This Audiobooks.com review reveals a huge library and low-cost subscription model, making it a viable alternative to Audible; plus, the new book club gives you unlimited listening to older titles. However, there are drawbacks.
Having used the service for over three years, I can provide an overview that will help you decide whether to use Audiobooks.com, Audible, or Scribd.
Audioooks.com Rating |
4.0/5.0 |
💸 Pricing |
★★★★★ |
| 🚦 Audiobook Availability | ★★★★★ |
| 📰 Library Depth | ★★★★★ |
| ↩ Returns Policy |
★★✩✩✩ |
| ☎ Customer Support |
★★★✩✩ |
Review Summary
This Audiobooks.com review reveals an excellent selection of over 375,000 audiobooks at competitive prices. Their highly rated, easy-to-use app makes it worthy of being your audiobook service of choice. Two drawbacks are that the book returns policy needs improving and that there is no smart speaker support.
With access to over 300,000 audiobook titles and new releases arriving quickly, you will not notice any difference between the Audible service and Audiobooks.com.
Importantly, like Audible, you own the book, which means that even if you terminate your subscription, you should have access to your audiobooks; for me, this is vital.
Firstly, there is no easily discernible way to return a book you are unhappy with. Looking into the user agreement, it says: “Audiobooks.com grants refunds at our sole discretion. We do not offer refunds on any subscription charges”.
Secondly, there is no support for smart speakers like Alexa, Apple, or Google Now.
Pros
★ You Own the Book for Life
★ Large Library 300K+ Titles
★ All You Can Read Book Clubs
★ App Store Rating 4.3 ☆
★ Android & Apple Apps Available
Cons
✘ Book Returns Policy
✘ No Smart Speaker Support
Key Features
| ⚡ Features |
300,000 Audiobooks |
| 🏆 Unique Features |
Audiobook Club Free Books |
| 🎯 Best for | Serious Bookworms |
| ♲ Subscription | Monthly, Yearly |
| 💰 Price |
$14.95/mo |
| 💻 OS | Android, Apple |
| ✂ Discount | None Available |
| ✂ Region | Global |
Pricing
Free Trial
Audiobooks.com offers a free 30-day trial during which you can access one free credit to exchange for one audiobook, plus access to 2 VIP books. This is an excellent free trial.
Monthly Membership
The monthly membership costs $14.95, which gets you one credit for a book you own and access to an additional VIP book from a selection they have curated.
This means the average cost per book is $7.48.
The only issue is that you do not own the VIP book. It will always be in your library, but you will only have access to the books you purchased with a credit if you end your subscription.
This means all the VIP books will be removed as they were only loaned to you and not purchased by you.
This means the real cost per book should you end your subscription is $14.95.
On the positive side, they are always running 2-for-1 deals, which means that if you buy books in the deal, your average cost per book may drop to $7.50.
Book Club
Audiobooks have introduced a great new member benefit called book club. Instead of spending your book credit on a single book, you can spend it on 30 days of access to one of 8 book clubs. The book clubs focus on the genres of Romance, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Health, Business, and Religion.
When you join one of these book clubs, you get unlimited access to featured books. I checked, and at least 200 books are available in each book club. This is an innovative new offering. The only downside is that most books are over two years old, so do not expect the latest bestsellers to be included.
Finally, spending your credit on the book club does not mean you have purchased a book you keep forever; you have essentially rented access to unlimited books for 30 days.
Audiobook vs. Audible vs. Scribd
| Audiobooks vs. Scribd vs. Audible Results |  |
 |
 |
| Rating |
★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Do You Own the Audiobook? | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Lifetime Access to Books | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Audiobooks Collection | 375,000+ | 520,000+ | 40,000 est |
| # Audiobooks/month | 1 | 1 | Unlimited/Throttled |
| Audio Quality | Good (32 kbps) | Excellent (64kbps) | Good (32 kbps) |
| Membership /month | $14.95 | $14.95 | $9.95 |
| Membership /yearly | $179.40 | $149.50 | – |
| Visit | Audiobooks | Audible | Scribd |
Library
Audiobooks.com has a library of over 375,000 audiobooks, second only to Audible’s library of 520,000 books.
The Audiobooks.com library is the easiest to browse and find new books to listen to online and on the mobile app. The layout and curated recommendation engine are very good indeed. The selection of books and bestsellers is huge, equal to that of Audible, and vastly superior to Scribd.
Customer Service & Returns Policy
Audiobooks.com needs to seriously improve its returns policy and customer service. Any book returns are at Audiobooks.com’s sole discretion. With Audible, you have a guaranteed book return policy within 12 months of purchase, meaning you can return a book for any reason, even if you have listened to it through to the end. That is a great returns policy.
As mentioned previously, the ability to return a book any time you do not like is a critical feature.
Unlike Audible, with Audiobooks.com, there is no easily discernible way to return a book you are unhappy with.
The Audiobooks.com user agreement states, “Audiobooks.com grants refunds at our sole discretion. We do not offer refunds on any subscription charges.”
App & Device Compatibility
App Store Rating: 4.3 ☆ Good
The Audiobooks.com App is very simple and easy to use. I particularly like the recommendation engine and the visual browsing screen. It has the best book browsing and shopping experience of any audiobook app.
However, viewing your library could be improved in the app as the book thumbnails are large and difficult to navigate.
The app has all the important features, such as a sleep timer, notes, bookmarks, and playback speed control.
I like the ability to follow an author and be notified of future releases easily; this is something Audible does not have.
The only App functionality missing is car mode, which helps you easily navigate the interface while driving. Finally, if you own a smart speaker like Alexa, you will be disappointed because there is no Alexa or Google Now integration.
Review Summary
Audiobooks.com has an excellent selection of over 200,000 audiobooks. Competitive pricing combined with an easy-to-use app makes it worthy of being your audiobook service of choice. The only drawback is that the returns policy is opaque.
2 Reasons Why Audiobooks.com is Better Than Audible
- The Audiobooks.com App is better; browsing for new books to listen to on mobile is a slightly better and more curated experience with Audiobooks.com.
- If you do not want to keep feeding the Jeff Bezos billionaire profit machine, go for Audiobooks.com; it is an excellent service and the best Amazon/Audible alternative.
FAQ
Is audiobooks.com legit?
Yes, Audiobooks.com is a legitimate and trustworthy company. AudioBooks.com is owned by Storytel, a privately owned Swedish company that has been in business since 2006.
Who owns Audiobooks.com?
Audiobooks.comis owned by Swedish company StoryTel, founded in 2006 by Jon Hauksson and Jonas Tellander. StoryTel is a rare example of a European company trying to compete with the might of Amazon's Audible service.
Do audiobooks come with text or PDFs?
Yes, some audiobooks do come with text. Usual non-fiction audiobooks, like self-improvement or "how-to" books, require written support documents and diagrams. So, prescriptive non-fiction books usually have a complimentary pdf to support the audio.
How to cancel my Audiobooks.com subscription?
Canceling your Audiobooks.com subscription is easy. Simply visit your account page and click cancel the subscription. It is important to note that if you cancel your subscription, you will still have lifetime access to all the audiobooks you purchased, but the VIP free books will be removed from your library.
How much are books on Audiobooks.com?
At full price, books on Audiobooks.com cost $14.95, equivalent to 1 monthly credit. But in reality, Audiobooks.com have year-round 2-for-1 deals and special sales that reduce the prices by up to 70%.
How to download books from Audiobooks.com?
You can easily download books from Audiobooks.com by clicking the download button in your library. However, as with all audiobook companies, these downloads are DRM protected, and you can only listen through the App or web browser. You cannot download MP3 or AAC versions.
Is Audiobooks.com safe?
Yes, as a subscriber, I can say that Audiobooks.com is a safe service with a reliable app and a trustworthy company background.
Can you download audiobooks from audiobooks.com with a free trial?
Yes, you can download audiobooks from Audiobooks.com with a free trial, but you can only listen to them through the App. You cannot download an audiobook as an MP§ or non-DRM AAC file.
Can you listen to books at different speeds on Audiobooks.com?
Yes, the Audiobooks.com app allows you to select your listening speed. Simply select playback speed in the app and change it. I recommend 1.2x for optimal speed.
Features, Benefits & Costs Table
|
Audiobook Service
|
|
|---|---|
| Our Rating | ☆☆☆☆ |
| Audiobook Type | Full |
| Do You Own the Audiobook | ✔ |
| Lifetime Access to Books | ✔ |
| Audiobooks Collection | 150K+ |
| Membership /month | $14.95 |
| # Audiobooks | 2 /month |
| Cost per book /monthly subscription | $7.48 |
| Subscription Required | Yes |
| Audio Quality | Good |
| Books Return Policy | At Vendors Discretion |
| Customer Support | Phone, Chat, Email |
| Podcasts | ✔ |
| App Store Rating | 4.3 ☆ |
| Devices | iPhone, Android, PC, Mac |
| Smart Speaker | ✘ |
Audiobooks.com Unmasked: Comprehensive Review & Analysis
This Audiobooks.com review reveals a huge library and low-cost subscription model, making it a viable alternative to Audible; plus, the new book club gives you unlimited listening to older titles. However, there are drawbacks.
Product SKU: NA
Product Brand: Audiobooks.com
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 14.95
Price Valid Until: 2025-01-21
Product In-Stock: InStock
4
A one-book-per-month subscription has no appeal for me. I listen to audiobooks daily–easily finishing one book a week, so need a subscription or membership service that can offer unlimited books, preferably by check-out. I have no desire to own most of the books I “read”. Currently have a Libby app through my local library but would love a broader selection base. Many of the books I search for on the Libby app are not there, so I’m not sure if simply not available in recorded format or Libby couldn’t get copyright. Any advice or insight?
Hi Ann
I would suggest Scribd would meet your requirements. Check it out here https://www.greatworklife.com/best-audiobook-subscription-services/ and the Scribd vs Audible review https://www.greatworklife.com/scribd-vs-audible/
I’d rather read a book than listen to an audiobook. I can’t focus while someone else is reading for me