Scribd review
Considered the Netflix of books, this service gives you unlimited access to audiobooks, e-books, magazines and more
Scribd is a library service that boasts access to unlimited books and audiobooks, plus millions of documents — all delivered digitally to you anywhere, anytime.
What is Scribd?
For $8.99 a month, Scribd gives you unlimited access to e-books, audiobooks, sheet music, documents and magazines. Find titles from publishers like Simon and Schuster, Penguin, Random House, Hachette, Harper Collins and Macmillan — but it’s lacking in indie authors and smaller production publications, making it hard to access some popular titles.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Unlimited access to audiobooks, e-books and magazines
- Available on most major formats, including Kindles and smartphones
- Low price compared to other services like Audible
Cons
- About half the audiobook library as Audible
- Users complain that unsubscribing isn’t straightforward
- High demand books are sometimes given restrictive access
How much does Scribd cost?
A monthly subscription gets you access to the entire Scribd collection. If you purchase Scribd with iTunes, you’re billed through your Apple account.
| Plan | Cost |
|---|---|
| Monthly membership | $8.99 |
| Scribd plus online New York Times subscription | $12.99 |
Does Scribd have a free trial?
Yes. Scribd offers a 7-day free trial for access to its entire collection. You’re required to give your credit card, and will be charged once the free trial ends. Be sure to cancel within 24 hours of the end of your trial if you don’t want to pay.
Scribd allows you to browse and read excerpts from any book without entering your payment info.
Scribd reviews and complaints
Scribd has fairly good reviews from the App Store and Google Play.
| Platform | Review (Last updated October 14, 2020) |
|---|---|
| App Store | 4.7 out of 5 stars (23,068 reviews) |
| Google Play | 4.5 out of 5 stars (513,560 reviews) |
Compare audiobook services
There’s no doubting that people who listen to a lot of audiobooks will find the unlimited access and compelling price hard to ignore with Scribd, but you may want to compare it against other services before you sign up.
Expert review
Review by
Leah Fallon
leah.fallon@findercrew.comLeah Fallon is an editor for Finder. With 10 years of teaching English under her belt, it was a natural progression to move into editorial. She's written feature pieces for regional print and digital media and today helps fix annoying apostrophes, elusive infinitives and the muddled em and en dash. When she's not helping people with their finances, you can find her exploring the trails of Loudoun County, Virginia and wrangling her two sprightly girls.
Expert review
If you enjoy online access to popular books on the NYT reading list, Scribd is worth considering. It doesn’t have much in the way of indie and smaller publications, so you might find its collection limiting. To find out more about audiobooks, visit our guide on audiobook services.
