10 Best Audiobook Apps You Can Listen to Anywhere—Starting at $0 a Month
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Audiobooks are one of the best ways to get your daily dose of reading in without keeping a book in hand. Rather, keeping all the books on hand. You can put one on in the car, on the train, at the gym, or while trying to pass the time at work. Regardless of where you’re listening, there’s no denying the convenience of having your favorite books narrated. Luckily, the best audiobook apps give you access to millions of titles, from biographies to fiction; there’s a pick for every book lover. And now, Amazon’s Audible platform isn’t the only service out there for downloading a new read. There are many services that provide you with audiobooks that you can download to your Kindle, Android, or iOS phone.
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The Best Audiobook Apps, at a Glance
Best Subscription-Free Audiobook App: Chirp Audiobooks
Best Affordable Subscription Audiobook App: Audiobooks.com
Most Popular Audiobook App: Audible
Best Free Audiobook App: Libby
Best Lesser-Known Audiobook App for Good Reads: Spotify
Best Audiobook App With A Sleep Timer: Hoopla
Best Audiobook App for Classic Reads: Loyal Books
Best Audiobook App for Downloads: LibriVox Audio Books
Best Free Streaming Audiobook App: YouTube
Best Pay for What You Use Audiobook App: Kobo Books
Is there a free app like audible?
It’s no secret that Audible is the most popular app for listening to audiobooks, but there are a handful of other top platforms that help you access your favorite books digitally. Sites like Chirp, Spotify, Libby, Hoopla, and more offer more cost-friendly ways to listen to your favorite authors. Even though most apps require a monthly subscription, we’ve also discovered apps that are completely free and accessible via your library card. You can even find a book to get lost in on Spotify or YouTube, too.
Ahead, learn more about the best audiobook apps with options for every budget.
BEST SUBSCRIPTION-FREE AUDIOBOOK APP
Chirp Audiobooks
Chirp Audiobooks allows you to listen to thousands of audiobooks at a fraction of the cost. The site features limited-time deals on select digital audiobooks. You can also depend on other items on Chirp, like books that aren’t part of the deals and gift cards. And like other platforms, you don’t have to commit to a monthly subscription fee, so you won’t waste money monthly on books you don’t read. All you have to do is sign up using your email address and customize your book selection; that’s it! No inputting your credit info to register your account. Right now, you can snag The Woman in Me By Britney Spears for 40 percent off.
BEST AFFORDABLE SUBSCRIPTION AUDIOBOOK APP
Audiobooks.com
Browse over 425,000 digital books with your monthly Audiobooks.com subscription. For $14.95 a month, you get one audiobook credit and one VIP book credit. Better yet, you can cancel at any time without penalties and extra charges. But if you don’t want to commit to a monthly plan, you can purchase your books individually or try the service’s free 30-day trial that grants you access to three free audiobooks. Better yet, the app also offers. 10,000 free audiobooks.
MOST POPULAR AUDIOBOOK APP
Audible
$14.95
Powered by Amazon, Audible is one of the most popular audiobook services. A monthly subscription starts at $14.95 and provides millions of book titles to keep you busy throughout your day. The subscription renews every 30 days, but you can cancel anytime. Right now, a limited-time offer includes three months free with a monthly subscription, meaning you won’t be charged until your three months are up!
BEST FREE AUDIOBOOK APP
Libby
$0
For those looking for a free way to get lost in a good book, consider Libby. The audiobook app works similarly to how your local library works. Libby works based on your library card — just input your library card information or get connected with a local branch in your area to get started. From there, you can browse Libby’s vast range of novels, documentaries, and more for free. “There are no subscription costs, no in-app purchases, and no late fees,” Libby says. And don’t worry about “returning” the books; the digital titles automatically get re-shelved on your date.
BEST LESSER-KNOWN AUDIOBOOK APP FOR GOOD READS
Spotify
$3-$20
Aside from some of the best playlists and tunes you can pop on to jam out to, you can also listen to top audiobook titles and over 200,000 more books on Spotify. There is no dedicated Spotify audiobook subscription, instead, it’s pay-as-you-order. Some start as low as $3 and range up to $20, making this app pricier than other options.
BEST AUDIOBOOK APP WITH A SLEEP TIMER
Hoopla
$0
Hoopla is similar to Libby — both connect you with audiobooks using your library card. With this app, you can read your titles in-app or download them to share offline. The service even has a feature where you can place a bookmark to keep your place. You can also set your playback speed and set a sleep timer. And it’s completely free, too.
BEST AUDIOBOOK APP FOR CLASSIC READS
Loyal Books
$0
Loyal Books is a free public domain that’s packed with the classics, all for free. This audiobook app offers more than 7,000 books including Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to name a few.
BEST AUDIOBOOK APP FOR DOWNLOADS
LibriVox Audio Books
$0
There’s no shortage of free audiobook apps, and LibriVox Audio Books is another to add to your list. Like Loyal Books, this platform is “free for anyone to listen to, on their computers, iPods or other mobile device, or to burn onto a CD,” LibriVox says.
BEST FREE STREAMING AUDIOBOOK APP
YouTube
$0-$13.99
Youtube is another excellent video source, but did you know you can also access plenty of audiobooks? You can access the nooks by uploading them as video files, but there is one catch: Most of the books are already available on public domains, so finding newer releases can be challenging. If you’d like access to more services, you can upgrade your plan to YouTube Premium for $13.99 a month.
BEST PAY FOR WHAT YOU USE AUDIOBOOK APP
Kobo Books
$7.99-$9.99
If you’re seeking an audiobook option that includes free and paid-for options, check out Kobo Books. The app allows you to search the catechol and add picks to your wishlist to always remember your next read. With Kobo Books, you can pay for your books or Selce a few different plans: Kobo Plus $9.99 a month(unlimited. listening and reading), Kobo Plus Read $7.99 (ebooks only), and Kobo Plus Listen $7.99 (audiobooks only).
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