Which should you pick?
Pick Absorb if you want an app that costs nothing at all, is open source, or also works on Android phones in your house. Pick SoundLeaf if you want to read along with the narrator, listen on your Apple Watch without your phone, or give each podcast its own settings.
Both connect to your existing Audiobookshelf server, so you can install both and try the same book in each.
Is Absorb free and open source?
Yes. Absorb’s App Store listing says it is “completely free with no ads, no subscriptions, and no data collection”. There are no in-app purchases on the listing. It’s made by one developer, and its code is public on GitHub under the GPL license, so anyone can read it or build it themselves. See Absorb on GitHub.
SoundLeaf is free to use too. Listening, downloads, podcasts, the ebook reader, CarPlay and the Watch app all work without paying. Pro is a one-time purchase (US$9.99 on the US App Store on October 18, 2026) that adds themes and app icons, and Supporter is an optional way to help, with its own themes and icons. SoundLeaf’s code is not public. Free, Pro and Supporter lists what each one adds.
If an open-source app matters to you, Absorb is the clear choice here.
iPhone and Android
Absorb runs on iPhone and Android. Its README says some features are still Android-only or in progress, and Chromecast casting is listed as Android only. If your family is split between iPhone and Android, one app everyone shares is a real convenience.
SoundLeaf is made only for Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac (as the iPad app), Apple Watch and CarPlay.
Ebooks and Read Along
Absorb has an ebook reader. Version 1.10 gave it an auto-scroll mode, an e-ink mode, an in-app dictionary and quote cards for highlights. It can also turn an audio bookmark into text on your phone and find that spot in the ebook.
SoundLeaf’s Read Along works differently: with a matching EPUB, it highlights the words as the narrator says them and turns the pages for you. The matching runs on your iPhone. It needs the audio and the EPUB downloaded, and the two need to be the same edition, so an abridged recording can throw it off. See Read Along in SoundLeaf.
Apple Watch, CarPlay and listening offline
Both apps download books for offline listening, and both list CarPlay and home screen widgets.
Absorb’s App Store listing doesn’t list an Apple Watch app. SoundLeaf has one: you can download books and podcast episodes to the watch and listen with your phone left at home.
SoundLeaf also keeps your library’s details on the phone, so once your library has synced you can browse its books, series and authors with the server off. We couldn’t confirm from Absorb’s listing or README whether it does the same. That’s handy when the server at home restarts or you’re somewhere with no signal. Downloaded audio plays as normal, and progress goes back to the server once it’s reachable.
Which listening and podcast settings do the apps offer?
Absorb’s README lists a lot for a free app, and says some features are still Android-only or in progress, so check the App Store version for any one you need. For listening, it has an equalizer to adjust the sound, auto-rewind after a pause, per-book speed, and bookmarks with notes. It keeps listening stats and streaks, and lets you edit playlists and collections. You can back up its settings to a file, and manage users, backups and podcasts on your server from the app. It also looks up upcoming books in a series using Audible’s catalog.
SoundLeaf’s extras lean toward podcasts and bedtime. Each podcast can have its own speed, episode order and download rules. The sleep timer can start on its own during your night hours and fade out. Several saved accounts each keep their own progress and downloads, which helps when a family shares one server.
Switching between Absorb and SoundLeaf
Your listening progress and finished books live on your Audiobookshelf server, so both apps pick up at the same place. SoundLeaf saves book bookmarks to the server too. Let the app you’re leaving finish syncing first. Downloads and app settings stay in each app, so you’ll download books again in the new one.