My Everand review reveals it is a vast repository of written content, but if you’re seeking unlimited access to major blockbuster audiobook titles, it doesn’t offer that. Everand is a good unlimited audiobook subscription service, but its limited access to major new book titles and throttling of user access limit its potential.
While Everand claims to be the Netflix of Audiobooks and the written word, the reality is quite different.
Everand Rating: 3.8★
Everand Rating | 3.8/5.0 |
| Pricing | ★★★★★ |
| Audiobook Availability | ★★★★✩ |
| Library Depth | ★★★✩✩ |
| Usability | ★★★★★ |
| Returns Policy | ★★✩✩✩ |
| Customer Support | ★★★✩✩ |
| Features | Unlimited Reading & Listening |
| Unique Features | A Huge Library of Older Books |
| Best for | Older Titles |
| ♲ Subscription | Monthly, Yearly |
| Price | $9.99/mo |
| OS | Android, Apple |
| Region | Global |
| ✂ Discount | ❌ |
Pros
✔ Unlimited Audiobook Listening
✔ $9.95 Flat Rate per Month
✔ 100+ Magazines
✔ Good Apps for Android & Apple
✔ 1,000s of eBooks
Cons
❌ You do not own the books
❌ Limitations on accessing popular titles
❌ Magazine formatting is poor
Scribd launched Everand in 2023 as the new brand name for its subscription reading service. The Scribd company still exists as the parent, but the app and platform for ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and documents is now called Everand. The library and pricing are the same — it’s mainly a brand refresh to separate the consumer reading service (Everand) from Scribd’s other business services.
Review Summary
My Everand review and test reveal that Everand has a huge library of books, audiobooks, and magazines. However, if you are looking for unlimited audiobook access to premium titles, you will be disappointed, as the selection is weak, and access is throttled.
There are a lot of fans of Everand out there, especially avid readers and audiobook listeners.
Everand has introduced a groundbreaking new offering in the media world: flat-rate unlimited access to Audiobooks, eBooks, and magazine libraries.
This essentially went viral because, before this announcement, everyone was forced to pay for audiobooks individually.
There is no official information from Everand, but I estimate the Audiobook library to contain approximately 30,000 to 40,000 titles. This is significantly lower than Audible or Audiobooks.com, but I suspect that the publishers receive a lower revenue from Everand, making them less inclined to release new and best-selling titles.
Is Everand Netflix for Audiobooks
No, Everand’s business model is very similar to Netflix’s; it licenses content from publishers and pays those publishers per user. As consumers, we see only a low flat rate monthly subscription charge for a large amount of content.
The monthly subscription is so low because you do not own the books; you are only allowed to access them for the duration of your subscription.
Comparing Everand for Audiobooks to Audible or Audiobooks.com isn’t easy.
The Everand library is not as large and does not contain the sheer depth of blockbuster titles; bestseller titles are nonexistent, and popular books are throttled.
In addition, I have found many audiobooks to enjoy, including Tolkien’s entire works and books by my favorite British comedians.
Everand will become tiresome for the hardcore audiobookphile, but it is quite compelling for casual listeners who enjoy magazines and ebooks.
Magazines
Everand has 100 magazines, which you can access via browser or the app. I was impressed because some good magazines are included in the Everand subscription.
Flagship magazines like Time, T3, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Newsweek, and Inc. are included.
I was very excited to see this, but after reading a few magazines, I realized that the experience is not like reading a magazine.
I do not mean the paper; I mean the layout and editing. The magazine articles are in simple HTML with simple images; some magazines, like T3, were very poorly formatted.
This detracted from the magazine experience.
Pricing Plans
Everand pricing is straightforward: $9.99 per month for unlimited access to their library of books, audiobooks, and 100+ magazines for the duration of your subscription.
If you stop the subscription, you lose access. For many, this is not a problem; if you listen to many audiobooks and are not interested in building up a library of your own books, then it is a great solution.
I have been with Audible for nearly a decade. I have 255 audiobooks, which cost me approximately $2,500 over that period, but those books are mine for life and my children.
If I had been with Everand for that period, it would have cost me $972, but I would have owned nothing. It is like the difference between renting and owning a house.
Everand Alternatives
If you want to build a library of excellent books that you can keep forever, Everand is a poor choice. Excellent Everand alternatives are Audible and AudioBooks.com, which provide cost-effective subscriptions to audiobooks you can keep for life. Compare Audible vs. AudioBooks.com.
Audible vs. Audiobooks vs. Everand
| Audible vs. Audiobooks vs. Everand | Audible | Audiobooks | Everand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.9★ | 4.2⯪ | 3.8★ |
| Do You Own the Audiobook? | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Lifetime Access to Books | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Audiobooks Collection | 560,000+ | 370,000 + | 40,000 |
| # Audiobooks/Month | 1 Book | 1 Book | Unlimited/Throttled |
| Bonus Books With Membership | 9,000 Audible Plus | 1 VIP Collection | ✘ |
| Returns Policy | 1 Year No Limit | At Company Discretion | N/A |
| Family Sharing (Included) | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Membership /Monthly | $14.95 | $14.95 | $9.95 |
| 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 | |
| Try It | Visit Audible | Visit Audiobooks | Visit Everand |
Customer Service & Returns Policy
I have seen many complaints online that Everand is throttling heavy audiobook consumers who consume too many books. Also, I have read that certain bestselling titles are restricted to one or two per user per month or are not even visible to some users.
I have not experienced this, but I can understand that it is a balancing act for Everand to ensure they earn in revenue what they need to pay to publishers and that some do not abuse the system.
A Large Collection of the Written Word & Music
I must say you could never get bored inside the Everand ecosystem; you can see below the sheer depth of content available for the small monthly subscription.
Everand App & Device Compatibility
Everand App Store Rating: 4.5 ☆ Excellent
I have been using the app with my new subscription for two months and have found it an absolute delight. Running on Android and iPhone, the app actually has everything you need to enjoy, such as audiobooks and other media.
Key App Functionality:
- Sleep timer
- Bookmarking & Note Taking
- Sharing
- Playback speed control
Summary
Everand is recommended; although it cannot compete head-to-head with Audible or Audiobooks.com on audiobooks alone, it provides added value in magazines, eBooks, and even sheet music. So, if you are looking for a good overall written work package, look no further.
Everand Key Feature & Benefits Table
| Everand | Features |
|---|---|
| Our Rating | 3.8☆ |
| Audiobook Type | Full |
| Do You Own the Audiobook | ✘ |
| Lifetime Access to Books | ✘ |
| Audiobooks Collection | 40,000 est |
| Membership /month | $9.99 |
| Membership /yearly | |
| # Audiobooks/month | Unlimited |
| Cost per book /monthly subscription | – |
| Cost per book /yearly subscription | – |
| Subscription Required | Yes |
| Audio Quality | Excellent |
| Books Return Policy | Nothing to Return |
| Customer Support | Email Only |
| Special Services | |
| eBooks | ✔ |
| Magazines | ✔ |
| Podcasts | |
| App Store Rating | 4.5 ☆ |
| Devices | iPhone, Android, PC |
| Smart Speaker | ✘ |
Scribd is a ripoff. I canceled Scribd 3 times but they kept billing me anyway. So I called CitiBank and they said all I could do is cancel my credit card and get a new one. So I did that and Scribd still managed to bill me again. Now I have to get a new card CitiBank will block Scribd but it will take a week to do that and get a new card. Save your money, get online with your library, get a card, download Libby, and you can borrow thousands of books free.