One of the common questions I get asked from audiobook listeners is which audiobook platform they should subscribe to get started with audiobooks.
Having explored all the major audiobook services, here are the top 5 platforms that offer best audiobook subscription plans.
Each of these platforms provides a 30-day free trial, allowing you to experience their membership benefits before committing.
Additionally, they offer the flexibility to purchase audiobooks individually and you can cancel your subscription anytime you want.
1. Audible – The Audiobook Platform I Recommend
Audible is largest audiobook platforms with 65% market share in the U.S., according to GoodEReader.
They have built a trustworthy brand in audiobooks market and have the reputation of highest quality content.
After using Audible for years and exploring all other major platforms, I can confidently say that Audible is the best audiobook subscription service. It’s my top recommendation for anyone getting started with audiobooks.
Here are some of the top reasons I consider Audible the best audiobook service.
1.1: Extensive Audiobook Catalog
Whether you are looking for bestseller, new release, or a classic title in audio format, Audible is your best bet.
They have over 1 million audiobooks in their catalog across different genres and languages.
Audible Originals are exclusive titles, created by celebrated storytellers, that you will not find anywhere else. Audible is always the first choice for popular authors to reach a vast audience.
1.2: The Plus Catalog
All Audible membership plans come with unlimited streaming access to the Plus Catalog.
It contains
- 70,000+ Audiobooks including Audible Originals
- 1000+ Podcasts
- 10,000+ Short audiobooks (under 3 hours)
- Sleep tracks
- Mediation programs
The Plus Catalog gets frequents updates with fresh content added to it on weekly basis. It can be considered as Netflix for audiobooks where you can access unlimited content.
Learn more about the Plus Catalog from the following articles.
1.3: Subscription Types
Audible offers different types of subscription plans to cater to different needs of members.
Audible membership plans are divided into two main categories; Plus plan and Premium Plus plans.
The Plus plan gives members unlimited access to the Plus Catalog. Premium Plus plans come with Plus Catalog access and additional benefits, including
- Membership credits: Members can redeem one credit for one Audible title of their choice which they can keep forever. You can purchase extra credits if you run out of them.
- Cash sale discount: Premium Plus members get discount on any cash purchases, usually a 30% discount
- Exclusive sales and deals: Premium Plus members get access to exclusive sales and offers including 2-for-1 credit deals
Premium Plus plans start from $14.95/ month
You can learn more about Audible’ membership plans from the following articles.
1.4: Sales and Deals
Audible offers different kinds of sales and deals to its members including Daily Deals, Monthly Deals, Credit sales and more
Audible’s sales is a great way to save money on audiobook purchases. You can get 2 audiobooks using 1 credit in 2-for-1 credit deals.
Audible also offers huge discount (up to 85%) on its entire catalog on sitewide sales.
Learn more about how to get the most out of Audible’s sales and how to find cheap Audible books.
1.5: Return Policy
Audible has a generous return policy that allows members to return any title they do not like.
This allows you to experiment with new genres and authors. You can return any Audible book purchased with credit, within 365 days of purchase.
Audible’s app combines simplicity and functionality to bring you best listening experience. It has over 100 million downloads on Google Play Store and is the number 1 app on Apple’s App Store (in Books category).
2. Spotify
Spotify started offering audiobooks in 2022 and quickly became second-largest audiobooks platform behind Amazon’s Audible.
Spotify offers over 375,000 audiobooks that you can purchase in the Spotify Web Player. Once a title is purchased, you can listen to it on in the Spotify app.
Note: For now, audiobooks can only be purchased on the Spotify Web Player. You can not purchase them through Spotify app.
Spotify’s Premium members get 15 hours of free audiobooks listening time every month from Spotify’s Subscribers Catalog.
The following Premium plans come with 15 hours of audiobook time
- Premium Individual
- Premium Family [Plan Manager only]
- Premium Duo [Plan Manager only]
Note: The Premium Student is not eligible for free audiobook listening time.
You can purchase more listening time (10 hours for $12.99) after consuming your plan’s monthly allocated time.
To find the audiobooks that are part of the Subscriber Catalog
- Go to Search
- Select Audiobooks under Browse All
- You can either browse featured titles here or scroll down to browse audiobooks by category
Audiobooks that are included in the Subscriber Catalog are labeled Included in Premium.
If you are not subscribed to any of the Spotify’s Premium plan, you can sign up for Audiobook Access plan.
Here are a few important things about Spotify’s Audiobook Access plan.
- The Plan is available in the U.S. only. If you are from any other country, you can join one of the Premium plans to access Spotify audiobooks.
- Audiobook Access plan comes with 15 hours of listening time from Subscriber’s Catalog. You can top up extra hours if you run out of your allocated time.
- Members also get ad-supported access to music and podcasts
- The plan is currently not supported on Apple Watch, Samsung Watches, Tesla, and Garmin
Unused listening hours expire at end of each month and do not carry over.
While Spotify has gained popularity among audiobook enthusiasts, there’s room for improvement in several areas.
The audiobook purchase process, for instance, can be somewhat confusing. Allowing members to buy audiobooks directly through the Spotify app would be convenient.
Additionally, introducing a dedicated section to clearly differentiate Subscriber Catalog titles from other audiobooks available for purchase would ease the browsing experience.
3. Audiobooks.com
Audiobooks.com is one of the best audiobook services with a catalog of over 500,000 titles across all genres.
The highly rated app has over 10 million downloads and offer 10,000+ audiobooks for free.
You can sign up for Audiobooks.com’s 30-day trial and enjoy membership benefits for 30 days without any payment.
As an Audiobook.com subscriber, you will get the following benefits for $ 14.95/ month
- 1 Monthly credit to redeem for any audiobook of your choice. This audiobook is yours to keep forever
- 1 audiobooks from the VIP selection. The VIP selection is refreshed every month and includes some of the best sellers and popular titles. All VIP books will remain in your library as long as you have an active membership
- Access to Members’ Exclusive Deals where you can grab 2 audiobooks for 1 credit and get discounts on audiobook purchases
- With the Family Plan, you can add two family members to your account. Family members can enjoy audiobooks without any additional payment.
Audiobooks.com is one of the main competitors of Audible. After using them for a while, I think they need to improve several things
- Limited titles in the VIP selection: VIP catalog is not as good as Audible’s Plus Catalog which has over 70,000 titles.
- Limitations in the app: Members can only buy additional credits through website. Purchasing audiobooks without a subscription is only available through the site. You can only cancel your subscription on website.
- Return Policy: You cannot return a title unless it’s a corrupted file.
If Audiobooks.com enhances its VIP Selection and offers a variety of membership plans, it could become more appealing to audiobook enthusiasts.
4. Libro.fm
With over 500,000 audiobooks in its catalog, Libro fm is one of the best audiobook subscription platforms you can join.
Libro fm is popular among audiobook listeners because of the following three reasons.
- They support local bookstores and you can even pick the local store you want to support with your purchases.
- Libro fm is one of the rare audiobook platforms that offer DRM-free audiobooks. You are not limited to listening your audiobooks on Libro fm apps or website but can also enjoy them on your MP3 player.
- The in-app recommendations are great and better than other platforms.
Libro.fm offers two types of monthly membership plans; 1 Credit plan [$14.99/ month] and 2 Credits plan [$23.99/ month].
The 1 Credit plan membership benefits include
- 1 Credit per month to redeem for any audiobook of your choice
- 30% Discount on any additional audiobook purchase with cash
- Members exclusive sales and discounts
- Easy return
Libro fm credits do not expire, unlike Audible. Their recommendations and playlists are from expert booksellers. You will always find real people on customer support, no bots.
If you are an avid audiobook listener, you can subscribe to 2 Credit/month plan and get all the above benefits, but with 2 credits every month.
5. Kobo Audiobooks
Kobo is the best audiobook service for book lovers who enjoy both eBooks and audiobooks. It is one of the most affordable eBook/ audiobook platforms with different membership plans.
Here are 3 different types of Kobo Plus membership plans that you can join.
- Kobo Plus Read [for eBook lovers]: Access over 1.5 million eBooks
- Kobo Plus Listen [for Audiobook lovers]: Access over 150,000 audiobooks
- Kobo Plus Read & Listen: Access over 1.5 million eBooks & over 150,000 audiobooks
If you are also a fan of eBooks (with audiobooks), you can get good value out of Kobo’s Read & Listen membership plan.
Here are some of the downsides to Kobo’s subscription plans
- Not all eBooks and audiobooks from Kobo are included with subscription. But, over 1.5 million eBooks and over 150,000 audiobooks are available with Kobo Plus with more being added all the time
- Kobo Plus plans are available in select countries
Note: You can also subscribe to Kobo Audiobooks Credits without a Kobo Plus plan. You can pay a monthly fee and get a credit to redeem for the audiobook of your choice from Kobo’s expanded catalog of 350,000+ titles.
Sohail Ahmed
I love Audiobooks and this blog features my first-hand experience with all major audiobook apps and services … Know More