7 Best Audible Alternatives To Download Cheap Or Free Audiobooks
In the world of audiobooks, Audible has always dominated. While Audible is currently the largest seller of audiobooks in the world, it may not be your best choice since audiobooks downloaded from Audible are not cheap. If you are a frugal person like me, then you may be looking for other best Audible alternatives to listen to cheap or free audiobooks.
Luckily, the audiobook market is booming, and there are already a variety of Audible alternatives on the market that offer free subscriptions, exclusive content, and more. So, in this article, we will introduce you to a few of the top Audible alternatives that can help you listen to audiobooks on any device.
Article Content No. 1 LibbyNo. 2 ChirpNo. 3 Audiobooks.comNo. 4 EverandNo. 5 Libro.fmNo. 6 Kobo BooksNo. 7 SpotifyBonus: How to Play Audible on Any Other DevicesConclusion
No. 1 Libby
Are you tired of Audible’s pricey subscription service? Well then let me introduce you to the first recommended on the list of best Audible alternatives: Libby. Libby is a free app where you can enjoy ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines from your public library. Made by Overdrive, it can connect directly to your local library's entire database of e-books and audiobooks. With a valid library card, you can borrow content from your library in Libby for free. There are no subscription costs, no in-app purchases, and no late fees.
You can listen to audiobooks in Libby using its iOS or Android apps, Fire tablets, Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and web browser. Libby is also compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. One of the helpful features of the Libby app is that when you’re listening to audiobooks, you can actually see the percentage sign for your progress while Audible doesn’t offer this feature.
For Libby, there are no desktop capabilities. Although Libby is a free audiobook platform, it has certain shortcomings in providing audiobooks. Due to publisher restrictions, many popular books or some newly published books may not be available or may not be put on the platform as soon as possible. While you may have to spend some time waiting for audiobooks to be available, as a free platform to get audiobooks, you can still choose it as the great Audible alternative.
No. 2 Chirp
The second best alternative to Audible is Chirp. Chirp is a daily audiobook deal site with no membership plan or fees that offers a variety of audiobooks at discounted prices. For anyone who occasionally wants to listen to audiobooks, Chrip is a bonus. Here you can get the books for at least 5-10% less than the original price. Plus, Chirp's website is very clean and easy to navigate. Once you’ve bought an audiobook, you can listen to it on the free Chirp app from your phone or tablet or you can stream it from your computer because they are not DRM-free guaranteed titles. And, like Audible, they have a money-back guarantee, so if you buy an audiobook and hate it, they’ll give you a refund.
However, the audiobook deals in Chirp change daily, thus making it a negative point because you might be able to complete the book at a different price. Plus, audiobook resources are limited in Chirp.
No. 3 Audiobooks.com
In the list of the best Audible alternatives, Audiobooks.com is also the one I would recommend to you. Audiobooks.com offers a wide selection of audiobooks, from bestselling fiction to textbooks. It also has a huge selection of podcasts, as well as a good choice of free audiobooks. The service has apps for iOS and Android, which have helpful features like offline listening and a sleep timer.
Audiobooks.com works in a very similar way to Audible, and you pay a monthly subscription fee. But luckily, the service offers a 30-day free trial. You will get your first 3 audiobooks free. After the free trial, the cost is USD 14.95 per month. Additionally, Audiobooks.com offers an audiobook club. By joining one of 8 clubs, you can listen to unlimited audiobooks in many categories for 30 days.
Compared with Audible, one of the biggest downsides of Audioooks.com is that its selection of audiobooks is still not quite as extensive. That being said, if you’re through with Amazon, which owns Audible, then Audiobooks.com is an excellent option.
No. 4 Everand
In the list of the best Audible alternatives, you can also try Everand (formerly Scribd). It is also a subscription service that provides members access to millions of audiobooks, ebooks, and other digital media. All content read or listened to on Everand can be synced across multiple devices, and the app has features you’d expect for an audiobook player, including the ability to customize your narration speed, set a sleep timer, and download audiobooks to listen offline.
If you are happy to explore a large digital library for your next listen and are not concerned about owning your audiobooks, Everand is a great Audible alternative. As a bonus, you also get access to other digital media including eBooks, magazines, podcasts, sheet music, and Snapshots.
No. 5 Libro.fm
Libro.fm is also one of the top alternatives to Audible, allowing you to access a huge library of over 150,000 titles. With a subscription, you can get one free credit and redeem it against any book of your choice, and as a subscriber, you also get 30% off any additional audiobooks each month. Libro.fm's dedication to supporting independent bookstores and DRM-free audiobooks also makes it a superior choice.
All audiobooks on Libro.fm are DRM-free. Once you get DRM-free audiobooks, it means there is no license on the media, limiting you from owning the audio file. On the other hand, Audible audiobooks are DRM-protected, so when you purchase and download the title, you purchase the title, you do not necessarily own the media files forever.
No. 6 Kobo Books
Audiobook fans looking for the best Audible alternatives should consider trying Kobo Books, especially if you're sick of Audible's bloated interface. Kobo is a cloud eReading service launched by the Canadian bookstore chain Indigo Books and Music in February 2009. Like Audible, it’s a subscription service, so you pay a monthly fee, but luckily, the price is surprisingly low and only $9.99 a month. As part of your subscription, you get one free audiobook each month.
The one major downside to the Kobo Audiobook service is the slightly confusing versions and formats. Kobo also includes their ebook selection in their search engine, so it can sometimes be unclear whether a book is in audio format, or ebook format until you look closer. While this can be annoying for some, the low prices and relatively decent library size make it well worth it for many users.
No. 7 Spotify
Spotify serves as one of the best Audible alternatives. The audiobook monthly subscription on Spotify costs $9.99 and includes 15 free listening hours of audiobooks. But Spotify Premium subscribers get 15 hours of audiobooks, plus ad-free music. More than 300,000 audiobook titles are presently accessible in specific regions for Spotify Premium users, spanning diverse genres and titles.
Right now, there's a small selection of free audiobooks on Spotify, so you can start listening without spending any money. It's also worth noting that the selection of free audiobooks varies by country and varies over time too.
Bonus: How to Play Audible on Any Other Devices
These best Audible alternatives are becoming more and more popular because most of us lead pretty busy lives these days, and we don’t always have the time to sit down and dedicate ourselves to reading as much as we’d like to. Do you use one of the Audible alternatives above? If you realize that every service isn't your jam, you can turn to Audible again. And we will share a good partner here to work with Audible audiobooks.
As Audible books are protected by DRM, you are restricted from moving them outside Audible and can only be played on devices compatible with AA/AAX audio formats, such as Audible app. If you want to play audiobooks on any device, then you'd better remove DRM and convert AA/AAX audio formats to the common MP3 format.
TuneSolo Audible Converter stands out as a robust tool employing advanced technology for effortless removal of Audible's DRM (Digital Rights Management) with just one click, achieving an impressive speed of 60 times the normal rate. Additionally, it offers the convenience of batch-converting audiobooks into various audio formats such as MP3, FLAC, M4B, AAC, among others. Throughout this conversion process, the original sound quality and ID3 tags of all audiobooks remain intact. Moreover, this converter provides users with the flexibility to divide extensive audiobooks into smaller segments based on chapters, time, and other criteria, facilitating the organized management of downloaded audiobooks.
How to Play Audiobooks on Any Other Devices
Step 1. Download and Launch TuneSolo Audible Converter
Begin by downloading and installing TuneSolo Audible Converter on your computer. Access the official website for the download or use the secure button provided below for an immediate download. Following a successful installation, execute the application on your computer.
Step 2. Choose Audible AA/AAX Files for Conversion
After successful installation, locate the audiobook download directory. Opt for the AA/AAX file you intend to convert, then click "Add Audiobook" on the main interface of TuneSolo Audible Converter. Alternatively, you can simplify the process by directly dragging and dropping AA/AAX files into the converter interface.
Step 3. Specify the Output Format
Having uploaded the AA/AAX file, proceed to the next step by accessing the "Output Format" drop-down menu. Opt for MP3 as the preferred format for converting Audible AA/AAX books. Additionally, you can customize parameters such as bitrate, sample rate, audio channels, and conversion speed to meet your specific requirements.
Step 4. Commence the Conversion
Initiate the conversion process by selecting the "Convert" button located at the top of the primary interface. This action will start transforming the selected audiobooks into the designated output format.
Conclusion
As you see, some of the best Audible alternatives are shared in this guide. What is the best Audible alternative? Well, that depends on what you value most in an audiobook service as they each have something unique to offer. But if you want to play Audible audiobooks on any device, then you'd better convert AA/AAX audio formats to MP3 format. Now you can click the safe button below to try TuneSolo Audible Converter to listen to audiobooks on any device.
TuneSolo
Audible Converter
Download & Convert Audible AA/AAX books to DRM-free MP3