Audible vs. Audiobooks.com: Which Is Better For You?

Audible, Audiobooks(.com), Scribd, Google Play, Libby. The list is just a small portion of the audiobook on-demand services offered out there. With the advent of streaming information and on-demand services ranging from movies, tv, games, and music, it only makes sense that audiobooks would join the fray.

If you’re a bibliophile, audiobooks offer a chance to explore a range of topics and listen to content before buying a physical copy autographed by the author, for example. And if reading books hasn’t made it into your hobby repertoire, audiobooks allow you to consume an unheard-of number of times per year. Listening to a book frees up your hands and eyes to continue doing routine tasks while your brain absorbs the spoken word. How amazing is that!

While we have a range of apps and services to explore, we’ll be focusing on two of the most popular ones out there: Audible and Audiobooks.com.

How Audiobooks.com Works

Audiobooks(.com) gives you one subscription option to work with. At $14.95 a month, you’ll receive one audiobook from their premium selection and one VIP selected work. Every month you’ll receive free credit to redeem for another premium work and a VIP book pick.

With over 200,00 titles to choose from, you won’t be starved for choice. And at a $14.95 price tag, receiving two books a month is a sweet deal. Besides the popular book choices, you’ll also have access to a library of over 700,000 podcasts. 

They offer apps on both Apple and Android devices and a web-based application that syncs across all platforms.

How Audible Works

Audible went through many changes in the past year, merging its plans and making their offerings more straightforward. Since Audible is an Amazon company, you’re guaranteed access to a premium selection of all top books on the market. You’ll be able to find everything from NYT bestsellers to Oprah’s Book Club picks.

The company offers two primary subscription options, with several bonus plans for the serious readers out there. The plans come down to an Audible Plus and an Audible Premium Plus Memberships.

Audible Plus

Audible Plus is the starter choice for most people considering its low financial entry point. At $7.95 a month, you’ll be receiving access to the Audible Plus Catalog of hundreds of thousands of books. You have unlimited ‘borrows,’ and the Audible Plus Catalog ultimately functions as a library. 

You’re free to download them for offline listening or stream them directly on most devices (Apple, Android, web, and tablet).

While the catalog might not include the latest, hottest releases from popular authors, you’ll still have a reliable selection of works you can consume at leisure for one monthly price. You can think of this plan as the Hulu of audiobooks. Maybe you won’t get the premium channels and shows, but you can still binge on older series.

Audible Premium Plus

The next tier of an Audible membership is Premium Plus, at $14.95 a month. This is the same price as the Audiobooks(.com) primary subscription.

You’ll receive the same library model we described in the Audible Plus membership, but you’ll also receive one credit per month to redeem on any Premium book.

Credits function as redeemable tokens for books and can provide immense value depending on the book you choose. Since each credit is the same value, it makes the most sense to redeem more expensive books and receive a discount. For example, since credit is roughly $7 (Premium Plus membership – Premium membership), buying a book worth $5 for the credit is not the best idea. Instead, you’d want to buy a book that’s more expensive to get the most value.

You’ll also receive a permanent 30% off any book you’d like to purchase from the Premium catalog, so keep that in mind when redeeming credits and converting your purchases! A book that’s $10, which might seem like an excellent value to redeem the credit, is $7 after your 30% off. 

Annual Memberships

Besides the two base plans, Audible provides yearly subscription options for those serious about their reading. The Premium Plus Annual membership option costs $149.50/year. This means instead of the $14.95 a month, you’d be paying $12.46 a month. You can also think of it as getting two months free. 

Audible & Audiobooks(.com) Comparison

Both companies offer nearly identical services, so it might be impossible to know which is the better pick. We’ll go through various important aspects of both libraries, such as book selections, pricing, value, ease of use, and logistical considerations like customer support when evaluating the platforms.

Audible Pros

1. The most obvious is that it has an extremely extensive library of books because of its Amazon affiliation. You’ll find everything from the latest releases to the top book club picks.
2. There are over 200,000 books in the Audible collection to choose from.
3. You receive the Audible’s Great Listening Guarantee, which ensures you can return any book for any reason, no questions asked!
4. The sound quality is high, at 64 KBPS.
5. It contains an extensive original content library that includes high-profile names and celebrities acting out various readings.
6. For as long as you have your subscription, you get 30% off all books.
7. Apps for Apple and Android devices besides web streaming.
8. Seamless sync between Kindle books and audiobooks on your devices.
9. If you have an Alexa device, you can get one free book a month by saying, “Alexa, what’s free from Audible?”

Audible Cons

1. Credits expire, so if you forget about your subscription for a bit when life gets busy, you might lose out on money in more ways than one.
2. If you’re like to sync a Kindle book and an Audible audiobook, you have to purchase both versions separately.
3. Recommendations aren’t as sophisticated as they could be.

Audiobooks(.com) Pros

1. It has a great sign-on deal. Your first month is free as you try the service out, and you receive three free books during your trial!
2. You have an Amazon company alternative, in case not providing Bezos more billions is a prerogative of yours.
3. The book recommendations and browsing of books is more user-friendly.
4. An extensive podcast library with over 700,000 podcasts.
5. Apps for Apple and Android devices in addition to web streaming.
6. Great recommendation algorithm.

Audiobooks(.com) Cons

1. Audiobooks(.com) specifies that they give refunds at their discretion, meaning you might not return a book you didn’t enjoy.
2. The sound quality is significantly lower than Audible, although, for the layperson, it might not be noticeable.
3. Significantly lower premium selection and overall library than Audible.
4. No unlimited streaming option like with Audible.
5. VIP book picks aren’t the best quality.

Take advantage of their free trial offers back-to-back, then make the best decision that’s right for you!

Sign up for your Audiobooks.com Free Trial.

Sign up for your Audible Free Trial.

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