480 Audiobooks Later: My Audible vs. Audiobooks Verdict

Audiobooks enable me to learn while performing mundane activities continuously. I’m a big fan of audiobooks, with a full subscription to Audible and Audiobooks.com, containing over 480 titles in my collection.

I have been using Audible since 2011 and Audiobooks.com since 2019, so I have thoroughly tested both services and can highlight the significant differences.

Audible vs. Audiobooks.com Summary

The key differences between Audible and Audiobooks are that Audible offers a better returns policy and audio quality, more original titles, and a yearly subscription discount. Otherwise, the services are identical, and the price, apps, and audiobook library are excellent for both.

Audible vs. Audiobooks Results	Audible	AudioBooks
Rating	4.9★	4.2★
Do You Own the Audiobook?	✔	✔
Lifetime Access to Books	✔	✔
Audiobooks Collection	220,000+	200,000 +
# Audiobooks / Month	1 Book	1 Book
Bonus Books With Membership	Unlimited Audible Originals	Book Club
Returns Policy	1 Year No Limit	At Company Discretion
Family Sharing (Included)	✔	✔
Membership/Monthly	$14.95	$14.95
Membership/Yearly	$149.50	–
Cost per Book/Yearly	$12.45	$14.95
Platinum 24 Books/Yearly	$229.50	–
Platinum Cost Per Book	$9.56	–
Result	Winner	Recommended
Visit	Audible	Audiobooks

Audiobooks.com and Audible offer exceptional services that lead the industry in library size and service quality. However, each service has a few advantages; there are four important reasons to go for Audible and two critical benefits to Audiobooks.com.

4 Reasons Why Audible is Better Than Audiobooks.com

• Cost per Audiobook: Audible costs $6.22 per book on a yearly subscription, compared to $7.47 with Audiobooks.com. There is no substantial price difference, but there is still a gap.
• Returns Policy: Audible’s Great Listening Guarantee allows you to return any book within one year of purchase, with no questions asked. Meanwhile, Audiobooks.com has no guarantee and specifies that returns are “at our discretion.”
• Audio Quality: Audible’s sound quality is significantly better at 64 kbps than Audiobooks.com’s 32 kbps. Most people will not notice the difference in audio quality, but this might be important for audiophiles.
• For heavy audiobook usage, the Audible Platinum Subscription gives you 24 books per year, saving $5.50 per book.

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 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.

Audible vs. Audiobooks.com Product Comparison

Audible vs. Audiobooks Product Comparison
Audiobook Type	Full	Full
Do You Own the Audiobook?	✔	✔
Lifetime Access to Books	✔	✔
Audiobooks Collection	220,000+	200,000 +
Audio Quality	Excellent (64kbps)	Good (32 kbps)
Free Podcasts	✔	✔
Exclusive Content (Podcasts & Original Productions)	✔	✘
Podcasts	✔	✔
Result	Winner
Visit	Audible	Audiobooks

Regarding product offerings, both companies have an excellent and extensive library. Both libraries feature 200,000+ titles, so you will not see a difference for significant book releases.

Where you will see a difference is the sheer amount of original content that Audible offers.

Over the past few years, I have noticed incredible growth in Audible Originals and exclusive content. Audible, an Amazon company, can invest heavily in differentiating itself from its competitors.

• Audible Originals – Produced by Audible Studios, high-quality blockbuster titles like Winter Rising by Alex Callister (11 hours 31 minutes)
• Audible Original Podcasts – Free Podcasts Exclusively from Audible, featuring big names such as Stephen Fry’s “Victorian Secrets” (7 hours 40 minutes)
• Audible Theatre – High-end theater production from great names, for example, Stories by Heart by John Lithgow

Audiobooks.com cannot compete with this.

Library & Audio Quality

New releases and bestsellers are inevitably released on Audible first, as its market share and customer base make it irresistible to publishers. Therefore, Audible always has the latest releases.

Audible also provides industry-leading audio quality with a bit rate of 64 versus Audiobooks.com’s standard 32-bit; you will notice the difference if you are an audiophile with great speakers or headphones.

Audible vs. Audiobooks.com Pricing Comparison

Audible vs. Audiobooks Pricing
Subscription Required	No	No
Membership /Monthly	$14.95	$14.95
Membership /Yearly	$149.50	–
Cost per Book /Yearly	$12.45	$14.95
Platinum 24 Books /Yearly	$229.50	–
Platinum Cost Per Book	$9.56	–
Result	Winner	Recommended
Visit	Audible	Audiobooks

Audible Pricing & Audiobooks Ownership

With Audible, you will own 1 Audiobook per month on a yearly subscription of $149.50 or $12.45 per book, the cheapest in the industry. You will also get access to 1 free Audible Original title (as mentioned in the previous section).

So you get one premium audiobook (by external publishers) and one audiobook by Audible Studios.

If you terminate your monthly or yearly subscription with Audible, you get to keep both monthly audiobooks forever.

Audiobooks.com Pricing & Ownership

Unlike Audible, Audiobooks.com offers two audiobooks per month. One is a fully purchased title, and the other is a bonus from the limited VIP selection.

The problem here is that if you end your subscription with Audiobooks.com, you lose access to your VIP book.

This means that Audible wins this round in terms of value for money, but again, it is close.

Audible vs. Audiobooks Apps & Devices Comparison

Audible vs. Audiobooks Apps & Devices
App Store  Rating	4.6 ☆	4.5 ☆
Devices	iPhone, Android, PC, TV, Alexa, Kindle, Fire TV	iPhone, Android, PC
Smart Speaker	Alexa	✘
Result	Winner
Visit	Audible	Audiobooks

Audible and Audiobooks.com provide great mobile apps that users highly rated in the App Stores. The most significant difference here is that Audible will play on your Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, and even Alexa will play audiobooks. Audiobooks.com does not have this.

Audible vs. Audiobooks.com Customer Service Comparison

Audible vs. Audiobooks Customer Service
Books Return Policy	1 Year, No Questions Asked	At Company Discretion
Customer Support	Phone, Chat, Email	Phone, Chat, Email
Result	Winner
Visit	Audible	Audiobooks

One of the essential reasons Audible is the clear winner for me is that they have the industry’s best returns policy. If you do not like a book, for whatever reason, the narrator, the plot, or it is dull, you can return it within one year of purchase, no questions asked.

Unlike Audible, with Audiobooks.com, 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”.

This could be an area where Audiobooks.com can improve and be more explicit.

Full Audible Review

Simply the Biggest & Best Audiobook Collection & Surprisingly The Lowest Subscription Costs per Book

Audible Rating: 4.9★

Audible Review Summary

Audible is the Audiobook industry leader with the most extensive library of titles, with over 200,000 audiobooks.

I should know; I have been an Audible member since 2011.

New releases and bestsellers are inevitably released on Audible first, as its market share and customer base make it irresistible.

One of the most essential elements of books or audiobooks is that you get to keep the books you pay for. 

I own over 480 titles valued at $4,800 and am pleased to pass them on to my children.

Some services, such as Everand, offer an unlimited listening subscription, but you are really just borrowing the book for the duration of your subscription. When you end the subscription, you have nothing.

With Audible, you can still log in and use the app even after the subscription ends.

Audible Features, Benefits & Costs Table

Audible	Ratings
Our Rating	☆☆☆☆☆
Audiobook Type	Full
Do You Own the Audiobook	✔
Lifetime Access to Books	✔
Audiobooks Collection	200K+
Membership /month	$14.95
Membership /yearly	$149.50
# Audiobooks	1 /month
Cost per book /monthly subscription	$14.95
Cost per book /yearly subscription	$12.45
Subscription Required	Yes
Audio Quality	Excellent
Books Return Policy	1 Year Unlimited
Customer Support	Phone, Chat, Email
Special Services	Audible Original Podcasts
Podcasts	✔
App Store Rating	4.6 ☆
Devices	iPhone, Android, PC, TV, Alexa, Kindle, Fire TV
Smart Speaker	Alexa

Audible Pricing Plans

With Audible, you need a subscription, which means you can buy books at a tiny fraction of their retail value. Some believe that Audible is expensive, but the reality is that it is the cheapest way to buy audiobooks.

With Audible, you need a subscription, which means you get to buy books at a tiny fraction of their retail value. Although some people think Audible is expensive, the reality is that it’s actually the cheapest way to buy audiobooks.

Audible Plus costs $7.95 monthly, with unlimited access to 9,000+ Audible originals and podcasts. But if you want premium blockbuster titles, one credit costs $14.95 per month.

Opting for the Audible two credits service costs $22.95, bringing your average book price down to $11.47.

For the lowest price per book, consider the 24 credits per year package at $229.50, which averages out to $9.56 per book.

Audible Content & Quality

Over the past few years, I have noticed the incredible growth in Audible original and exclusive content. Audible, an Amazon company, can invest heavily in differentiating itself from its competitors.

• Audible Originals – Produced by Audible Studios, high-quality blockbuster titles like Winter Rising by Alex Callister (11 hours 31 minutes)
• Audible Original Podcasts – Free Podcasts Exclusively from Audible, featuring big names such as Stephen Fry’s “Victorian Secrets” (7 hours 40 minutes)
• Audible Theatre – High-end theater production from great names, for example, Stories by Heart by John Lithgow

Audio Quality

Audible offers two formats, Enhanced and Format 4. Format 4 is for those who value space rather than audio quality.

I download all my books in Enhanced format—an exclusive to Audible! Audiobooks in Enhanced format are minimally compressed, so their audio quality is the best on the market. However, this means that the Audible audiobook file is also larger and takes a bit more time to download.

Audible Customer Service & Returns Policy Is the Best

One of the essential reasons Audible is the clear winner for me is that they have the industry’s best returns policy. If you do not like a book, for whatever reason, the narrator, the plot, or it is dull, you can return it within one year of purchase.

Great Listens Guarantee

Nothing is worse than paying for a book you ultimately dislike; Audible removes this problem with their “Great Listens to Guarantee.”

You can go to Account -> Purchases -> Click Return Title, and you will immediately receive a refund of your credit.

I would know that I have returned so many books for one reason or another, and they have never once said no.

Finally, you can contact Audible via phone, chat, or email. I have used chat many times, and they are available instantly, 24/7, with no wait; that is an excellent service.

Audible App & Device Compatibility

Play Store App Rating – 4.6 ☆ Excellent

Having used the Audible App for nine years, I can safely say it is rock solid, easy to use, and perfect.

The Audible App has the following key features:

• Car Mode – With bigger buttons, the app is simple to use when driving.
• Books Sharing – Send a Book to a Friend or share your progress.
• Clips, Bookmarks, & Notes – Save sound clips and make notes.
• Sleep Timer –  Useful for listening when you go to bed, so it does not play all night.
• Variable Speed Playback – Great for slow narrators or digesting long books quickly.

Your Audible books will play on all devices, including Apple, Android, and Smart TVs; even the Amazon Alexa smart speaker will read them to you.

Audible Audiobook Download Speeds

Downloading an Audiobook to your phone is incredibly quick; usually, within 30 seconds, you can start listening to a book. This is because the intelligent downloading system allows you to start listening before downloading the entire audiobook.

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Full Audiobooks.com Review

A Huge Library & Low-Cost Subscription Model Make Audiobooks.com a Viable Alternative to Audible

Audiobooks.com Rating: 4.2★

Audiobooks Review Summary

I have been testing and using Audiobooks.com for over eight weeks now, and I have to say that the library is extensive, and the service works very well.

With access to over 200,000 audiobook titles and new releases arriving quickly, you will not notice any real 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.

However, I need to mention two drawbacks: the returns policy and the lack of smart-speaker support (see below).

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.

Audiobooks.com Pricing

Free Trial

Audiobooks.com offers a free 30-day trial during which you can access one free credit for a full Audiobook and get access to 2 free VIP Books.

Monthly Membership

The monthly membership costs $14.95, and it includes 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.

My only issue with this is that you do not own the VIP book. It will always be in your library, but if you end your subscription, you can only access the books you purchased with a credit. 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 purchase books in the deal, your average cost per book may drop to $7.50.

Audiobooks.com Features, Benefits & Costs Table

Audiobook Service	Features
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

Audiobooks.com Library

The audiobook library is the easiest to browse and find new books to listen to online and on the mobile app. The layout and recommendation engine are excellent.

Customer Service & Returns Policy

As mentioned previously, the ability to return a book you do not like at any time is a critical feature.

Unlike Audible, with Audiobooks.com, 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”.

This could be an area where Audiobooks.com can improve and be more explicit.

App & Device Compatibility

App Store Rating: 4.3 ☆ Good

The Audiobooks.com App is straightforward to use. I particularly like the recommendation engine and the visual browsing screen.

However, viewing your library in the app could be improved as the book thumbnails are large and difficult to navigate.

The app has crucial features like a sleep timer, notes, bookmarks, and playback speed control.

I like the ability to follow an author and be notified of future releases quickly; this is something Audible does not have.

The only thing missing is car mode and compatibility with a smart speaker.