Audible is the world’s largest audiobook platform with 63.4% of the U.S. audiobook market share, according to Words Rated.
With over 1 million titles in its catalog, it is audiobook enthusiasts’ first choice when looking for a book in audiobook format.
Audiobooks.com has one of the largest audiobook collections with over 500,000 titles in its catalog. Their app has been downloaded over 10 million times and they bring some of the unique features and perks to their members.
I have used both services for quite some time now, this article compares both services to find which is the better platform for audiobook lovers.
You can refer to Audible review and Audiobooks.com review articles to know more about each service.
Audible vs Audiobooks.com
I have compared both services on the following basis
- Sign Up and Payment Options
- Free Trial
- Audiobooks Catalog
- Membership Perks
- Pricing
- Return Policy
- The Apps
- Gift Options
- Audible’s Amazon Advantages
- Customers Support
1.Sign Up and Payment Options
Audiobooks.com allows you to sign up using your Google, Amazon, or Apple accounts. You also have an option to use your email address to create a new account.
For membership payments and audiobook purchases, you can use your bank card, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, Apple Pay, or PayPal.
Audible is an Amazon company, so you must have an Amazon account to sign up, like for any other Amazon service or product.
For subscription payments or audiobook purchases, you can use your bank card or Amazon Store Card. All other payment methods, including PayPal, are not supported.
While it takes a few minutes to create an Amazon account for free and most people already have one, it is always good to have more signup and payment options.
2. Free Trial
Both services offer 30-day free trials. It gives users a chance to test the service for one month and decide if it is the right choice for them.
Here are some of the common features of both services’ trials
- You get 30-day free trial with all membership benefits including access to members’ exclusive sales and deals
- Both companies offer you 1 free credit to get any audiobook of your choice as part of trial benefits
- You can cancel the free trial anytime you want in both cases, no questions asked
But there are some differences in trial offers from both companies, including
- The Audible book (that comes free with the trial) is yours to keep for life even after you cancel the trial. Canceling your free trial with audiobooks.com will remove your free trial book (and VIP selections) from your account.
- Audible also gives you unlimited streaming access to the Plus Catalog with over 70,000 titles. Audiobooks.com gives you access to 10,000 free titles and you can choose 2 titles from the VIP selection. Audible’s Plus Catalog is bigger and better with fresh content added to it every week.
- Audible offers two free audiobooks to join the free trial several times a year. At the time of writing this article, you can sign up for the Audible’s free trial and get two audiobooks for free. Amazon Prime members also get two free audiobooks when they join the free Audible trial.
Audible’s free trial is more attractive because you own the free audiobook(s) even after you cancel the trial and get an unlimited supply of free audiobooks from the Plus Catalog during the trial period.
Related Article: How to join Audiobooks.com’s free trial
3. Audiobooks Catalog
Audible has the largest audiobook collection with over 1 million audiobooks in 24 categories and 12 languages.
Audible also has 50,000+ original podcasts and produces 10,000+ audiobooks every year. Members have unlimited access to the Plus Catalog with over 70,000 titles.
Whether you are looking for a best seller, a new release, or a classic book in audio format, Audible is your best bet.
Audiobooks.com offers a huge collection of over 500,000 audiobooks including bestsellers, new releases, and classic titles.
Audiobooks.com offers 10,000+ free audiobooks. Audible also has a Free Listens section where you can access thousands of free titles without any membership plan.
Related Article: How many books does Audible have?
4. Membership Perks
This is the area where Audible and Audiobooks.com differ significantly. Let’s compare Audible vs Audiobooks.com on what their membership plans offer.
Audible Membership Benefits
1. Membership Credits
All Audible membership plans (other than the basic Audible Plus Plan) come with monthly membership credits.
The popular Premium Plus plan (which costs the same as the Audiobooks.com subscription) gets you 1 monthly credit.
You can use the credit to get any audiobook, regardless of its price. This includes best sellers and new releases.
If you use your credits effectively, no audiobook will cost you more than $10-$12 on Audible.
You can also buy extra credits and get offers to buy credits at a discount.
The credit system allows you to grab expensive titles for less.
2. The Plus Catalog
With access to over 70,000 titles, Plus Catalog is one of the major perks of an Audible membership.
All Audible plans come with unlimited access to the Plus Catalog.
From Audible Originals and podcasts to audiobooks from all genres and categories, Plus Catalog has a lot to offer. It gets weekly updates with fresh content added to it.
Plus Catalog has over 10,000 short audiobooks (under 3 hours) and over 1000 podcasts.
Learn more about Audible’s Plus Catalog
3. Membership Exclusive Sales and Offers
Audible offers plenty of sales, deals, and offers to its members. These deals make it possible to get your favorite titles for huge discounts.
Some of the popular sales and deals include
- 2-for-1 deals: Get two audiobooks using one credit
- Daily Deal: A new title is offered at a huge discount every day
- Whispersync Deals: If you buy an eBook (Kindle book), you can get the audiobook (Audible version) at a huge discount
- Sitewide Deals: All titles on up to 85% discount
- Monthly Deals
And many more.
You can access all sales from Aduible’s Deals page.
The best way to take full advantage of Audible deals is by subscribing to email notifications.
You can also text UPDATES on 500500 for sales notifications through text messages.
Check out the following article for more
4. Membership Discount on Cash Purchases
All members get at least 30% discount on all audiobook purchases with cash. This discount is applied to all audiobook listings including the premium titles.
Although it is possible to purchase Audible books without subscribing to a membership plan, Audible members get discount on all cash purchases.
5. Amazon Household Sharing
You can share your Audible books (and other content) with your family members through the Amazon Household feature.
Amazon Household allows you to share audiobooks, eBooks, prime videos and benefits, games and apps, and more with your family members.
Refer to 4 Ways to transfer Audible books [Method 1] for details on how to use Amazon Household and family library sharing features.
This is the best way to share Audible books and other digital content with your loved ones without paying extra.
Related Article: Manage family library sharing
6. More Content
Although Audible is primarily an audiobook service, you get other content including sleep tracks, mediation programs, and podcasts.
This makes the Audible subscription a whole lot more attractive and worth it.
Audiobooks.com Membership Benefits
Here are the highlights of the Audiobooks.com membership plan
1. Membership Credit
Audiobooks.com subscribers also get one monthly credit to get any premium title of their choice, including best sellers and new releases.
This gets you one audiobook of your choice every month, regardless of its price.
You can also purchase additional credits if you want to get more than one audiobook.
The audiobooks you get with monthly membership credits are yours to keep forever even after canceling the membership.
2. VIP Selection Title
In addition to one free credit every month, members get to choose 1 title from the VIP Selection. This title is borrowed (same as Audible’s Plus Catalog) and stays in your library as long as you have an active membership.
The VIP Selection titles are often bestsellers from traditional publishing houses that you do not always find in Audible’s Plus Catalog.
Remember to pick one each month, and you do not have to listen to them right away.
The VIP Selection is not as vast as Audible’s Plus Catalog but it has some of the premium titles and gets refreshed each month.
Know more from Audiobooks.com’s VIP Rewards page
3. Members’ Exclusive Sales and Deals
Audiobooks.com also offers exclusive sales and deals to its members including 2-for-1 deals and flash sales.
You can access all current deals from Audiobooks.com’s deals section or in the app (Perks > Members Deals)
I love the fact that audiobooks.com is always running 2-for-1 deals where you can grab 2 audiobooks using 1 credit.
4. Family Sharing
Audiobooks.com’s Family Plan allows you to share your audiobooks with people in your household.
You can add different family members to your account and allow them to save their own bookmarks and notes.
As the primary account holder, you decide the level of access for each of your Family Plan members (listen only, use credits, ability to buy credits).
All audiobooks purchased by you or other family members will be available to all members on your account.
Know more on how Audiobooks.com membership works and answers to frequently asked questions about Audiobooks.com
5. Pricing
Audible’s popular subscription plan is Premium Plus – 1 Credit which costs you $14.95/month, the same price point as audiobooks.com’s membership plan.
Audible offers different types of monthly and annual membership plans to cater to different needs.
| Membership Plans | Pricing | Credits | $/ Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audible Plus | $ 7.95/ Month | – | – |
| Audible Premium Plus – 1 Credit | $ 14.95/ Month | 1 | $ 14.95/ Credit |
| Audible Premium Plus – 2 Credits | $ 22.95/ Month | 2 | $ 11.48/ Credit |
| Audible Premium Plus Annual – 12 Credits | $ 149.50/ Year | 12 | $ 12.46/ Credit |
| Audible Premium Plus Annual – 24 Credits | $ 229.50/ Year | 24 | $ 9.56/ Credit |
You can easily downgrade or upgrade the Audible membership plan anytime you want.
Audiobooks.com does not have any plan lower than their standard $14.95/month plan like Audible Plus.
Audible’s annual plans are ideal for avid book lovers as you get all the credits in one go. I always go for the annual plan.
This lets you fill your wish list with the titles you want to purchase in the future and get them in 2-for-1 deals.
You always have some credits to use when your favorite title arrives. I recently got a free credit from the ‘use 3 credits to get 1 free credit’ offer.
Audible has a variety of membership plans and pricing ranges to cater to all types of audiobook lovers.
6. Return Policy
Audible has a generous return policy that allows you to return any title you do not like, no questions asked.
This allows you to try new genres, authors, and narrators without losing a credit. You can return a book you did not like through Audible’s website and get back your credit to exchange it for another book.
Only titles purchased through credits can be returned. You need to return an audiobook within 1 year of the purchase date.
You do not have the option to return an audiobook you do not like on audiobooks.com unless it is a corrupted file.
Audiobooks.com grants refunds at their sole discretion.
7. The Apps
When comparing audiobooks.com vs Audible, both services have user-friendly apps that combine simplicity and functionality to bring the best listening experiences.
Audible App
The Audible app has the same design for Android and iOS devices. The app is divided into 4 main sections; accessible from the bottom navigation bar.
- Home: This section offers recommendations based on your past listening. It also highlights new releases and best titles from different categories.
- Library: Contains all of your audiobooks and other content. Any audiobook that you purchase on Amazon or Audible shows up in the Library section.
- Discover: Helps you find your next listen. You can discover content from different categories including Plus Catalog titles, Editor’s Picks, and top titles.
- Profile: This section contains your account details, listening history record, account and app settings, notifications, badge collection, and more
If you want to purchase a title, go to the Discover section and either browse the catalog or search for the title from the search option.
Once you find the audiobook you are looking for, you have the option to purchase it using credit or cash.
All purchased Audible books are listed in the Library section where you can download and listen to them with a single tap.
When you tap on an Audible book in the Library section. It starts playing in the Audible App Player which has the following controls and settings.
You can also listen to Audible books without the app and purchase Audible books without a subscription plan but they will cost you more without a membership.
The only limitation I came across in the Audible app is that it is currently not possible to return an Audible book in the Audible app. You have to use the Audible website for book returns.
Audiobooks.com App
Audiobooks.com’s app has 5 main sections, accessible from the bottom navigation bar, including Home, My Library, Browse, Perks, and Search
- Home: Contains featured audiobooks, recommendations, bestselling titles, and bookclub favorites. You can access your account’s Wishlist here.
- My Library: All of the audiobooks that you purchased or added to your library (including VIP selection books or free audiobooks) are listed here. You can also access your Notes/ Bookmarks in My Library section
- Browse: This is your gateway to audiobooks.com’s catalog. You can browse titles by categories and find free books here. The Recommendations section highlights audiobooks according to your taste
- Perks: This section has your membership benefits including the VIP Rewards section and Members Deals section, where you can access members’ exclusive sales and deals.
- Search: Helps you find your next listen. You can search the audiobooks.com catalog here by book name, narrator, or author’s name.
You can access your Profile by tapping on the top right of the screen. Tap again to access the Settings of your account.
To purchase an audiobook, you can either use the Browse option to explore the catalog or use the Search option to search for the book.
Once you have found the audiobook you are looking for, either tap the Play option to purchase and stream or the Download option to purchase and download the audiobook for offline listening.
I have tapped the Download option and then Use Credit to purchase the title using the credit. The title is downloaded and added to the My Library section.
I can now tap the My Library option from the bottom navigation bar and tap on the audiobook to start playing.
The audiobooks.com app player has the following controls and settings.
Audiobooks.com app is lightweight and easy to use but it has a few limitations
- Although you can purchase audiobooks without a membership and with cash but this option is only available through the website.
- It is not possible to cancel your subscription or trial from the app, you have to use audiobooks.com website for that
- You can only buy additional credits from the website. The app has a feature called InstaCredit where you can buy 1 extra credit to purchase an audiobook without leaving the app if you run out of credits
Overall, both (Audible and Audiobooks.com) apps are user-friendly and easy to use with little scope for improvements.
8. Gift Options
Audible allows you to gift an audiobook or Audible subscription to your loved ones.
You can go to Audible’s Gift Center and gift a specific title or Audible membership to family members or friends.
The gift membership options include 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month membership plans. You can send gifts through email or as a physical gift card by post.
Audiobooks.com only allows you to send a membership plan as a gift. You do not have the option to send a specific title as a gift.
The gift memberships include 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month membership plans, and you can send the gift through email or a printed card.
9. Audible’s Amazon Advantages
Audible is owned by Amazon and that can be very beneficial for Amazon products and services users.
- For Kindle users, when you purchase an eBook for your Kindle, you get an option to add its Audible narration for a huge discount.
- Kindle Unlimited users have access to over 6000 Audible books that they can borrow without paying for them. KU also gives you option to buy tens of thousands of audiobooks at a huge discount.
- Amazon Prime members get 2 free titles when they join the Audible trial instead of the usual one free audiobook.
- Audible Alexa users can expect smooth and seamless Audible experience on their devices. Explore the commonly used Audible commands for Alexa devices
You can purchase audiobooks on Amazon, and they will show up in your Audible account’s Library section.
Audible is backed by Amazon, and it is a major advantage over audiobooks.com.
10. Customer Support
Both services have good customer support. You can contact Audible through chat or phone by calling 1-(888)-283-5051.
I prefer to chat as you get a quick solution to your problem and have a chat history to refer back to.
You can contact Audiobooks.com customer support through email, chat, or X Monday to Friday 8AM – 6PM ET. They also have a detailed FAQ section that answers most of the common questions.
Audible VS Audiobooks – Which is a Better Option?
Both services have their pros and cons and they are the two major platforms for audiobook lovers.
I always recommend Audible to anyone who is getting started with audiobooks because of the following reasons
- Multiple membership options
- Best audiobook collection as compared to all other platforms
- The Plus Catalog
- Generous return policy
- More options in the app and fewer limitations
- Great sales and deals for members
- Excellent customer support
Both Audible and Audiobooks.com have free trials, you can give both services a try and see which platform suits your needs.
Sohail Ahmed
I love Audiobooks and this blog features my first-hand experience with all major audiobook apps and services … Know More