Audible is a dream come true for bookworms, but not everyone can afford the membership fee. Audible’s library of over 2,000 audiobooks makes it the largest of its kind.
If you sign up for Audible Plus (which costs about $7.95 per month), you can listen to any book in the library, but you cannot keep the audiobooks. For an additional $14.95 per month, Audible Premium Plus subscribers receive 1 credit to choose and keep any audiobook in the collection, in addition to all the perks of Audible Plus.
On the surface, this seems like a steal, but there are other services that provide identical features for less money and have superior customer service.
Explaining the success of Audible.
With over 200,000 titles and two subscription tiers (Audible Plus and Audible Premium Plus), Audible is the most widely used audiobook service. You can use Audible with your smartphone, tablet, PC, Amazon Echo, Sonos, or Kindle Fire. When you sign up for an Audible audiobook service, you’ll have the option to either download audiobooks to listen to offline later or to keep them in your account and listen to them via the website or mobile apps. You can take notes and bookmark your spot as you listen, making it easy to pick up right where you left off.
One of Audible’s best features is the abundance of audiobooks it hosts. There is a novel here for everyone, whether they prefer suspenseful thrillers or classic love stories.
Why do individuals seek for options other than Audible?
The fact that some of the audiobooks on Audible can be dull is a drawback of the service. Furthermore, the online and mobile components are sluggish and confusing at times. When compared to other audiobook providers, Audible’s prices of $7.99 or $14.99 are rather high. The subscription fee is thus an additional consideration.
Here are the 12 Best Audible Substitutes that Won’t Break the Bank
It’s tough to find fault with Audible when you consider all it has to offer. Even while Amazon’s Audible is the best audiobook service, it’s not the only one. There are other alternatives to Audible that are either less expensive or completely free. We’ve compiled a list of our top 12 recommended alternatives to Audible.
Spotify
Kobo Books
Scribd
Google Play Books
Audiobooks.com
Apple Books
AudioBooksNow
Librivox
Downpour
Libro.fm
Telegram
Spotify
You read that right; it is true. Listen to audiobooks on your smartphone with the Spotify app. Spotify may be better regarded as the best music streaming software, but it also offers a wide selection of audiobooks for free.
Most people already have the Spotify app on their phones, making it easy to start listening to audiobooks right away. You can skip the sign-up process altogether by simply downloading the app. The app makes it easy to find and listen to audiobooks.
When it comes to audiobooks, I agree that Spotify simply can’t compete with Audible. On the other hand, that doesn’t imply you can’t get quality audiobooks. You might be shocked to learn that Spotify offers free access to a wide selection of popular audiobooks.
The app’s UI is also very straightforward, and it allows you to make your own playlists of audiobooks to listen to. Similarly to traditional audiobooks, you have complete command over the reading experience.
The lack of a specific audiobooks section on Spotify is a major drawback for this use case. Finding audiobooks will require some digging. Once you’ve found a few of great novels, though, adding them to a playlist is a breeze.
In a nutshell, Spotify is the finest free alternative to Audible.
Kobo Books
My second-favorite reading app, and a strong contender for best Audible replacement, is the Kobo Books app. It’s a site dedicated to digital media such as audiobooks and electronic novels. That’s why you can rest assured that the audiobook selection is excellent.
Almost every best-seller is represented in Audible’s extensive audiobook collection. The app’s polished UI also provides for a great time when listening to an audiobook.
Kobo Books is a lot less expensive than Audible. Access to the complete audiobook library is included in the low monthly subscription price of $9.99. You can save money on audiobook purchases by purchasing credits.
The beautiful thing about Kobo Books is that it provides a wide variety of options for personalizing your time spent listening to audiobooks. Personalization options include adjusting the playing speed, switching between day and night modes, and more.
Scribd
The ability to download audiobooks and listen to them offline is what drew me to Scribd. That’s a fantastic feature because it allows you to listen to your book even if you lose your internet connection.
The audiobook collection on Scribd currently numbers over a million titles. As a result, you won’t lack for options when it comes to audiobooks. Access to the complete audiobook collection is included in the $11.99 monthly subscription fee (plus tax, if applicable).
The most popular audiobooks are located in the library’s best sellers section. Finding new literature in this way is exciting. The app’s design is intuitive, making it simple to browse for and play back audiobooks of your choosing.
The user interface is minimalistic, yet packed with configuration settings. You may adjust the pace of the narration and even set a sleep timer if you’d like the app to turn off after a particular amount of time.
Not only can you listen to books, but you can also highlight and annotate them. You can change the background color and font size to make it your own. In this way, you can spice things up a bit.
Scribd is an affordable alternative to Audible that doesn’t skimp on content quality or quantity.
Google Play Books
Another fantastic resource for listening to books on tape is Google Play Books. As with apps, games, movies, and TV shows, it can be found in the Google Play store. Therefore, if you are already a Google Play user, you can expand your repertoire to include audiobooks.
Audible’s collection of audiobooks is extensive, and it includes all the best-selling books in the genre. It’s simple to browse for and play back audiobooks of your choosing thanks to the app’s intuitive design.
Google Play Books’ ability to predict what you’ll enjoy reading based on your preferences is a great feature. You won’t have to waste time searching fruitlessly for a good book to read or an engaging podcast to listen to.
Google Play Books also has the added benefit of syncing with Google Drive. Therefore, working together on an audiobook is a simple process. Google Play Books, like Audible, has language options for its audiobooks.
However, unlike Audible Originals, there are no exclusive titles available.
In contrast to Audible, you only pay for the books you want to listen to instead of paying a monthly fee. Prices are lower than those of Audible, depending on the book.
Check out Google Play Books if you’re looking for a less expensive alternative to Audible.
Audiobooks.com
Audiobooks is a formidable rival to Audible due to its extensive collection of over 150,000 titles. The books are organized by category so that they can be quickly located.
Access to over 350,000 audiobooks and over 700,000 podcasts is included in the $14.95 monthly subscription fee. You can test out the service risk-free because there is no charge for the first month.
Many different types of literature are available as audiobooks. Audible has a wide selection of books and audiobooks, including bestsellers and rare finds.
Audiobooks, like Audible, provides users with the option to download books for offline listening. Perfect for those long car rides when you just want to relax and listen to anything.
The app’s design prioritizes ease of use. Even better, you can organize your reading material into personalized playlists.
The price of Audiobooks is comparable to that of Audible, however the service becomes more worthwhile when combined with listening to podcasts.
Apple Books
Apple Books is a great option for audiobooks if you’re already committed to Apple’s environment. You can listen to audiobooks on your Mac, iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
Apple Books’ extensive audiobook collection includes many of the best-selling books offered by Audible. You may find and listen to your preferred books with minimal effort because to the intuitive design.
You can even keep track of your progress between devices with a synchronization feature. This is perfect if you want to start an audiobook on your commute and finish it on your iPhone once you get home.
The one and only drawback to Apple Books is that it can only be accessed through Apple products. Therefore, this app is only compatible with Apple devices.
Each book must be purchased separately through Apple Books. In addition, the costs are lower than those of Audible.
AudiobooksNow
This is by far the most affordable option to Audible that I have found. The monthly subscription for the AudiobooksNow Club is $4.99, and in exchange, you receive 1 credit that may be used to purchase an audiobook.
In addition, you can save 50% off the price of one audiobook every month. You should take a peek at this deal if you’re trying to find an affordable substitute for Audible.
AudiobooksNow offers a respectable selection of audiobooks, including many of the best-selling titles you can find on Audible. The app’s user interface is very solid, making it a breeze to navigate.
To help you discover new and exciting audiobooks to listen to, it makes recommendations based on your listening history.
The pricing structure on AudiobooksNow could use some clarification, but otherwise it’s great. But after you master the basics, you’ll be glad you gave it a shot.
LibriVox
You can get free audiobooks on LibriVox, which is a nice alternative to Audible despite its lower profile.
Over 50,000 titles are available in 30+ languages through LibriVox’s extensive audiobook collection. Fiction, nonfiction, history, biography, and more may all be found here, making for a diverse and high-quality collection.
Books on LibriVox can be listened to online or downloaded to listen to whenever you choose. If you want to save money on audiobooks, this is a fantastic option.
The app’s interface is not as sleek as others on the market.
LibriVox audiobooks vary in terms of production value. The fact that they may be accessed without cost makes them a must-see.
Downpour
Downpour is an excellent choice if you enjoy the classics and are on a budget for audiobooks.
Over 80,000 audiobooks are available on Downpour, including works by such renowned authors as Stephen King, James Patterson, and J.K. Rowling.
Audiobooks written by the winners of the National Book, Hugo, PEN/Faulkner, Man Booker, and Pulitzer Prizes are also available. This is the best software to use if you want to listen to a wide variety of audiobooks.
An intuitive interface makes it simple to browse for and play back audiobooks of interest. You may organize your favorite audiobooks into playlists for easy listening.
This monthly subscription offers 1 audiobook credit for $12.99. It’s also possible to buy individual books, and in some cases, doing so will save you money compared to using Audible.
Libro.fm
I really enjoy using Libro.fm, an audiobook software that supports local authors and retailers. You can obtain one book a month for the same price as an Audible subscription plus a few cents more. In addition to reading excellent literature, you are also helping a local business when you use your credit at an independent bookshop. Credits can also be given as presents to other people.
If you use the coupon code CHOOSEINDIE, you can purchase two books for the price of one. This is the perfect app for you if you love to support local businesses while also listening to high-quality audiobooks.
All the best-selling books on Audible are represented in the audiobook collection. Everything from classics to the latest blockbusters is covered.
So, if you want to help local bookstores while listening to audiobooks, this is the app for you.
Torrent Audiobooks
To begin, this isn’t really an authorized method of obtaining audiobooks. However, torrent sites are worth exploring if you want access to a large variety of free audiobooks.
Audiobook torrents can be found on many major file-sharing websites, including AudioBook Bay, The Pirate Bay (proxy list), My Anonamouse, and Kickass Torrents. Almost any audiobook imaginable is available on these websites.
Downloading torrents, however, is not without its dangers. Use a virtual private network (VPN) and do so at your own risk. This is not a course of action we endorse.
Telegram
Joining Telegram networks that offer unlicensed content is another questionable method to obtain free audiobooks.
You may locate just about any audiobook on one of the many available channels. You may count on finding the latest release or a bestseller on one of these services.
If you’re used to the flexibility and simplicity of other programs, you could be disappointed. A more satisfying listening experience can be had by using a music player designed specifically for these files, such as VLC or Foobar2000.
Furthermore, there is always a risk of virus infection while obtaining data from such sources. Make use of them at your own peril. This is not a course of action we endorse.
Tell Us About Your Favorite Non-Audible Audiobook Player!
That’s all I have to say. To get your audiobook fix, those are some of the greatest options besides Audible.
Is there a fantastic program or website that I failed to mention? Leave a comment if you want me to respond. If you know anyone seeking for an excellent substitute for Audible, please direct them to this page.
Please share your favorite titles in the comments so that my readers and I can check them out. Please use the comments section to get in touch with me if you have any queries or recommendations. It is my pleasure to be of service.
Have fun listening!