Audiobookshelf vs Plex: Which for Audiobooks?
Quick Verdict
Audiobookshelf is the clear winner for audiobooks. It’s purpose-built for audiobook and podcast management with chapter navigation, bookmarks, sleep timers, playback speed controls, and multi-user progress tracking. Plex can play audiobooks but treats them as music — no chapter support, no bookmarking, no reading progress sync.
Overview
Audiobookshelf is a self-hosted audiobook and podcast server built specifically for spoken-word content. It features chapter-accurate progress sync, per-user libraries, podcast RSS feeds, bookmarks, sleep timers, and metadata scraping from Audible and other sources. It has dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Plex is a general-purpose media server primarily designed for movies, TV shows, and music. It can technically play audiobook files, but they’re treated as music tracks with no audiobook-specific features. Plex has excellent mobile apps but they lack audiobook functionality.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Audiobookshelf | Plex |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter navigation | Yes (visual chapter list) | No |
| Bookmarks | Yes (multiple per book) | No |
| Sleep timer | Yes | No (third-party workarounds) |
| Playback speed control | Yes (0.5x-3x, granular) | Limited |
| Progress sync across devices | Yes (chapter-accurate) | Basic (position only, unreliable for audiobooks) |
| Multi-user listening progress | Yes | No audiobook-specific tracking |
| Metadata scraping (Audible) | Yes (cover art, descriptions, narrators) | No (treats as music) |
| Podcast support | Yes (RSS feeds, auto-download) | Yes (Plex Podcasts) |
| Series tracking | Yes (series name, book number) | No |
| Library organization | Per-user, per-library | Global libraries |
| Mobile app | Dedicated iOS & Android | Plex app (no audiobook UI) |
| Web reader (ebooks) | Yes (EPUB support) | No |
| Offline listening (mobile) | Yes | Yes (Plex Pass required) |
| Docker complexity | Low (1 container) | Medium (1 container + config) |
| RAM usage | 200-400 MB | 500 MB-2 GB |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Proprietary (freemium) |
| Cost | Free | Free (Plex Pass $5/mo for full features) |
Installation Complexity
Audiobookshelf is one of the simplest self-hosted apps to deploy. Single container, one config volume, one or more media volumes. No database container needed (embedded SQLite). Port 80 internal, commonly mapped to 13378. Critical note: the config volume must be on a local filesystem — NFS/SMB causes SQLite locking errors since v2.3.x.
Plex requires a single container but has more configuration overhead: claim token (expires in 4 minutes), hardware transcoding setup, remote access configuration, and metadata database that should NOT be on network storage. Plex also requires account creation on plex.tv.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Resource | Audiobookshelf | Plex |
|---|---|---|
| Idle RAM | ~150 MB | ~300 MB |
| Active RAM | 200-400 MB | 500 MB-2 GB |
| CPU (playback) | Minimal | Low-moderate (transcoding) |
| Disk (app) | ~50 MB | ~200 MB |
| Minimum server | 1 GB RAM, 1 core | 2 GB RAM, 2 cores |
Audiobookshelf is significantly lighter because it doesn’t transcode audio. Plex’s resource usage scales with concurrent streams and transcoding needs.
Community and Support
Audiobookshelf: ~7,500 GitHub stars, active development (monthly releases), responsive maintainer, growing community. Purpose-built by audiobook enthusiasts.
Plex: Massive community, millions of users. However, audiobook users are a vocal minority requesting features that rarely ship. Plex’s development priorities focus on video streaming.
Use Cases
Choose Audiobookshelf If…
- Audiobooks are your primary use case
- Chapter navigation and bookmarks are important
- You want progress sync across devices
- Multi-user audiobook libraries are needed
- You also want podcast management
- You want a free, open-source solution
Choose Plex If…
- You already run Plex for movies/TV and want “good enough” audiobook playback
- You don’t need chapter navigation or bookmarks
- Your audiobook library is small and informal
- You want one unified app for all media types
Final Verdict
Audiobookshelf is the only serious option for audiobooks. This isn’t a close comparison. Plex treats audiobooks as music files and lacks every feature that makes audiobook listening comfortable — chapters, bookmarks, sleep timers, speed control, series tracking, Audible metadata.
Use Plex for what it’s good at (movies, TV shows) and Audiobookshelf for audiobooks. They complement each other perfectly. Run both if you need both media types.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Plex and Audiobookshelf side by side?
Yes, and this is the recommended approach. Point Plex at your video/music library and Audiobookshelf at your audiobook/podcast library. They don’t conflict.
Does Audiobookshelf support music?
No. It’s specifically designed for audiobooks and podcasts. For music, use Navidrome or Jellyfin.
Can Audiobookshelf import my Audible library?
Not directly. You need to download and convert your Audible files first (using tools like OpenAudible or the Audible CLI). Once you have the audio files, Audiobookshelf will scrape metadata from Audible to match covers, descriptions, and narrator info.
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