# SoundLeaf vs Prologue: which Audiobookshelf iPhone app should you use? > Prologue plays Plex and Audiobookshelf and added read along in 2026.5. SoundLeaf adds podcasts, free Apple Watch listening and support back to iOS 17.6. Source: https://soundleafapp.com/compare/soundleaf-vs-prologue/ Updated: 2026-10-18 --- Prologue is a strong pick if Plex is still part of your setup, and its October 2026 update added read along. SoundLeaf is for Audiobookshelf podcasts, free Apple Watch listening without the phone, and iPhones not yet on iOS 26.5. Written by Hemant, the developer of SoundLeaf. ## Which should you pick? Pick Prologue if some of your books are still in Plex, you want an equalizer, or you want to read along with PDFs or with a transcript for books that have no ebook. Pick SoundLeaf if you listen to podcasts on Audiobookshelf, want Apple Watch listening without the phone at no extra cost, or your iPhone can't update to iOS 26.5. Both apps read along with the narration now, both connect to your existing Audiobookshelf server, and both have CarPlay. You can try the same book in each without moving anything. ## Does Prologue work with Plex and Audiobookshelf? Yes. Prologue connects to Plex, Audiobookshelf, or both, and keeps the books from both servers in one library. If part of your collection still lives in Plex, that's a good reason to keep it installed. SoundLeaf is made only for Audiobookshelf. If you're moving off Plex, [moving from Plex to Audiobookshelf](https://soundleafapp.com/server/move-from-plex-to-audiobookshelf/) explains how to run both side by side while you switch.
SoundLeaf’s Lagoon library with Books, Series, Authors, Genres and Collections above a populated cover grid.
A library worth spending time in.
Official Prologue promotional image showing audiobook collections.
Audiobook collections in Prologue. Image credit
## Does Prologue have read along? Yes. Prologue 2026.5, released on October 17, 2026, added a Reader: open an EPUB or PDF and the current word is highlighted as it's spoken. It can use ebooks attached to a book on your Audiobookshelf server, or ones you import. For books with no ebook, it can make a live transcript on the phone as the book plays. Its listing says transcription and following along both need a supported device and language. SoundLeaf's Read Along highlights the words as the narrator says them and turns the page for you. **Play from this page** starts the audio from where you're reading. SoundLeaf only opens EPUB files, it has no transcript for books without an ebook, and Read Along needs the audio and the EPUB both downloaded. It also needs on-device speech recognition for your device and the narration language. See [Read Along in SoundLeaf](https://soundleafapp.com/docs/ebook-reader/). In both apps, the ebook should match the recording. A different edition or an abridged recording can throw the matching off. ## Which iPhones do they run on? Prologue 2026.5 needs iOS 26.5 or later. SoundLeaf needs iOS 17.6 or later. If an older iPhone is your audiobook player, that may settle it. ## What playback settings does each app have? Prologue's listing names per-book settings, an equalizer, Voice Boost, rewind after a pause, and a sleep timer for a set time or the end of a chapter. Since 2026.5, skips and rewinds can land at the start of a sentence once a book has been transcribed. It also has a reading list for books you plan to hear, and listening history, stats and streaks.
SoundLeaf playing The Hunting Party in Ember, with chapter and book progress, reader access, speed, sleep and bookmarks.
The Hunting Party in SoundLeaf’s Ember player.
Official Prologue promotional image showing The Hobbit player with chapter, bookmark, voice boost and speed controls.
The Hobbit in Prologue’s player. Image credit
SoundLeaf's player has book and chapter progress, bookmarks, Voice Boost and auto rewind, with the reader and queue close by. Each book remembers its own speed, and you can also set a playback speed for a whole series. See [player settings](https://soundleafapp.com/docs/player-settings/). ## How do the sleep timers compare? Prologue's sleep timer runs for a set time or to the end of a chapter. SoundLeaf's has those too, and a few more choices for timers set in minutes. It can fade out and put you back where the fade began. It can start by itself when you press play during the night hours you choose. It can also restart when you tap the app or a playback button. On books, it leaves a bookmark where the timer started and another where it stopped, so you can find the last part you remember. See [the sleep timer](https://soundleafapp.com/docs/sleep-timer/).
SoundLeaf sleep settings with restart-on-play, restart-on-activity and automatic night timer switches, all currently off.
Choose how the sleep timer starts and when it resets.
## Does Prologue play podcasts? Prologue's App Store listing and website talk about audiobooks and don't mention podcasts. SoundLeaf plays your Audiobookshelf podcasts, with its own podcast home, downloads and queue. Each show in SoundLeaf can have its own playback speed, episode order, number of episodes to download and keep, and a rule for removing played ones. When a show publishes a transcript, SoundLeaf shows it with the episode. All of this is free. See [podcasts in SoundLeaf](https://soundleafapp.com/docs/podcasts/).
Darknet Diaries settings with automatic downloads on, limits of five episodes, removal after 24 hours and Add to Up Next set to Bottom.
Give each show its own download, cleanup and queue rules.
## How much do Prologue and SoundLeaf cost? Prices here are from the US App Store on October 18, 2026. Prologue is free to download, with some features behind a one-time Premium unlock (US$9.99, or US$17.99 for a family). Listening on the Apple Watch without the phone needs a separate US$4.99 Prologue for Apple Watch unlock. SoundLeaf is free to use, with downloads, Read Along, podcasts and the Apple Watch app included. Pro is a one-time US$9.99 purchase that adds themes and app icons, and Supporter is an optional way to help, with its own themes and icons. [Free, Pro and Supporter](https://soundleafapp.com/docs/pro-and-supporter/) lists what each one adds. ## Switching from Prologue to SoundLeaf Your Audiobookshelf listening progress lives on the server. Use the same Audiobookshelf account in both apps. Let Prologue sync, then check your position in the Audiobookshelf web app before opening SoundLeaf. Prologue can also keep progress, bookmarks and notes, listening sessions, history and its reading list in your iCloud account. SoundLeaf doesn't import Prologue's iCloud data, so check your progress and bookmarks in Audiobookshelf before switching, and save anything that's missing. Books from Plex won't show in SoundLeaf until they're in Audiobookshelf. Downloads stay in each app, so you'll download books again in SoundLeaf. ## At a glance | | SoundLeaf | Prologue | | --- | --- | --- | | A good fit for | Reading with the narrator, a library you can browse offline, and detailed podcast controls. | Plex and Audiobookshelf together, with read along, a reading list and detailed playback controls. Needs iOS 26.5. | | Works with | Audiobookshelf; multiple accounts and servers | Audiobookshelf and Plex, together | | What you pay for | Free listening, downloads and reader. Pro: US$9.99 once; optional Supporter. | Free; Premium US$9.99 once; Apple Watch offline listening US$4.99. | Last reviewed October 18, 2026 · SoundLeaf 2.7; Prologue 2026.5. Prices in USD. ## Sources - [SoundLeaf: official information](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/soundleaf/id6738635634) - [Prologue: official information](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/prologue-audiobook-player/id1459223267) - [SoundLeaf features and upgrades](https://soundleafapp.com/faq/) - [Prologue features](https://prologue.audio/) - [Prologue iCloud storage](https://prologue.audio/privacy/)