What is the best free audiobook app?

Libby, if you have a library card from a participating library. Hoopla is worth adding where your library offers it, within the borrowing limits your library sets.

Do you keep Audible books if you cancel?

On Premium, yes: the one audiobook a month is yours to keep. On Standard, no: you can listen only while you are a member.

Does Spotify Premium include audiobooks?

Select Premium plans include 15 hours of audiobook listening a month. Unused hours expire at the end of each month, and you can buy 10-hour top-ups.

An audiobook store and membership that shares profits with more than 4,000 independent bookshops. Membership is $14.99 a month for one credit, credits never expire, and the audiobooks are DRM-free.

What is the best audiobook app in 2026?

If you pay for audiobooks, Audible Premium suits most listeners: one audiobook a month to keep, plus 150,000+ included titles, for $14.95 a month on audible.com. If you can wait for holds, Libby gives you library audiobooks for free. Libro.fm is the pick if you want DRM-free audiobooks and to support an independent bookshop.

By the Best Reading Apps editors · Checked 30 October 2026 · Desk research

Our pick

$8.99

Audible

Our pick if you pay for audiobooks

More than 1 million audiobooks and podcasts, 150,000+ included with Premium, and one title a month you keep even if you cancel. Read & Listen (formerly Whispersync for Voice) moves between the Kindle ebook and the audiobook, and Immersion Reading highlights the text as the narrator reads.

The catch: The cheaper Standard plan ($8.99 a month) only lets you listen while you are subscribed, and unused selections do not roll over. The App Store lists higher in-app prices, such as $15.99 for Premium Monthly, so check where you sign up.

Also good

Best for owning DRM-free audiobooks

Libro.fm

$14.99 a month for one credit that never expires, DRM-free files, and profits shared with more than 4,000 independent bookshops.

The catch: No included catalog to listen to beyond your credits and purchases.

Best if you already pay for Spotify Premium

Spotify audiobooks

Select Premium plans include 15 hours of audiobook listening a month from a catalog of over 700,000 titles.

The catch: You get hours, not books. Unused hours expire each month, and long books can use up a month quickly.

Best for mixing ebooks and audiobooks on one plan

Everand

One plan for audiobooks and ebooks, from $11.99 a month for 1 title a month, and Fable Plus is included.

The catch: Each plan has a monthly title allowance: 1, 3 or 5 titles.

Best free option

Libby

Library audiobooks with your library card, playback from 0.6x to 3.0x, a sleep timer and CarPlay.

The catch: Holds on popular audiobooks can mean a wait.

Keep, rent or borrow: what do you get?

Audible Standard ($8.99 a month): one audiobook a month, which you can listen to while you are a member.
Audible Premium ($14.95 a month): one audiobook a month to keep, plus the included catalog.
Libro.fm ($14.99 a month): one credit a month, DRM-free audiobooks you keep, and credits that never expire.
Spotify Premium (select plans): 15 listening hours a month; Audiobooks Access is $9.99 a month for 15 hours.
Everand (from $11.99 a month): a set number of titles a month by plan.
Libby and Hoopla (free): borrow from your library. See the best free reading apps.

Lost the plot halfway through an audiobook?

Scrubbing back through hours of audio to find what you missed is slow. Magic Bookmark added audiobook support in October 2026: type the last phrase you heard and you get a spoiler-free recap up to that point, for its supported titles on iPhone. More options are on how to get back into a book you stopped reading.

Reading and listening at the same time

If you like to follow the text while you listen, Audible's Immersion Reading highlights the words as the narrator reads, and Read & Listen (formerly Whispersync for Voice) keeps your place between the Kindle ebook and the audiobook. See how to read and listen at the same time. Kindle+ also includes thousands of ebooks with companion audiobooks. Readers who switch formats often may find more ideas on reading apps for ADHD readers.

How do you pick an audiobook app in 30 seconds?

One book a month, keep it: Audible Premium or Libro.fm.
One book a month, renting is fine: Audible Standard or Kobo Plus Listen.
On a Spotify Premium plan that includes audiobooks: use the included 15 hours first.
Spend nothing: Libby, then Hoopla.

Our audiobook cost per book table does the sums at one, two and four books a month.

Questions

What is the best free audiobook app?: Libby, if you have a library card from a participating library. Hoopla is worth adding where your library offers it, within the borrowing limits your library sets.
Do you keep Audible books if you cancel?: On Premium, yes: the one audiobook a month is yours to keep. On Standard, no: you can listen only while you are a member.
Does Spotify Premium include audiobooks?: Select Premium plans include 15 hours of audiobook listening a month. Unused hours expire at the end of each month, and you can buy 10-hour top-ups.
What is Libro.fm?: An audiobook store and membership that shares profits with more than 4,000 independent bookshops. Membership is $14.99 a month for one credit, credits never expire, and the audiobooks are DRM-free.

Sources

Audible, Membership Plans & Pricing, read 2 November 2026.
Apple App Store (US), Audible: Audiobooks & Podcasts, read 2 November 2026.
Libro.fm, Audiobook membership, read 2 November 2026.
Apple App Store (US), Libro.fm Audiobooks, read 2 November 2026.
Spotify, Spotify Audiobooks (US), read 2 November 2026.
Apple App Store (US), Everand: Audiobooks & Ebooks, read 2 November 2026.
Apple App Store (US), Libby, the library app, read 2 November 2026.
Amazon News, Kindle Unlimited is now Kindle+: Everything you need to know (updated 22 October 2026), read 2 November 2026.
Apple App Store (US), Magic Bookmark: Book Recaps, read 3 November 2026.