1. Libby 84/100
$0 with a library card · iOS, Android, Web
Free audiobooks and ebooks with a library card, in an app that is genuinely pleasant, and the friendliest ownership terms possible because you were only ever borrowing.
The catch: Holds queues on popular titles; the waiting is the price.
Read the full Libby review
INSTALL84/100
Almost everyone, first
- Reading and listening experience: 15 out of 20
- Library and catalog fit: 12 out of 15
- Ownership and lock-in: 15 out of 15
- Sync and cross-platform: 8 out of 10
- Discovery and tracking: 7 out of 10
- Price honesty: 10 out of 10
- Accessibility: 8 out of 10
- Staying power: 9 out of 10
DESK REVIEW · PROVISIONAL
2. Libro.fm 80/100
$16.99/mo (1 credit) — desk-checked, unverified · iOS, Android, Web
The same credit price as Audible for DRM-free files you keep in a portable format, with a share going to a bookstore you pick.
The catch: No included catalog tier; exclusives live elsewhere.
Read the full Libro.fm review
INSTALL80/100
Anyone who wants to own their audiobooks
- Reading and listening experience: 15 out of 20
- Library and catalog fit: 12 out of 15
- Ownership and lock-in: 15 out of 15
- Sync and cross-platform: 8 out of 10
- Discovery and tracking: 6 out of 10
- Price honesty: 9 out of 10
- Accessibility: 7 out of 10
- Staying power: 8 out of 10
DESK REVIEW · PROVISIONAL
3. Audible 75/100
$14.95/mo (1 credit) — desk-checked, unverified · iOS, Android, Web, Alexa
The deepest catalog and the exclusives, priced fairly at one book a month and badly at four, with ownership terms that keep your library inside Audible.
The catch: Your library lives inside the walls; credit pileup is the classic waste.
Read the full Audible review
SAMPLE FIRST75/100
One-book-a-month listeners who want exclusives
- Reading and listening experience: 16 out of 20
- Library and catalog fit: 14 out of 15
- Ownership and lock-in: 6 out of 15
- Sync and cross-platform: 9 out of 10
- Discovery and tracking: 7 out of 10
- Price honesty: 6 out of 10
- Accessibility: 8 out of 10
- Staying power: 9 out of 10
DESK REVIEW · PROVISIONAL
4. Chirp 74/100
$0.99-$5.99 per deal, no subscription — desk-checked · iOS, Android, Web
Deep discounts on a rotating catalog with no monthly fee, which beats credits for anyone willing to buy on the deal's schedule instead of their own.
The catch: The catalog is the day's deals; patience and a wishlist are the method.
Read the full Chirp review
INSTALL74/100
Readers who refuse another subscription
- Reading and listening experience: 13 out of 20
- Library and catalog fit: 10 out of 15
- Ownership and lock-in: 12 out of 15
- Sync and cross-platform: 7 out of 10
- Discovery and tracking: 8 out of 10
- Price honesty: 9 out of 10
- Accessibility: 7 out of 10
- Staying power: 8 out of 10
DESK REVIEW · PROVISIONAL
5. Everand 67/100
$11.99/mo — desk-checked, unverified · iOS, Android, Web
One fee for audiobooks and ebooks together, genuinely good value past two books a month, as long as you accept that a rental catalog can shift under you.
The catch: Title availability can shift for heavy users; the catalog is a rotating license, not a shelf.
Read the full Everand review
SAMPLE FIRST67/100
Fast omnivores across both formats
- Reading and listening experience: 14 out of 20
- Library and catalog fit: 12 out of 15
- Ownership and lock-in: 4 out of 15
- Sync and cross-platform: 8 out of 10
- Discovery and tracking: 8 out of 10
- Price honesty: 6 out of 10
- Accessibility: 7 out of 10
- Staying power: 8 out of 10
DESK REVIEW · PROVISIONAL
6. Spotify Audiobooks 67/100
Included with Premium, $11.99/mo, ~15 listening hours — desk-checked, unverified · iOS, Android, Web, Desktop
A monthly hours allowance folded into a subscription you already pay, which is excellent for light listeners and a trap for anyone reading a 30-hour epic.
The catch: The cap punishes long books and rereads; catalog gaps exist.
Read the full Spotify Audiobooks review
SAMPLE FIRST67/100
Premium subscribers who listen occasionally
- Reading and listening experience: 13 out of 20
- Library and catalog fit: 11 out of 15
- Ownership and lock-in: 4 out of 15
- Sync and cross-platform: 9 out of 10
- Discovery and tracking: 7 out of 10
- Price honesty: 7 out of 10
- Accessibility: 7 out of 10
- Staying power: 9 out of 10
DESK REVIEW · PROVISIONAL
7. Hoopla 77/100
$0 with a participating library card · iOS, Android, Web
Instant borrows with no holds queue, capped monthly by your library, which makes it the perfect companion to Libby rather than a replacement.
The catch: Caps vary by library, commonly 4-10 borrows a month; catalog overlaps Libby only partly.
Read the full Hoopla review
INSTALL77/100
Impatient borrowers
- Reading and listening experience: 13 out of 20
- Library and catalog fit: 10 out of 15
- Ownership and lock-in: 15 out of 15
- Sync and cross-platform: 8 out of 10
- Discovery and tracking: 6 out of 10
- Price honesty: 10 out of 10
- Accessibility: 7 out of 10
- Staying power: 8 out of 10
DESK REVIEW · PROVISIONAL