Native audiobook listening for Apple devices (with extra whimsy)
A delightfully overqualified player for your DRM-free audiobooks.
DeerReader brings together playback, browsing, collections, remote imports, search, widgets, shortcuts, and sync into one tidy little app built specifically for Apple devices. Pair it with DeerLibrarian, the companion server app, to stream in books from your own catalog.
- Import local audiobooks or connect to DeerLibrarian, the companion server app, on your network.
- Organize with visual collections, zippy search, and metadata-aware browsing.
- Pick up exactly where you left off with paired-device playback sync through DeerLibrarian.
Core features
Everything you need to browse, organize, and listen like a champion.
Import your library your way
Bring in audiobook files directly, or connect to DeerLibrarian, the companion server app, and import from its catalog on your local network.
Build very fancy collections
Organize titles into custom collections with cover art and clean layouts that make giant libraries feel curated instead of chaotic.
Search across books and collections
Find titles by name, author, keywords, or collection membership without derailing your listening groove.
Stay blissfully locked in while listening
A dedicated player, scrubbing controls, chapter-aware navigation, and a compact now playing bar keep long-form listening smooth and low-stress.
Pair devices for playback sync
DeerReader handles paired playback sync through DeerLibrarian with durable outbound queues, offline tolerance, and clean server reconciliation.
Keep listening without the surveillance nonsense
Widgets, App Shortcuts, and CarPlay support keep playback accessible across the Apple ecosystem, without ads or tracking following you around like a mall kiosk.
From the app
A quick peek inside DeerReader.
Real screens from the app showing browsing, collections, and playback in their natural habitat.
Now playing
Your progress, chapters, and controls stay front and center where your thumbs can find them.
Library
Browse your books with art-forward shelves and instant access to what is currently playing.
List view
Switch to a denser view when you want to scan your library like a caffeinated librarian.
Collections
Group titles into themed shelves that feel intentional, not buried in a menu cave.
Collection detail
Open a collection and jump straight from curation mode to listening mode.
Product experience
Small-library calm, even when your audiobook shelf gets mildly out of hand.
DeerReader is built to keep browsing, collections, search, and playback feeling connected, so moving from discovery into listening stays quick and natural. The player also borrows colors from your current book, so the controls and overall mood shift with the cover art.
Browse
Grid or list views for books and remote libraries
Switch between visual browsing and denser scanning depending on your shelf-management personality.
Collections
Create themed shelves and edit them in-place
Collections are a first-class part of the library, not a hidden filter lost in the void.
Sync story
Device pairing, minus the account drama.
DeerReader’s playback sync runs through DeerLibrarian, the companion server app, and is designed around pairing, durable event queues, and safe retry behavior, so listening stays smooth wherever you are.
Connect to DeerLibrarian
Enter your DeerLibrarian server once and DeerReader handles device pairing automatically behind the scenes.
Listen normally
Progress updates are recorded and sent to DeerLibrarian on pause, backgrounding, scrubbing, and periodic heartbeat checkpoints.
Reconnect cleanly
Queued updates flush to DeerLibrarian later, stale conflicts get corrected, and canonical playback state wins.
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Private by design, with one-time pricing and no subscription hassles.
Your data stays with you
DeerReader does not collect or send any user data. Your data does not leave your device. Full stop.
One-time purchase
DeerReader is available as a single flat-fee purchase. Buy it once with your Apple account and keep listening without subscriptions, renewals, or surprise charges popping out of nowhere.