The FI Take: Read More, Spend Less
In today's digital age, finding the best audiobook service can transform your reading habits while helping you spend smarter. Start with free options like Libby or OverDrive, where you can access thousands of titles at no cost and enjoy an impressive array of e-books and audiobooks. If you're an Amazon Prime benefits member, exploring Prime Reading can introduce you to rotating selections of audiobooks and e-books without additional fees.
Consider Spotify, which now offers 15 hours of audiobooks monthly with Premium—an intriguing addition to its music catalog without adding a dime to your budget. In the "Blinkist vs Spotify" debate, Spotify might be your go-to for traditional titles, while Blinkist's highlights help digest books quickly.
For those who devour two or more audiobooks each month, Audible remains a solid choice with its vast library and exclusive content. Meanwhile, Audiobooks.com answers the common query: "how much does Audiobooks.com cost?" with a competitive $14.95/month plan, providing a diverse collection just a tap away.
Explore platforms like Hoopla and Scribd, too, where diverse audiobooks enhance your listening without breaking the bank. Investigate each service's offerings to find your perfect match in the world of spending smarter.
Navigating these audiobook services ensures that you can enjoy an immersive reading experience, embracing adventures without the hefty price tags of physical books.
Best Free Audiobook Services
In today's digital age, audiobooks have become a go-to option for many readers, offering unparalleled convenience and accessibility. Here's a closer look at some of the best free audiobook services available.
Libby (OverDrive) — Best Free Option
If you're seeking the best audiobook service that's free and reliable, Libby by OverDrive is hard to beat. All you need is a library card, and you gain access to a vast collection of audiobooks from libraries around the world. This app makes spending smarter a breeze by allowing you to borrow audiobooks without spending a dime.
Spotify Premium — 15 Hours/Month Included
While Spotify is primarily known for music streaming, a Spotify Premium subscription quietly includes 15 hours of audiobooks each month, making it a contender for the best audiobook services out there. Though not completely free, the addition of audiobooks within a subscription many already use for music is worth noting. For those debating between audiobook platforms, the comparison of Blinkist vs. Spotify often highlights Spotify's broader media offerings.
Hoopla — Library-Based, Instant Access
Hoopla is another library-based platform providing instant access to audiobooks, ebooks, and more. It's perfect for binge-listening without waiting periods. Much like Libby, it requires only a library card, presenting a free audio books app option with no hidden costs, unlike some paid services where you might be wondering, 'How much does Audiobooks.com cost?'
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Best Paid Audiobook Services
In today's fast-paced world, finding the best audiobook service can significantly enhance your listening experience. Let's dive into some top contenders that offer a diverse range of options for every listener.
Audible
Audible, an Amazon Prime benefit, is renowned for its extensive library, boasting the largest selection of audiobooks available. Each month, members receive 1 to 2 credits, which can be exchanged for any audiobook, regardless of price. Audible also offers a variety of exclusive content, such as podcasts and language guides, making it a comprehensive choice for audiobook enthusiasts.
Audiobooks.com
With a model similar to Audible, Audiobooks.com provides a lower-cost alternative without sacrificing quality. For $14.95 per month, you gain access to 1 credit for any book plus two additional audio book selections from their VIP Rewards catalog. It's a great option for budget-conscious listeners seeking quality content, and it's worth considering in comparison to other services like Blinkist vs Spotify.
Scribd
Scribd operates like the Netflix of books, offering unlimited access to a wide array of audiobooks, e-books, and more for a flat monthly fee. This one-stop shop for reading enthusiasts allows you to explore countless titles without worrying about credits, making it a smart addition to your spending smarter strategy.
Libro.fm
Supporting independent bookstores, Libro.fm allows readers to enjoy a subscription service while making a positive impact on local businesses. Each purchase and membership directly benefits your chosen bookstore, offering a unique feel-good aspect alongside a versatile listening experience.
By aligning your choice of platform with your listening habits and values, you can make the most of these audiobook services. Whether you're exploring the latest bestsellers or digging into the classics, there's a perfect fit for everyone.
How to Choose the Right Audiobook Service
Choosing the best audiobook service depends on a few key factors. Let’s break it down using a simple decision tree that considers your budget, listening habits, and content preferences.
Step 1: Determine Your Budget
Start by considering how much you’re willing to spend on audiobooks each month. Options range from free to monthly subscriptions. For example, Hoopla offers a free option through many libraries, while Audiobooks.com charges a monthly fee. Knowing how much does Audiobooks.com cost can help you make an informed choice.
Step 2: Assess Your Listening Volume
Are you an occasional listener or do you consume audiobooks like water? If you listen to multiple books a month, a subscription to services like Audible By Amazon or Scribd can provide value with unlimited listening. For lighter listeners, pay-per-book services might make more sense.
Step 3: Define Your Content Preferences
Do some services cater more to your interests? If you’re into summaries and short-form content, Blinkist vs Spotify might be a comparison to consider. For diverse selections, Amazon Prime benefits include Audible Channels with a range of free titles.
Finally, explore options like the free audiobook app, Libby, which offers another great way to access titles without extra costs. Use this decision tree to simplify your choice and get the most out of your audiobook experience.
Scribd
How Scribd Works
Scribd is unique in that they offer an unlimited number of audiobooks, books, magazines, newspapers, and more at a much lower price than most audiobook subscriptions. You'll start off with the normal 30-day free trial, and you can cancel your service at any time.
How Much Does It Cost
Scribd is one of the cheapest audiobook services at just $8.99 per month after your free 30-day trial. This includes unlimited free reading.
What Books Are Available
Scribd offers many of the same popular titles that the other audiobook services do, but they also offer eBooks, magazines, and journalism sources.
College students may especially love Scribd because they offer "snapshots", which are only 15 minutes long and give you key insights into certain books.
What Devices Work With Scribd
Scribd can be used on the following devices:
- iOS devices
- Android devices
- Kindles with the Fire OS 4 system
Other Features That Sets Scribd Apart
The biggest feature that sets Scribd apart is the fact that you can listen to (or read) an unlimited number of books each month for free instead of being limited to one or two. This makes it the cheapest audiobook service around.
Blinkist
Blinkist is on a mission to bring some of the best nonfiction to minds of the busiest of us. If you really don’t have time to read a book from cover to cover, you may find Blinkist’s short summaries to be exactly what you need.
With a simple, no-fuss, user experience, you will be well on your way to soaking up all of the important information found inside of some of the best nonfiction books out there. All you need is 15 minutes (on average) to get all of the top points from a book. If you want to dive a little deeper, Blinkist offers many different titles as full audiobooks for you to listen to while you go about your busy life.
How Blinkist Works
Blinkist keeps things pretty simple. Their team reads some of the best nonfiction books, summarizes all of the important information within the pages, and gives you the option to read, or listen to, their abridged versions.
One of the best features of Blinkist is their audiobooks. They offer thousands of titles, with 40 more coming in each month. You can even access titles offline within the Blinkist app!
How Much Does It Cost
To get access to Blinkist’s vast array of nonfiction titles, you will pay $15.99 a month. If you end up getting hooked, which isn't hard, you can save yourself over $90 a year by purchasing a yearly subscription for only $99.99.
If you want to enjoy Blinkist without the cost, you can read one free, pre-selected title a day on the house!
What Books Are Available
On Blinkist, you can access 3,000 titles. You’ll find genres that range from career & success to psychology to money and investments. Some titles include:
- The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells
- Born A Crime by Trevor Noah
- The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington
- The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
- A Monk’s Guide to Happiness by Gelong Thubten
What Devices Work With Blinkist
Blinkist is easy to use on the go or while at your desk. It is available for use on iOS and Android devices, as well as tablets, desktop computers, and Kindle.
Other Features That Set Blinkist Apart
Blinkist doesn’t just offer up summaries and audiobooks, they also host original shows and podcasts all within their app with the help of some of today’s most well-respected authors and innovators. With topics ranging from business to relationships and beyond, you are sure to be able to find something that piques your interest.
Blinkist opens up a whole world of nonfiction to people who otherwise wouldn’t have time. Because they offer all of their titles in condensed text versions and sound bites, not having time to read is no longer an excuse to not learn.
Hoopla
How Hoopla Works
Hoopla is unique in that it operates through your local public library. They partner with local libraries to offer movies, music, e-books, comics, TV shows, and of course, audiobooks.
You can simply check out an audiobook as you would at your local library; it just all happens online.
How Much Does It Cost
Hoopla runs through your local library, so it's free to sign up and use as long as you have a library card.
What Books Are Available
Hoopla says they have hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, and more are added every day. When I visited the audiobooks section, I found a large selection of books, with popular titles such as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
To give you a sense of the genres they offer, here's what their website features:
What Devices Work With Hoopla
Hoopla can be used on the following devices:
- iOS devices
- Androids
- Apple TV
- Android TV
- Fire TV
- Roku TV
Other Features That Set Hoopla Apart
Hoopla isn't complicated to use, but there are a couple of features that make Hoopla unique, including:
- The ability to download audiobooks for offline listening
- You can listen through most televisions
- It's completely free to use (as long as you have a library card)
Spotify
How Spotify Works
Spotify audiobooks are built right into Spotify's whole library, so all you need to do is search for the audiobook you're looking for in your normal Spotify player.
How Much Does It Cost
There is a free version of Spotify and you can listen to audiobooks, but you'll be frequently interrupted by long ads.
You can get Spotify Premium for $9.99/month (or $4.99/month if you're a student and $14.99/month for a family, up to five people) and you won't have to listen to annoying ads, you can skip through audiobooks, and you can download audiobooks.
You'll get a 30-day free trial when you first sign up for Premium.
What Books Are Available
While there are plenty of books to listen to, Spotify's selection is limited compared to the other audiobook services.
Many of the books offered by Spotify are classics like The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, and Great Expectations.
What Devices Work With Spotify
You can use Spotify on pretty much any device, including:
- Smartphones
- Tablets
- Current desktop computers
- Speakers
- TVs
- Cars
- Games consoles
- Smart watches
- Smart displays
- Voice assistants
Other Features That Set Spotify Apart
Spotify is primarily a music streaming service, so if you only listen to audiobooks every once in a while and want one of the best music services, Spotify is your best choice.
Audiobook Services Compared
For a side-by-side comparison of the best audiobook services, the table below should help you make the best decision for you.
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Summary
Audiobooks are becoming increasingly more popular. They're great for folks with long commutes, anyone who works from home, or parents looking to get their kids more engaged in literature. We know that one of these seven great audiobook services will fit your listening needs and have you cruising through book after book in no time!
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Comparison of Top Audiobook Services
Find the best audiobook service to fit your lifestyle and budget.
|
Recommended
Audible
|
Libby
|
Spotify
|
Audiobooks.com
|
Chirp
|
Blinkist
|
Scribd
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.95/month | Free with library card | $9.99/month | $14.95/month | Varies per book | $14.99/month | $11.99/month |
| Credits | 1 per month | Varies | None | 1 per month | No credits | Unlimited summaries | Unlimited |
| Library Size | 200,000+ | Varies by library | 50,000+ | 150,000+ | Varies by purchase | 5,000+ summaries | 40,000+ |
| Free Trial | 30 days | N/A | N/A | 30 days | N/A | 7 days | 30 days |
| Best For | Variety and selection | Cost-effective readers | Music and podcasts lovers | Mainstream listeners | Budget-friendly finds | Key insights quickly | Diverse media consumers |
Frequently Asked Questions
Services like Libby allow you to access audiobooks for free with a library card, making it a budget-friendly choice. Consider utilizing free trials and promotions from other platforms to maximize savings. For more on efficient spending, see our spending smarter guide.
Audible offers a vast library with original content and a user-friendly app. It's particularly valuable if you enjoy a wide selection and exclusive titles. Explore the Amazon Prime benefits for potential discounts.
Yes, apps like Libby let you borrow audiobooks without cost through your local library. Many classics are also available for free online through platforms offering public domain content.
Spotify has begun integrating audiobooks into its platform, allowing you to purchase and listen directly through the app. While this adds convenience, it may not replace dedicated audiobook services entirely.
Audible excels in variety and exclusive content, whereas Libby’s appeal lies in its free access to audiobooks via libraries. Your ideal choice depends on whether you prioritize cost or extensive selection.