A premium membership is required to access the stunning Audible website, where you may listen to podcasts and audiobooks. The top ten free alternatives to Audible are what we’ll be presenting today. Since the beginning of time, we have been reading and studying the virtues of books, which have become an essential part of our society. These have reportedly been replaced in the present day by ebooks, which are books that can be read electronically. Although we are aware that nothing is truly permanent, including technology, audiobooks are now a common purchase.
Nowadays, listening to audiobooks is more convenient than reading them; while book enthusiasts will always prefer reading, those of us who like listening want to hear it after a long day. The wonderful thing about audiobooks is that you can listen to them while multitasking and saving time by doing things like jogging, running, exercising, and even cooking.
A subsidiary of Amazon Inc., Audible is a business that deals in these kinds of products. Because it offers a huge selection of audiobooks for learning, understanding, researching, entertaining, etc., the business has gained worldwide recognition.
One of the biggest retailers and makers of audiobooks, Audible, requires a monthly membership, which many of us cannot afford. As a result, we have chosen the top 10 free alternatives to audible for you.
The Top 5 Free Alternatives to Audible in 2023
We are all aware of how excellent Audible is and the services they provide. This doesn’t alter the fact that we cannot afford the little fee they are asking for their services, and if something is offered for free, why pay? Without spending any more time, let’s look at the top audible substitutes listed below.
1. Overdrive
One of the most similar audible substitutes on the market is overdrive. The service is provided without charge, however a local library card is required. You can use the services quickly if you already have a library card.
You may use Overdrive to borrow a variety of books from the more than 30,000 libraries listed on their website. For a set fee, you can rent specific textbooks from your neighbourhood library. The only difference is that rather of reading it, you will be able to hear it.
On the Overdrive app, there are more than two million audiobooks available. If you have an iOS-based device or an Android smartphone, you can use these. Additionally accessible for Windows 10 is Overdrive.
2. Librivox
Livribox, another top audible substitute on the market, offers audiobooks to its customers all over the globe. Isn’t it unusual that Livribox allows volunteers to record audiobooks for the public domain?
Librivox offers a huge selection of audiobooks in many different languages, ranging from regional to technical. Consequently, your search for audiobooks in regional languages has come to an end.
Librivox is available without a subscription or rental fee. The absence of an iOS or Android app is the sole disadvantage to this lovely service. Only the website can broadcast Librivox content online.
3. Libby
One of the programmes like Overdrive that allows you to browse a variety of audiobooks is Libby. Better navigation is possible with Libby’s customizable user interface.
Similar to Overdrive, you may also borrow books with your local library card. Additionally, Libby allows you to download the audiobooks so that you can listen to them at a later time. It also synchronises your audiobook listening position so that you can pick up where you left off on another device.
4. Spotify
one of the most widely used services for downloading and streaming music. Spotify delivers live podcasts, audiobooks, and other content in addition to its large global music library.
Both a free and premium version of Spotify are available; the paid version enables high-quality audio file downloads. Although you cannot download audiobooks with the free subscription, you can listen to them for free.
No other audio streaming services can compare to the audio quality of the free subscription. You can make a playlist on Spotify and share it with others, and the navigation is clear and well-organized.
5. Hoopla
Hoopla is free to use, and the majority of the services it offers may be accessed without any problems. We cannot, however, claim that it is a full-fledged Audible substitute. Similar to Overdrive, Hoopla allows you to borrow and rent books from a variety of local libraries.
Although the user interface is well-organized and similar to Audible, you shouldn’t anticipate it to have many features. But if you’ve never used Audible before, you’ll like it much more.
6. AudioBooksNow
Over 120,000 audiobooks are available on AudioBooksNow, and more are being added daily. This application’s user interface may be adjusted, and functions like the timer and listening speed can be modified.
When compared to Audible, AudioBooksNow has the best services and deals. The monthly membership is just $4.99 and includes new books every month at a 50% discount. The app is accessible on iOS, Android, and Windows.
7. StoryTel
One of the services that Indian people choose is StoryTel. Numerous regional languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Marathi, etc., are supported.
One of the greatest Audible substitutes with a straightforward user interface and well-thought-out organisation.
Additionally, StoryTel allows you to share recommendations for the books you’ve listened to on social media sites.
8. Scribd
The website Scribd offers both text books and audiobooks. One of the finest alternatives to Audible is the more than a million audiobooks that can be explored for free.
The membership to Scribd, which is very similar to Audible and provides a one-month free trial, costs $9.99 a month.
9. Estories
For Android and iOS devices, the Estories app offers more than 120,000 books in a variety of genres, languages, categories, etc.
Estories has a larger monthly membership fee than Audible, yet it is still worthwhile. There are three membership levels: basic, plus, and premium, with monthly prices beginning at $11.99 for each.
10. DownPour
one of the most well-known suppliers of book reading services, with more than 80,000 audiobooks accessible globally. You may customise DownPour using an app by, for example, changing the narrative pace or making a wishlist. Making a brief note while listening to an audiobook is also possible.
DownPour’s monthly membership fee is $12.99.
Final Reflections
No other alternative services that are offered on the industry can be compared to Audible. For Audible, you can sign up for a 30-day trial and pay $14.95 per month, but for Indian users (who can subscribe to Indian Audible using a VPN), the monthly cost is only Rs. 199. Before enrolling, we advise you to check out the free Audible options or make advantage of the free trial.
