Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you — it never changes the order we recommend in, and the free route is always shown on every price-check page. Platform prices and catalog sizes below are each platform's published figures as carried on our platform pages, except Spotify's, which we verified directly (see its note).
At a glance
| Platform | How it works | Price | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audible 30-day free trial | credit membership | $14.95/mo after a 30-day free trial | 750,000+ titles |
| Scribd Unlimited access | all-you-can-listen | $11.99/mo | 1M+ titles (audiobooks + ebooks) |
| Libro.fm Supports indie stores | credit membership | $14.99/mo | 400,000+ titles |
| Storytel 14-day free trial | all-you-can-listen | $14.99/mo after a 14-day free trial | 500,000+ titles |
| Downpour DRM-free downloads | credit membership (club) | $12.99/mo (club) | 100,000+ titles |
| Google Play Books No subscription needed | pay-per-title | Pay-per-title (no subscription) | Large catalog |
| Apple Books Apple devices only | pay-per-title | Pay-per-title (no subscription) | — |
| Spotify 15 hrs/month included with Premium | hours-based | Premium includes 15 hrs/month of audiobook listening; Audiobooks Access $9.99/mo (same 15 hrs, music stays on the free tier) | 700,000+ titles (Premium subscriber catalogue, US) |
Platform by platform
Audible — $14.95/mo after a 30-day free trial
The world's largest audiobook catalog. Members get 1 credit per month to spend on any title, plus access to Audible Plus — a rotating library of thousands of included titles. You keep every book you buy, even if you cancel.
Catalog: 750,000+ titles · Platform figures checked October 2026
Scribd — $11.99/mo
Unlimited streaming access to audiobooks, ebooks, sheet music, magazines, and documents — all for one flat monthly price. Best value for heavy readers who want variety; the catalog is curated but wide-ranging.
Catalog: 1M+ titles (audiobooks + ebooks) · Platform figures checked October 2026
Libro.fm — $14.99/mo
A catalogue of 400,000+ titles that overlaps Audible's — though Audible exclusives aren't included — and every purchase directly supports your chosen independent bookshop: your $14.99/mo credit goes to a local store instead of Amazon.
Catalog: 400,000+ titles · Platform figures checked October 2026
Storytel — $14.99/mo after a 14-day free trial
Europe's leading audiobook platform, now available in the US and globally. Unlimited streaming with a strong international catalog and exclusive Storytel Originals — particularly good for non-English titles and Scandinavian literature.
Catalog: 500,000+ titles · Platform figures checked October 2026
Downpour — $12.99/mo (club)
Own-your-audio platform from Blackstone Publishing. DRM-free MP3 downloads play on any device, forever. Club membership gives a monthly credit plus 30% off à-la-carte purchases — an Audible alternative for ownership purists.
Catalog: 100,000+ titles · Platform figures checked October 2026
Google Play Books — Pay-per-title (no subscription)
No subscription required — buy individual audiobooks à la carte and they're yours forever, synced across all your Google-connected devices. Good for casual listeners who don't want a monthly commitment; frequent sales on popular titles.
Catalog: Large catalog · Platform figures checked October 2026
Apple Books — Pay-per-title (no subscription)
Apple's built-in bookstore for iPhone and iPad users. Buy and own individual titles — no subscription needed — seamlessly integrated with iOS and macOS, with a strong catalog of bestsellers, frequent deals and curated staff picks.
Catalog: not published · Platform figures checked October 2026
Spotify — Premium includes 15 hrs/month of audiobook listening; Audiobooks Access $9.99/mo (same 15 hrs, music stays on the free tier)
A third kind of plan: listening measured in hours, not credits. Included hours come with Premium (or the audiobooks-only Audiobooks Access plan); unused hours expire at month end and do not carry over, top-ups add 10 hours, and individual titles can also be bought à la carte via the Web Player. Market note: in Spotify's newest markets Premium includes 12 hrs/month from a 350k+ catalogue — hours are not the same everywhere.
Catalog: 700,000+ titles (Premium subscriber catalogue, US) · Figures checked Oct 22, 2026
The hours math (Spotify)
Spotify is the one plan priced in hours: Premium includes 15 hrs/month, and a book only costs the hours it actually runs — our price-check pages show each book's length against that allowance. A 30-hour epic takes two months of allowance (or a 10-hour top-up); a 7-hour novel fits inside one month with room to spare. Included hours expire monthly and never carry over, and the included hours are a Premium / Audiobooks Access benefit — not part of Spotify's free tier.