This article will look at the best audiobook app options based on features, selection, and price. Audiobooks are a great way to enjoy literature while on the go, and there are many different audiobook apps available to choose from. However, not all audiobook apps are created equal.
How do Audiobook Apps work?
This is critical. Therefore, I first want to discuss it before discussing the top audiobook applications. There is no separate mobile app that serves just as an audiobook service! This is partly due to the terms of service for both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Both companies receive a percentage of every in-app purchase made for all applications purchased via their platforms.
As a result, audiobook providers are reluctant to sell audiobooks via their applications since they would be required to pay a portion of each transaction to the corresponding platform. In-app purchases have never been available on the iPhone, and the option was just withdrawn from the Android version.
Audiobook providers primarily conduct transactions on their website, while their app serves merely as an audiobook player. You may anticipate from audiobook applications a system similar to that of Amazon Kindle ebooks or Netflix. You purchase products or subscribe to a service on a browser on your mobile device or desktop, then access the material using the audiobooks app.
Top Rated 17 Best Audiobook Apps For Android and iOS
Audible
With over 470,000 titles in its repertoire, Audible remains the undisputed leader among the top audiobooks applications, particularly now that Amazon has acquired it. Audible’s audiobook player provides good playing capabilities such as chapter navigation, bookmarks, a sleep mode, variable playback speed, and background listening and downloading support.
The merging of Audible with Amazon has provided several advantages. Amazon Prime members who sign up at Audible.com get two free credits when starting an Audible Premium Plus trial. Amazon’s Whispersync technology enables customers to transition between audiobooks and text smoothly. You can even have Amazon’s Alexa fetch up your Audible audiobooks to read on an Echo, Tap, or Echo Dot.
Audiobooks.com
Audiobooks.com, like Audible Premium Plus, operates on a monthly credit basis. You may purchase one audiobook from their complete collection or get unlimited access to one of their Audiobook Clubs. Audiobooks.com cannot compete with Audible’s membership advantages, but the Audiobook Clubs are intriguing and unique. They also offer great bargains and deals that are available to non-members!
Pro
- Works both with and without a membership.
- Regular sales and offers (no membership required)
- Unlimited audiobooks from the repertoire of Audiobook Clubs (with membership, uses up your Audiobooks.com credit)
- Bestsellers and traditionally published novels are included in audiobook clubs (higher quality but smaller selection than Audible Plus)
- Free 30-Day Trial (Keep the audiobook you pick)
Con
- There are no refunds or exchanges available.
- Joining an Audiobook Club to borrow audiobooks depletes your monthly credit.
- Audiobook Club catalogs are quite restricted; please double-check before joining up!
Xigxag
Mark and Kelli founded xigxag in 2019 to revolutionize reading. Unlike Audible, which costs a monthly subscription for one credit, xigxag charges a fixed rate for each book. The lower the flat charge, the more titles you buy every year. It is not only reasonably priced and simple to use, but it also provides the first completely integrated listen-and-read experience.
You may search, examine illustrations, take notes, look up terms, and switch to reading. This little, independent Cornwall-based company is a terrific alternative to big tech, offering hundreds of titles in various genres.
Realm
Realm, the greatest audiobook software formerly known as Serial Box, has a new name but the same attraction to anybody who enjoys listening to a good tale. Realm, which delivers bite-sized bits of books suited for your commute or break time, let listeners experience shorter, episodic material.
The realm includes a variety of genres, including drama, fantasy, and science fiction. Many programs are available for free, but subscribing for an unlimited subscription eliminates advertisements, allows you to listen or read, and unlocks unique bargains. A yearly subscription costs $2.49 each month.
Real is an intriguing new alternative for readers and audiobook listeners alike, with a solid collection of titles such as “The Witch Who Came In From The Cold,” “Bookburners,” and “Tremontaine,” as well as a fully customizable reader and audiobook player mode.
LibroFM
LibroFM is a storefront for audiobooks for independent bookstores. You may even support your local bookstore directly with your audiobook purchases. They are the most popular audiobook service, providing DRM-free copies of new and bestselling audiobooks! Audio files may be downloaded as MP3s and saved indefinitely. They are completely yours!
Pro
- Supports independent bookshops
- Membership concept similar to Audible and Audiobooks.com that includes a monthly audiobook credit
- LibroFM Audiobook Clubs offers low-cost discounts (no membership required).
- Possible returns
- Audiobooks without DRM (you can download audiobooks and save them as MP3s to be played in any app or device of your choice)
- DRM-free also implies that you own the audiobooks you’ve downloaded!
- The app is well-designed and stable.
- With the coupon CHOOSEINDIE, you’ll get two credits in your first month. (Keep both audiobooks you choose.)
Con
- Only in the United States and Canada.
- There are no further membership benefits.
- Audio Stories from Storynory
If you’re looking for children’s storybooks, Storynory is where to go. Every week, the platform has produced free fairy tales, legends, poetry, and original stories to ignite the imagination of littluns’ for over 15 years. Most of the original storylines are created in-house and performed by professional actors.
Stories are mainly intended for children aged 7–11. However, there are nursery rhymes and stories for toddlers. The Herodotus histories are intended for older students. The Katie series, about a girl with supernatural abilities, and Astropup, about a space-traveling dog and his megalomaniac parrot, are popular tales.
Scribd
Scribd is a monthly membership service with a fixed cost. They provide audio and ebooks in the same way as Kindle Unlimited does and sheet music and comic books. It is not entirely limitless, unlike Amazon’s membership. However, it does provide you access to many of the most recent bestsellers and BookTok / TikTok favorites. Members may be throttled after downloading a specific amount of popular audiobooks, and their options for the remainder of the paying term may be restricted. However, you retain access to select audiobooks for the full month.
This app needs a membership, but it is one of the less expensive ones, particularly given the large number of books you can listen to with it!
Pro
- This is a good substitute for overseas listeners who cannot access public libraries. Hoopla
- Bestsellers and traditionally released audiobooks are included.
- Scribd Originals features unique audiobooks from well-known writers.
- 30 Day Risk-Free Trial
Con
- The application is not always stable.
- It is unclear how many and which titles can be borrowed in a billing month.
BookBeat
BookBeat is a digital membership service that enables readers to stream audiobooks and read e-books on their smartphones or tablet. Members pay a monthly subscription for unrestricted access to thousands of books, with no obligations and the option to cancel. Furthermore, you may save the books to your smartphone and listen to them when you don’t have mobile internet or WiFi access.
The site, supported by Bonnier Books, offers to “fill your life with tales for £12.99 each month.” With most recent celebrity titles and every Harper Collins book available, that seems to be a plausible claim.
Google Play Books
Google Play Books has audiobook functionality, enabling you to listen to your bought audiobooks on several platforms and devices. This allows users to resume listening where they left off on their Android smartphone, iPhone, or desktop PC. You may use audiobook controls to go forward or browse along the timeline, jump to chapters, and set playing speed and a snooze timer.
Unlike the other apps in our list of the best audiobook apps, Google Play Books does not need a monthly membership. Instead, it allows users to sample audiobooks before purchasing them via the Google Play Books marketplace.
Hoopla
Hoopla is the finest library audiobook app! If you have a library card from a participating library, you may use this app to get free audiobooks. You may also be qualified for a library card from one of your state’s public libraries that offers Hoopla. That is something to look into!
Pro
- With a library card, admission is free.
- Bestsellers and traditionally released audiobooks are included.
- There is no waiting period.
Con
- Downloads are limited.
- A library card from a participating library is required.
Kobo Books
While Kobo may not have the same brand recognition as Amazon in the US ebooks and audiobooks sector, it does provide a large collection of ebooks and audiobooks via its online marketplace and reader applications. Kobo’s audiobook player covers the essentials with a timeline scrubber bar, time skip buttons, chapter navigation, playing speed setting, and a snooze timer.
In addition to the audiobook player, the Kobo app has cross-platform synchronization and a customizable ebook reader. New users may join up for a $5 discount on their first ebook purchase if they sign up.
LibriVox
LibriVox is a volunteer-led effort that records books in the public domain. Listening to Classics for free is a fantastic option! And, since it is completely free, it is one of the greatest audiobook app alternatives for me.
Pros
- Audiobooks for free
- Classics in plenty
- Public domain DRM-free audiobooks
- Get the audio files here.
Con
- There are no professional productions.
- There are no current novels, just classics.
Bookmobile
Bookmobile is a popular iOS audiobook player for individuals who want to listen to DRM-free audiobooks. Bookmobile works with DRM-protected material from iTunes and Audible, as well as DRM-free content ripped from CDs or downloaded, such as M4B and MP3 audiobooks.
The software has a clever control system meant to protect you from losing your position, drive and sleep modes, and background listening capability.
A personalized bookmarking tool that remembers where you last stopped, playback speed adjustments, and AirPlay compatibility are among the extras. The 60-day free trial period enables you to import three audiobooks. Then it’s $.399 to unlock the whole library.
Smart Audiobook Player
The only app on this list that does not provide content is Smart Audiobook Player. This is only an audiobook player for MP3 audiobooks. However, it excels at it! I like their sleep timer feature. It’s a one-of-a-kind feature that I haven’t seen in any other audiobook app.
You choose the duration after which the player should switch off, but the timer is reset if your device detects movement. So, if you’re still awake and want to keep listening, shake your phone. No need to peek at the screen to manually reset the sleep timer!
Smart Audiobook Player is an excellent option and, in my opinion, the finest audiobook program for playing audiobooks converted from CDs (if legal in your region), LibroFM, or LibriVox audio files.
Pros
- A reliable program for listening to MP3 audiobooks.
- A one-of-a-kind sleep timer that resets when your smartphone senses movement.
- An audiobook player app alone.
Con
- This is the only paid app on this list.
Downpour
Downpour is an independent audiobook retailer that sells DRM-free audiobooks and select audiobooks that can be rented for 30 or 60 days through the Downpour mobile app.
The Downpour app lets users browse their complete library and download audiobooks for offline playing through Wi-Fi or cellular networks. The playback options are quite typical, with chapter and 30-second skips, bookmarking, a sleep timer, and background downloading and playing support.
OverDrive
If it offers a digital media lending system, your local library is another option to investigate for audiobooks. OverDrive is a media management tool that enables users to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from their local library with the flexibility and convenience of a digital app.
OverDrive customers may borrow titles from the library’s collection 24 hours a day, seven days a week, set holds and wishlists, and quickly return ebooks and audiobooks. The ability to sync titles and bookmarks across devices gives you the freedom to listen to an audiobook on your chosen device.
Libby
Overdrive has also been updating its electronic lending software with the new, mobile-centric Libby, a hybrid of a digital media management tool, ebook reader, and audiobook player.
Users may sign in, link their library card, and borrow digital materials from their local libraries, such as ebooks and audiobooks. You can utilize multiple library cards, try out books, download or stream material, tag titles, and sync data across devices.
Other Audiobook Apps to Consider
Kobo Books is a fantastic choice if you want to test out other audiobook applications. They have a lot of amazing deals to purchase audiobooks for less than Audible. You may purchase audiobooks without membership from their shop and listen to them via the Kobo app, accessible in the Google Play Store and iOS devices.
If you appreciate the notion of DRM-free audiobooks but don’t want to listen to solely Classics via LibriVox and find LibroFM too pricey, DownPour is an option. They provide several purchasing and borrowing possibilities.
Also, whatever app your local library has, even if it isn’t Hoopla digital, is a must-have! Overdrive Libby, Axis 360, and other systems that public libraries may use to provide digital audiobooks and ebooks. Whatever your library has, it’s worth a look!
FAQ
Can you listen to audiobooks for free?
Nonetheless, there are various websites and applications where you may legally listen to and download free audiobooks. LibriVox, Project Gutenberg, and Spotify are among them. If you’re searching for a comprehensive list of free audiobooks that you’d typically have to pay for, you won’t find it on this list.
Does Netflix have audiobooks?
On select titles, you may also listen to audio descriptions. A few titles are similar to Stranger Things, but Netflix is expanding the number of audio descriptions. How to Convert Netflix Audio and Movies to an Audiobook Choose a movie or television program’ to listen to as an audiobook.
What is better Audible or Scribd?
The main differences between Scribd and Audible are that Audible has better audio quality, a larger collection, and you own the audiobooks forever. Scribd gives you access to written material and a set monthly charge to listen to it, but it has a far smaller collection of books that you will never own.
How expensive is Scribd?
A Scribd membership gives you access to a whole universe of literature. You may access our collection of bestsellers, award winners, obscure indie titles, and reader favorites for USD 11.99 (+tax where applicable) every month.
Conclusion
Looking for the most excellent audiobook apps, look no further than Audible. Audible has a vast selection of audiobooks to choose from, and it’s easy to find the perfect book for you. With Audible, you can listen to your favorite books on the go and keep track of your progress. Plus, Audible makes it easy to find new audiobooks to enjoy.