Books are the secret portals to unknown worlds. In the current scenario, everyone is always on the go and rarely finds time to sit down and pick up a hard copy and flip the pages while sipping coffee. With the advent of the Kindle, reading has been picked up as a hobby by more people. But there is another way book lovers are keeping their passion for reading alive. Audiobooks. Easy to catch up with while on the go or while exercising, audiobooks have now become a viable choice for readers around the world. Multinational corporations are realizing the business potential audiobooks provide and are cashing on it. The best part? It is a win-win for both the customers and the service providers. Read to explore some of the best audiobook services reviews so that you can make an educated choice on your own.
However, just because audiobook service providers are widely available across many platforms does not mean that all of the services are equally good. Based on the prices and the services offered, the audiobook services available can be ranked. And if not ranked, they can be reviewed. Which is precisely what this article aims to do.
Best Audiobook Services Reviews
- Audible
The first name which comes up after bringing up the subject of audiobook service providers is Audible. Owned by Amazon, Audible has a wide range of books, in a variety of languages and by authors across the world. The best thing is that you have over two hundred thousand titles to choose from. There are also many Audible Original titles that you can explore which are exclusive to the platform.
Why go for it:
There are titles from all genres along with many podcasts to choose from. Anyone who is into audiobooks needs to try audible and that is why they offer a 1 month trial period for any new user. One of the benefits of having a book on Audible is that you can exchange it for another one in case you do not like where it is going. The subscription for the first month is free and hence can be canceled if you do not feel satisfied with the platform.
How it works:
The service can be used on iOS, Android, Windows, and Alexa. The platform works on credits and one credit equals one book, irrespective of the book’s market price. The monthly plan costs $14.95 and it gives you a single monthly credit which can be increased to two with a higher purchase price. Even if you have a credit-free subscription, being an Audible member would get you audiobooks at a discounted price.
- LibriVox
If you are a reader, then you probably have already come across creative ways to read books without it burning a hole in your pocket. While Audible is probably the best platform to listen to audiobooks, it is also not free. This is where LibriVox comes in. This is an audiobook platform that allows you to look for book titles of your choice and download them for free.
Why go for it:
LibriVox exclusively offers its users public domain titles. Simply speaking, these are fiction or non-fiction books that were written so long ago that their copyright protection is no longer applicable. If you like to read fiction and want to listen to your favorite books for free, LibriVox would not disappoint. The best part is that the files can be downloaded on your device and can be listened to at your leisure. Some of the books available on this platform are recorded by volunteers. Some celebrities also upload their readings so you might chance upon hearing a familiar voice reading out a story to you.
How it works:
You just have to type the name of the site in your browser and then search for the book on the website. If the title is available, options would be displayed to you along with the file size which you can download to listen to later. You can also listen to the books on the browser itself. If you are on a smartphone and do not want to download, you can download third-party apps to listen to an audiobook of your choice.
- Blinkist
This is an audiobook service for those of you who are too busy to complete a book and just want to read to get the essence of it. This audiobook service caters to the people who want to learn from books and therefore has a collection of books that specifically fall under the genre of economics, parenting, self-help, and career. The range of books available on Blinkist is wide and appealing to anyone who is into non-fiction.
Why go for it:
This platform is made to save time. Rather than giving you line-by-line audio of the book, the listener gets a condensed version of the work. If you do not have the patience to finish an entire book or just do not have the time, you can go for Blinkist. In the 20 minutes long audio, you get to listen to the essence of the message the author was trying to give.
How it works:
The Blinkist app is free to download on Android and iOS but if you create a free account, you are restricted to one summary a day. This might work for you but you will have to subscribe with a paid plan if you are planning to listen more. The app can be used offline as well. Blinkist is included in this list because you can listen to an entire book if you want to get better acquainted with it. If you subscribe, you also get many podcasts and additional commentaries you can listen to.
- Google Audiobooks
Not well known and still in its early stages, many people would not know that Google Audiobooks is a service they can take advantage of. Launched in 2018, it wouldn’t be surprising if it becomes the main competitor of Audible in the coming years.
Why go for it:
Unlike Audible where you have to subscribe to enjoy the service, Google Audiobooks does not compel you to subscribe to a monthly commitment. You can buy an audiobook individually based on your taste and listen to it rather than subscribing and upgrading to get more credits. If the prices of the two platforms are compared, the titles offered on Google Audiobooks were consistently equal to or cheaper than the single credit monthly subscription audible offers. So if you are planning on listening to 12 books a month, Google Audiobooks is better for your pocket.
How it works:
Google allows you to buy books the same way it allows you to buy movies, through the Google Play Store. Once you install Google Books on your phone, you can browse through the variable titles and buy e-books as well as audiobooks at reduced prices. The audiobooks can be listened to on the Google Audiobooks app supported on Android and iOS. Chromecast products also support audiobooks. Basically, any device that has Google Assistant is ideal for playing an audiobook purchased via Google Play Store. Google Audiobooks supports voice commands and you can jump chapters and change the playback speed based on your preferences.
- Audiobooks.com
This platform matches its services to those that are offered by Audible. With over 150,000 books to offer their users, any user gets three free books when they sign up on this platform. If you do not want to go for Audible, you can consider going for this platform. The best part of the three free books is that they remain intact even if you decide to cancel your membership.
Why go for it:
You get three free books just for signing up! If you are a book lover then you know how good that deal is. Moreover, this platform lets you keep those freebies if you decide to stop subscribing. There are over seven hundred thousand podcasts you can discover. If you like one of those, the platform will always remind you when the new episodes of that podcast come. You will get recommendations based on your reads and you can also set a sleep timer so that the narration automatically stops at a certain time. Audiobooks have a way of lulling you to sleep so they would come in handy.
How it works:
Audiobooks.com does not require you to pay for its services and if you are looking for free books, there are over 800 free titles you can listen to. Out of the three free books offered to you, the new user would get only one free book from the Premium section. The other two can be selected from the VIP section which has a wide range of options as well.
- Apple Books
Apple Books is a store to buy books, much like Google Play Store’s service. It does not require the user to subscribe to a monthly plan. You do not have to listen to books you have no interest in just to cover the cost of your monthly subscription as the books of your choice can be bought on demand.
Why go for it:
Audiobooks bought from Apple Books can be played on any Apple device so you have got your listening covered. The app can be downloaded on your Apple Watch and can be listened to anywhere at all. Your commute and your workout sessions just got more interesting. Since iCloud lets you share your purchase across all Apple devices you own, you can pick up where you left off even if you change the device.
How it works:
It is pretty simple. If you are an Apple user, it will be more advantageous to you. The collection of audiobooks on Apple Books is large and you also have the option of listening to a preview before committing to a book. There are not a lot of options that let you listen to books for free and if you are into podcasts, you would have to go with another app by Apple. Moreover, the selection of audiobooks is not as vast as e-books and if you are in the habit of listening to a lot of audiobooks per month, it will prove more costly for you than a monthly subscription.
- Scribd
Scribd is a class apart from all other mentioned audiobook services because this platform is your single stop for purchasing e-books, audiobooks, papers, and magazines. Scribd has a monthly subscription priced at $8.99 and offers a great range of titles even though it is not as extensive as its competitors.
Why go for it:
Once you pay the monthly fee, there is no limit to what you can consume. If you are a fast-paced reader/listener, you are going to get your money’s worth out of your Scribd subscription. Scribd also offers gift cards that you can buy for a loved one. Since the monthly subscription fee is significantly less than the competitors, you can take the one-month trial to see if this platform fits your requirements.
How it works:
The app is available across all devices and also offers a one-month trial period for new users. You just download the app or open the site on your browser and sign up for a free one-month trial. Scribd would send you a notification when you are due for payment so if you are in it for the freebies, you can cancel your subscription then. The books you have though, only stay on your user profile as long as your subscription lasts so if you complete reading/listening to everything, you will be getting your money’s worth from this subscription.
- Kobo
Specifically catering to readers who prefer to read digitally, this Toronto-based company directly rivals Audible in the terms of services it offers its customers. Kobo also provides reading devices much like Amazon’s Kindle and Audible is the closest competitor to the Rakuten Kobo store when it comes to audiobooks.
Why go for it:
Kobo is more affordable than audible if we talk of its monthly subscription plan. But much like Google Books and Apple Books, it also offers individual titles to be purchased. The price varies from title to title but is still more affordable than Audible. The range of books is more vast on Audible though.
How it works:
The monthly subscription plan of Kobo is priced at $9.99, definitely cheaper than what Audible asks for. Kobo, much like other platforms nowadays, offers a 30 day free trial to all of its new users. Like Audible, a Kobo subscriber will also get access to one audiobook per month with a subscription plan.
- Hoopla
Hoopla is a platform that works for the renting of a variety of media items. These include e-books, music, movies, TV shows, and of course, audiobooks. You just need a library card to access this free-of-cost digital service.
Why go for it:
If you have a library card, you should consider trying Hoopla before going for any paid platform. Even though the content might now be as extensive as other sites because it only has what the library owns, it is a great place to begin. You can extend your library membership to several local libraries in your neighborhood which offers you a wider range of titles to choose from.
How it works:
Have your library card with you and simply confirm your membership by providing the number on the back of your library card. This platform also has an application that runs on both Android and iOS devices along with Amazon’s devices. It works like a library, you have to check your preferred titles out and check them back in when the time for the check out expires.
- Downpour
This is another platform that works on monthly subscriptions. This platform is owned by Blackstone Audio which in the United States is the biggest independent publisher catering to audiobooks. The users can choose from Downpour’s selection of over 30,000 audiobooks.
Why go for it:
If you like the idea behind Audible and Kobo, Downpour will also appeal to you. The platform itself claims that over 97% of its offered titles can be purchased with a single credit. If Audible or Kobo do not work well for you but you like their concept, Downpour is the right platform for you.
How it works:
You can purchase any audiobook in the book collection this platform offers with just a single credit. There will be a single credit offered to you per month. The extensive range of its title is one reason why it should be considered. The monthly fee for this platform is $12.99. It is cheaper than Audible but pricier than Kobo. The purchasing of Downpour is complicated as all new purchases have to be made through a desktop browser even if you can listen to it on your phone.
Other Free Options for Audiobooks
If you like listening to stories but do not like spending money on them, there are certain free options you can consider. SoundCloud has some audiobooks uploaded on it by users. The books are uploaded by chapters and all books are available but you can try looking for audiobooks of your choice to see if you get lucky. So does Spotify. Spotify has a vast collection of classics and since it allows you to change the playback speed, it appears more appealing than SoundCloud.
These options are great and you can also consider the Gutenberg Project in case you want to get into classics. Like Audiobooks.com, this website provides audiobooks for books whose copyright claims have expired, and hence you will find older books on here. These books are in the public domain and hence can be enjoyed by anyone.
Should you Subscribe or Purchase Individually?
It all depends on the price. If the monthly subscription price is allowing you to access a wide range of books without limit, you are better off with a monthly fee. On the other hand, if the individual purchasing of audiobooks is at a lower price and allows you to read more books at a lower price than that of the monthly subscription, you should go for it. If you are an occasional listener, Audible would work well for you but if you are in the habit of listening to more than a few audiobooks per month, the affordability of Google Audiobooks would be more appealing.
It also depends on the range of books a platform is offering. Since everyone’s reading style is different, the range of one platform might appeal more to one person than to another. For example, Audible’s offered range is by far the best among all platforms but its subscription plan only allows you to listen to one book a month. Scribd on the other hand would allow you access to their entire range of services for a single charge. You will have to decide what suits your tastes best and whether it is your money’s worth.
Other Things to Consider
If the audiobook service is free, you do not have a lot of room to negotiate because you are not paying for any of it. But if a service is available in an app or can be accessed through your smartphone, it automatically becomes more desirable. That is why Spotify is great if you are looking for classics and websites that only can be accessed through a browser is often a second preference.
For platforms you pay for, an application that works on both Android and iOS and preferably on Amazon devices becomes the deciding factor. If listening to audiobooks is a convenient experience on the app, then you would be satisfied with having your money invested in the right service. By the end of the day, you would have to make your own decision. A good strategy would be to try the month-long trial most platforms offer before making a monthly deposit. For the free platforms, visit all of them and see which one works out the best for you.
