# Audiobookshelf

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/audiobookshelf/

13 people recommended Audiobookshelf in Hacker News comments, 3 had mixed feelings and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 12 months, in 13 threads. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Free, self-hosted server for audiobooks and podcasts, praised as solid and easy to run, with a native Android app. Critics mention inconsistent progress saving and a weak ebook page-turning UI.

Summary written by Claude from 16 comments. It was written before the November 2026 recount, and 15 of those comments still count.

## Why people recommend it

- Solid, praised as excellent (5 comments in the sample): "I use it for podcasts, audio books, & ebooks. It's great!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49428182)) "Most of the stuff I use is free and excellent." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49218324)) "audiobookshelf was just as good (IMHO better" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48745171))
- Audiobooks and podcasts (3 comments in the sample): "Relatively easy to self-host, can do podcasts, audiobooks, ebooks, comics." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47766203)) "I listen to a bunch of audiobooks, so Audiobookshelf.org" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50016587)) "Audioookshelf for audiobooks and podcasts" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48991875))
- Native Android app (1 comment in the sample): "Audiobookshelf has a native android app, not sure about desktop, I only use it on Android." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48129871))

## What people warn about

- Inconsistent progress saving (1 comment in the sample): "It doesn't save progress consistently and the UI for page flipping leaves a lot to be desired." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49428289))

## Other media servers people recommend

- [Jellyfin](https://hackerapproved.com/p/jellyfin/): 284 recommend, 73 mixed, 119 criticize
- [Plex](https://hackerapproved.com/p/plex/): 122 recommend, 74 mixed, 201 criticize
- [Emby](https://hackerapproved.com/p/emby/): 14 recommend, 6 mixed, 14 criticize
- [Plex Media Server](https://hackerapproved.com/p/plex-media-server/): 8 recommend, 7 mixed, 13 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Audiobookshelf", https://hackerapproved.com/p/audiobookshelf/ (13 recommend, 3 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.