Audiobooks are an easy way to fit more reading into daily life—whether that’s during a commute, while making dinner, or winding down before bed. In our house, my 7-year-old daughter, Grace, has listened to The Boxcar Children series multiple times, and I completely get the appeal of having a favorite book in your ears, ready to go. My personal favorite audiobook narrator is Marin Ireland, who has a straightforward, natural style and a light touch. I’m currently listening to her reading of the new book by Louise Erdrich, The Mighty Red. It’s truly wonderful.
For most listeners, the choice comes down to Audible vs. Libro.fm. Both offer extensive catalogs and a credit-based system for purchasing audiobooks, but they differ in how they handle ownership, bookstore support, and ease of use. Everand and Spotify also have audiobook options, though they work a little differently.
Audible vs. Libro.fm
Audible, owned by Amazon, runs on a subscription model where $14.95/month gets you one audiobook credit, plus discounts on additional purchases. There’s also a lower-tier Audible Plus plan ($7.95/month) that includes a rotating selection of free titles, but it doesn’t include credits for premium audiobooks.
Libro.fm offers a nearly identical pricing structure—$14.99/month for one audiobook credit—but with a key difference: your purchases support an independent bookstore of your choice. Instead of sending money to Amazon, you’re helping small bookstores stay in business. If you’re reading this on Snowfort’s website, you can even pick us!
Selection & User Experience
Both services have an extensive catalog of bestsellers, new releases, and classics, and for most people, the difference in selection isn’t noticeable. Audible does have exclusive titles—books that are only available through Amazon’s platform—but unless you’re looking for something specific, you’re likely to find what you want on either service.
Where Libro.fm pulls ahead is user-friendliness. Unlike Audible, Libro.fm audiobooks are DRM-free, meaning you actually own them and can listen across different devices without restrictions. Their app is simple, clean, and straightforward—no upselling, no complicated menus. Audible’s app is polished but deeply tied to Amazon’s ecosystem, which some people love and others find limiting.
What About Everand and Spotify?
Everand (formerly Scribd) works on a different model: $11.99/month for unlimited listening from a large but rotating selection. I never have any trouble finding something good to listen to there, including Kristin Kimball’s books. You also get access to one “premium audiobook” a month (or for $16.99 you get three). If you burn through multiple audiobooks per month, this is an incredible value. It’s less popular than Audible or Libro.fm, but it’s a hidden gem for frequent listeners, and we love introducing Snowfort readers to good services that don’t get talked about as much. The tradeoff? You don’t own the books—if you cancel, your library disappears.
Spotify has also entered the audiobook space, offering monthly listening limits instead of credits. I was just talking to my new friend Derek, who told me that sometimes the 15 hours of listening time that he gets with his monthly subscription aren’t enough, so he’ll have to wait till the month ends to finish a book. Didn’t seem like that was a deal breaker for him, so if you already use Spotify for music and podcasts, bundling audiobooks into the same app could be convenient. Their pricing structure is still evolving, and the experience certainly doesn’t feel as seamless as the dedicated audiobook platforms.
Which One Should You Choose?
If you want the most seamless buying and listening experience for traditional audiobooks, Libro.fm is our favorite choice. It’s simple, flexible, and supports local bookstores, all without sacrificing selection. They frequently offer discounts and referall incentives, making it a good choice if you want to access additional audiobooks beyond your monthly credit.
I’m also a huge fan of Everand because aside from audiobooks, you also get ebooks (though they have to be read on an app, which isn’t always my favorite way to read) magazines, and sheet music. For heavy listeners, Everand offers incredible value, even if it means giving up permanent ownership of books.
Audible is of course still a solid, albeit amoral option, especially if you want exclusive titles or haven’t yet exited Amazon’s ecosystem. The platform also has frequent sales, discounts, and bundle deals.
And if you’re already paying for Spotify Premium, their evolving audiobook plan might be worth exploring.
For us at Snowfort, we love Libro.fm because it keeps money in the independent bookstore community. If you’re buying audiobooks anyway, why not support indie bookstores at the same time?
This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.