Audiobooks.com review
Audiobooks and podcasts for more than 1 million listening opportunities at a reasonable price.
Audiobooks.com runs neck and neck with Audible and Kobo, coming close to Audible’s professionalism and Kobo’s extensive library. Though it falls a bit short in both categories, it excels with its signup offer and a single-tiered, reasonably priced membership plan — and it’s a sure-fire winner for podcast lovers, with over 1.2 million podcast choices.
What is Audiobooks.com?
Its name says it all — Audiobooks.com is a Google-owned audiobook subscription service that lets you stream or download titles from its vast library to your preferred device through its app. The app experience is top-notch despite not being able to purchase content directly from it, and titles don’t land in your device automatically through download, but rather from the cloud.
Unlike other services, this is a great way to preserve space — and you can download whatever book suits you from there to listen while you’re on the go.
Its standout features include responsive live chat customer service, high-quality narration and beyond with approximately 1 million podcasts. And in addition to your monthly credit, Audiobooks.com gives you a second credit for a title in its VIP section. This “freebie” includes an opportunity to try out new authors, genres or titles you might be hesitant about committing to without forfeiting your credit.
But if you like banking your credits and avidly read while traveling, Audiobooks.com could be problematic. Credits earned have a three-month expiry date, and some titles are geoblocked in different areas.
Pros and cons
Pros
- One, easy-to-follow membership plan
- Books are downloaded to the cloud to save space on your device
- Easy to use across multiple devices
- Audio preview titles to test them out before selecting
- Over 1 million podcasts to choose from
- Appealing signup offer
Cons
- Unused credits expire in only three months
- Access to some books is geoblocked depending on your region
- Limited catalog compared to other audiobook providers
- More podcasts than audiobooks
- Reviewers report their memberships are difficult to cancel
How much does Audiobooks.com cost?
With Audiobooks.com you get your first book free plus two bonus books from its VIP category. If you like the service, you’ll pay a monthly fee of $14.95 plus tax to stream or download two audiobooks per month. There’s no commitment, so you can cancel anytime.
Does Audiobooks.com have a free trial?
Audiobooks offers a 30-day free trial that includes three free audiobooks. When you sign up, you get your first premium audiobook free plus two bonus VIP Rewards audiobooks.
After your free trial expires, you’ll be automatically billed your $14.95 monthly subscription fee to either your PayPal account or the credit card listed with Audiobooks.
What is the Audiobooks loyalty rewards program?
Like many audiobook libraries, Audiobooks.com offers a VIP Rewards program where listeners — even those who are on their free trial — can download books from an exclusive list for free every month. This is all in addition to the monthly credit system
Audiobooks.com reviews and complaints
What are others saying about Audiobooks? Check out these various platforms to see what they think:
| Platform | Review (Last updated October 14, 2020) |
|---|---|
| Apple App Store | 4.7 out of 5 stars (43,499 reviews) |
| Google Play | 4.3 out of 5 stars (39,875 reviews) |
Compare audiobook services
If you love the audiobook experience, check out other providers and services to compare your options and best meet your preferences.
Review by
Melanie Huddart
melanie.huddart@findercrew.comMelanie Huddart joined Finder’s editorial team in 2017, helping to polish up content across niches that include home loans, share trading, shopping and travel. Melanie earned a BA in Specialized Honors English and a BEd from York University in Toronto, Canada. When she isn’t focused on making articles shine, you can find her hanging with her son and her dog, practicing yoga or searching for the next greatest beach.
Expert review
Audiobooks.com offers an attractive signup to an easily accessible audio library that includes more than 1 million podcast recordings. But a comparatively limited audiobook selection, with some geoblocked titles to boot could make this provider seem like it has less to offer compared to other audiobook services.