In this busy world, it’s often hard to find time to read your favorite books, which can feel like your loneliness companions. That’s why the audiobook apps have come to the market, allowing users to enjoy listening to books even when they are travelling or on a road trip. However, choosing the best audiobook apps involves careful consideration.
So, to help you in this regard, here we’ll share with you a detailed review of popular audiobook apps, including free and those with iOS and Android device compatibility. Also, make you aware of different factors that you have to consider while choosing the audiobook app. So, keep reading!
What to look for in the best audiobook app?
An audiobook is indeed a digital software that allows you to listen to your favorite books instead of reading. Thus, it is considered the best alternative for busy persons or those who struggle with reading.
However when it comes to choosing the best audiobook app, then you shouldn’t rely solely on titles. Also consider other factors contributing towards enhancing your listening experience. For instance;
Rich Content Library: It’s worth mentioning that any audiobook app that you choose must suggest a diverse range of book titles. This is because it’s human nature that their mood swings are based on their emotions or surroundings.
Definitely you would prefer to listen to the content that matches your feelings at that time. Hence, an audiobook rich in content would always have something to cater to your needs, interests, or even your family’s taste.
Excellent User Experience: Besides content variety, how easily you explore and use all the features in the app is equally important. For your information, an audiobook offers difffertn amazing features like offline listening, playback speed control, bookmarks, and sleep timers.
So, the app you choose must have a simple interface that you just focus on listening instead of searching for the options.
Family Suitability: Furthermore, you know audiobook apps also offer the option to share it with your family members under the the same subscription. If you are planning the same, then you should take notice whether the app supports multiple profile or has parental controls.
In this way, you would make the listening experience both safe and personalized for both kids or adults.
Reasonable Pricing: If you go for the paid audiobooks apps, then do remember! A good audiobook always balances quality and cost. Choose one which offers a number of book titles at a reasonable price without hidden fees.
Monitor their habits for a healthier mindset!
The best audiobook apps reviewed
There are different audiobook apps available; however, choosing the right audiobook depends on your own listening habits, budget, or even the family’s needs. To help you in this regard, here I’m going to break down 7 popular audiobook apps along with their features, and pros & cons. So, lets dive in!
Audible: The Industry Leader
Audible is basically an Amazon-owned audiobook and podcast digital service that was first launched in 1995. It allows you to purchase your favourite books individually like you are buying any physical books. Or it also offers a monthly subscription plan in which you get credits which you can redeem to get access to its content library.
- Whispersync for Voice to switch seamlessly between reading & listening
- Sleep timer & adjustable narration speed
- Personalized recommendations based on listening habits
- Offline listening for books
- Vast, high-quality content library
- Excellent user experience & app navigation
- Frequent member discounts or credits
- Subscription can be expensive for casual listeners
Libro.fm: Support Local Bookstores
However, if we talk bout Libro.fm, then it shares almost the same book listening experience as Audible but it has meaningful twists. For instance, whenever you buy any online book from there, it asks you to choose your local bookstore to support. Once you choose it shares half of the profit with that store. This thoughtful approach helps local bookstores stay strong in today’s digital world.
- Supports indie bookstores with every purchase
- DRM-free downloads so you keep books forever
- Flexible membership or one-time purchase options
- Customizable playback with speed control & sleep timer
- Ethical, community-driven platform
- Excellent audio quality
- Flexible pricing options
- Smaller catalog than Audible
- No family sharing option
Scribd: The “Netflix for Books” Experience
Next, on our list is Scribd, which is a private digital library founded in 2007 by Trip Adler, Jared Friedman and Tikhon Bernstam. In the start, Scribd was called the YouTube for documents as it allowed anyone to self-publish on the site. Later on in November 2014 it has expanded its services by adding audiobooks to its subscription service.
- Access audiobooks, eBooks, magazines and sheet music in one app
- Personalized recommendations
- Bookmarks & notes
- Sync across multiple devices
- Affordable subscription for unlimited content
- User-friendly interface
- Wide variety of media
- Some titles rotate out periodically
- Internet required for certain content
Chirp Audiobooks: Affordable One-Time Purchases
As compared to the above audiobooks app that work on monthly subscriptions, Chirp basically offers a simple retail-style service. It means that you can buy any type of audiobook at a discounted price without worrying for the ongoing charges.
- Daily deals & deep discounts on popular audiobooks
- DRM-free downloads
- Adjustable playback speed, bookmarks and sleep timer
- Offline listening
- Budget-friendly pay-as-you-go model
- Easy-to-use interface
- No subscription required
- Smaller catalog than major apps
- No family sharing
Google Play Books & Apple Books: Best for One-Time Purchases
Last but not least, both Google Play Books & Apple Books are Google-owned services allowing you to purchase and download audiobooks. Keep in mind that Google Play Books works on both Android and iOS. On the other hand Apple Books are specific for iPhone, iPad, and Mac use.
- One-time purchase of books without a subscription
- Sync across devices
- Adjustable playback speed, bookmarks, and sleep timer
- Offline access
- Straightforward, no subscription needed
- High-quality audio
- Ideal for casual listeners
- Smaller selection than Audible
- No unlimited listening option
Best free audiobook apps
Libby by OverDrive: Free library listening
Libby is a free web and mobile app launched by OverDrive Inc. to give you access to a vast library of eBooks/audiobooks through your local library. For your information, almost 90% of North America’s public libraries use Libby, thus declaring it one of the easiest ways to enjoy free digital reading and listening.
All you need is a library card, and you can instantly borrow and listen to thousands of audiobooks without paying a single penny. It also allows you to sync across multiple devices and you can download the audiobooks for offline listening.
Loyal Books (formerly LibriVox): Classic audiobooks for free
Similarly, LibriVox also offers a huge collection of free audiobooks from the public domain. You know, these are actually the recordings of the vaokuntters who have read the chapters of the books. Becasue of its free access and simple interface, its considered best for casual listeners or students.
Spotify (limited free access): Where music meets storytelling
Spotify is actually a public Swedish audio streaming and podcast platform but it also offers a limited collection of free audiobooks. So, if you are already using Spotify for listening to music, then it would be a highly convenient option to use even for listening to your favorite titles.
Project Gutenberg: Free public domain audiobooks
Project Gutenberg is one of the classic digital libraries founded by American writer Michael S. Hart in 1971. They provided free access to the ebooks or audiobooks. But recently in September 2025, they collaborated with Microsoft and MIT to publish 5,000 AI-produced audiobooks.
Best audiobook app for iPhone/ Android
Below are the audiobooks that are available on both iPhone/Android, thus you don’t have to worry about the device compatibility!
Audiobooks.com
Audiobooks.com gives you access to a variety of audiobooks with handy features like offline listening, adjustable playback speed, and bookmarks. It also provides a 30-day free trial during which you have access to a broad range of titles. However, with a paid membership plan, you can listen to 500,000 premium audiobooks.
Also, by subscribing, you can get access to deals, Gifts, or even VIP rewards for its users. Well! VIP rewards are like a bonus for subscribers, in which you can listen to a selection of audiobooks each month without using the credits.
- Best for: Regular listeners who want a large premium library and handy features.
Kobo Books
Rakuten Kobo Inc., or simply Kobo is another platform supporting both iOS and Android versions. You know it’s basically a Canadian company that sells ebooks, audiobooks and e-readers. You can also switch between ebooks or audiobooks. It also offers one-time purchase options, so once you pay the book will be yours, hence eliminating the worry of ongoing charges.
- Best for: Those who want to enjoy eBooks & audiobooks with flexible purchase options.
Hoopla digital
However, Hoopla Digital is actually a web or mobile (iOS, Android) streaming platform that was launched in 2013. It gives you access to a wide range of digital media including audiobooks, eBooks, comics, manga, music, movies and TV shows.
You know Hoopla claims to have over 500,000 content titles across six formats and audiobooks comprising 35% of them. You can’t buy books directly from here. As it actually has a partnership with public libraries in North America,so if you have a library card from such libraries, only then can you stream or borrow books.
- Best for: Families & library users to get free access to diverse media.
You know an article regarding the audiobooks consumption values was published in the National Institute of Health’s journel. It reveals that they conducted a survey of 1,041 Vietnamese audiobook app users. This study shows that audiobook apps must focus on offers, novelty, and improved usability to boost engagement.
How to choose the right audiobook app for you?
Now you are familiar with the wide variety of audiobook apps available. However it’s worth mentioning that choosing the audiobook app isn’t just about the price or wide titles. You must consider some specific functions according to your needs that make the listening safer and more enjoyable especially for families.
- Children’s Mode & Parental Controls: If your kids want to use the audiobook app then you must help them choose the one that has parental control features. In this way, you’ll ensure that your kids enjoy only age-appropriate content.
- Offline Download: You mostly prefer listening to books because fo your busy routine right? So you should select those audiobook apps that offer the offline downloading facility. Hence, if you are travelling or in an area where the internet isn’t available, you can pass the time by listening to your favorite books.
- Adjustable Playback Speed: Also, everyone in this world likes to enjoy content at their own pace, and audiobooks are no different. You should also check the adjustable playback speed option. This way you can slow down the narration to fully understand or even speed up to finish books within a minimum time.
- Cross-Device Synchronization: In addition, if you like to listen to on multiple devices, then make sure that they have a syncing option. In this way, if you switch the device, then the app would remember exactly where you left off, along with your bookmarks, notes, or highlights.
- User-Friendly Interface: Last but not least, the audiobook app you choose must have simple, clean interface. So that both kids have adults don’t face any difficulty in navigating the features.
How can parents monitor and manage audiobook listening?
When it comes to kids, although audiobook apps aren’t like screen media, they can still affect kids’ mental well-being or even their studies. Being a parent, you have to actively monitor and manage your kids’ listening time and also the type of content they are exploring.
To ensure a safe and balanced exploration, the first step would be you choose the tiles that match your kids’ age and interests. Also, you should spend time with your kids and ask about which type of stores they are currently listening to. In this discussion, you could better guide your kids to understand the context and urge them to think by putting questions related to practical life.
Enhancing monitoring with FlashGet Kids features
If you want reliable control over your kids’ digital activities, you could consider integrating the FlashGet Kids functionality into your parental toolkit. Let’s have a closer look at its features for better understanding!
- Screen mirroring: This feature basically gives you the chance to see what your children are doing with their devices in real-time. Thus you will see what type of audiobooks your kids are listening to.
- Usage report: Also FlashGet Kids gives you access to detailed reports on the apps your kids use and how many hours they have spent listening to.
- Screen time: Kids mostly enjoy listening to books instead of reading. So, they might spend a lot of time on audiobook apps. However this excessive screen time may distract them from their studies. Don’t worry, owing to screen time, you can set time limitations on specific apps, thus if your kids try to exceed this limit, you will instantly be notified.
- Content filtering: FlashGet Kids also enables you to filter out the explicit content thus allowing a safe browsing experience.
- App blocking: Sometimes, kids may accidentally download some harmful apps because of watching ads on the free version of audiobooks on their devices. But if you have this app then it will restrict your kids from using such apps.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a lot of audiobook apps, both free and paid and have their own specific features. However, the thing that matters is you have to wisely choose among them according to your own needs and family interests. For instance, for kids, its best to go for those offering parental control features and have a simple interface.
FAQs
Of course most of the audiobook apps usually support cross-device synchronization, which means you can start listening on one device but also continue on another device too without losing page, notes or highlights.
Absolutely yes many audiobooks have the feature of offline listening, it means that whether you are travelling or anywhere with poor connectivity, you can even enjoy listening to your favorite books.
