TortugaPower/BookPlayer You can see our Privacy policy and terms of use in the following links: – https://github.com/TortugaPower/BookPlayer/blob/main/PRIVACY_POLICY.md – https://github.com/TortugaPower/BookPlayer/blob/main/TERMS_CONDITIONS.md For help and ways to contribute to the project see the support section in the Settings screen of BookPlayer or visit www.bookplayer.app If you enjoy BookPlayer, we would be glad if you consider writing a review.

Screenshots

Adobe Digital Editions4 screens
BookPlayer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BookPlayer at 83% against Adobe Digital Editions's 3%. BookPlayer also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.2) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months). Adobe Digital Editions's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 15) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. BookPlayer sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Adobe Digital Editions asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BookPlayer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BookPlayer has 20K ratings behind it against 2.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 3% of Adobe Digital Editions's written reviews are positive against 83% of BookPlayer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Adobe Digital Editions ships an update every 4 months, BookPlayer every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Adobe Digital Editions versus BookPlayer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAdobe Digital EditionsBookPlayer
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.2 (2.5K ratings)4.8 (20K ratings) — better
Positive reviews2.9% of reviews82.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.5K20K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#61 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS9.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB94 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdobe Inc.Gianni Carlo

Customer experience

Adobe Digital Editions

All ratings2,541 ratings
Positive3.1%
Neutral1.5%
Negative95.4%
Written reviews1,277 reviews
Positive2.9%
Neutral2.2%
Negative94.9%

BookPlayer

All ratings19,501 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews1,294 reviews
Positive82.8%
Neutral4.9%
Negative12.4%

Bugs and requests

Adobe Digital Editions

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

BookPlayer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Playback issues with certain audio formats
  • Importing problems with large audiobook libraries
  • Crashes when deleting books

Requested features

6 requests
  • Bookmark management
  • Percentage completion tracking
  • Improved multi-file book handling
  • Customizable sleep timer
  • iCloud/cloud sync between devices
Show 1 more
  • Siri/Shortcuts integration

In-app purchases

None

Adobe Digital Editions

No in-app purchases

11 purchases

BookPlayer

Subscriptions7
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$1.991 Month
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$2.991 Month
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$3.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Pro Monthly (1 Month)$4.991 Month
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$6.991 Month
  • Support Monthly (1 Month)$9.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly (1 Year)$49.991 Year
One-time4
  • Kind tip$2.99
  • Kind Tip$2.99
  • Excellent Tip2 variants$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Incredible Tip2 variants$9.99

Questions

Is Adobe Digital Editions free?
Adobe Digital Editions is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BookPlayer free?
BookPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Adobe Digital Editions or BookPlayer?
BookPlayer is rated higher. Adobe Digital Editions averages 1.2 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while BookPlayer averages 4.8 from 20K ratings.
Do Adobe Digital Editions or BookPlayer have ads?
Neither Adobe Digital Editions nor BookPlayer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Adobe Digital Editions or BookPlayer?
Adobe Digital Editions ships an update every 4 months, and BookPlayer every 10 days. Most recently, Adobe Digital Editions was updated on October 15, 2026 and BookPlayer on October 16, 2026.

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