Audiobooks.com: Books & More

Review by eFreeware

If you like the idea of carrying a shelf of audiobooks around without paying for a membership up front, Audiobooks.com is worth a closer look. The app comes from Storytel Audiobooks USA LLC and has been on Google Play since August 2012, with more than five million installs and a 4.5 average across nearly 64,000 ratings. That history suggests a service that has had time to settle into its shape.

What it offers is straightforward: a large audio library you can stream or download, a set of controls for shaping how you listen, and an optional paid tier for people who want more than the free selection. The developer presents it as a way to get lost in a story, pick up something new or relax before bed, and the catalog is organized around those moods.

I'd expect this to appeal most to people who already listen to books, podcasts or radio dramas and want one place to keep them. It also looks like a reasonable entry point if you have never tried an audiobook and don't want to commit to a subscription before you know whether the format works for you.

Who this app is built for

The clearest fit is the listener who moves between genres rather than sticking to one. The library spans thrillers, romance, fantasy, memoirs, self-help, kids' books, true crime and classics, so a single account can cover a crime binge in one month and a family listen the next. That breadth is the main argument for choosing this over a narrower audio service.

It also suits people who listen while doing something else. The developer pitches it for driving, cooking, exercising and following along with a Kindle, Kobo or printed book. If your listening happens in short bursts between other tasks, the combination of downloads, bookmarks and a sleep timer matters more than the size of the catalog.

Parents looking for shared listening have a place here too, since kids' audiobooks are part of the offering, and so do listeners who use audio to settle at night, given the sleep stories and calming soundscapes in the mix. Someone who wants a single wellness or meditation app and nothing else would find more focus elsewhere, but as one strand of a general library it makes sense.

The free shelf and the wider catalog

The part I find most interesting is the free tier. The developer says more than 10,000 titles are available at no cost and without a membership, which is a genuine on-ramp rather than a sample. That is enough to work through a genre or two before deciding whether the paid side is worth it.

Its catalog covers more than 700,000 audiobooks, from bestsellers to new releases. There is also a monthly VIP selection of bonus audiobooks chosen for members, plus recommendations based on your tastes and listening habits. Recommendations of that sort tend to be most useful once you have rated a few titles, since the app asks you to rate and review what you finish.

There is a light community layer as well: you can refer friends for free credits, unlock achievements and discover features as you go. None of that is why anyone installs an audiobook app, but it gives the service a bit of texture beyond a plain catalog.

Listening controls and offline use

The practical controls are where an audiobook app either fits your routine or doesn't. Here you can download titles for offline listening, adjust playback speed, set a sleep timer and drop bookmarks. Notes and wishlists are included too, which helps if you like to keep track of passages or line up what to listen to next.

The app connects to AndroidAuto, smart speakers and Bluetooth devices, so the same library follows you from a phone to a car stereo or a speaker at home. Combined with downloads, that covers the two situations most listeners care about: listening away from a connection, and listening without holding the phone.

The developer's framing of the app as suitable for multitasking is fair given those features. What you get is a player designed to be started and then left alone while you drive, cook or exercise, rather than something that demands your attention on screen.

What it costs

Audiobooks.com is free to download and offers in-app purchases. The free side is not a trial: the 10,000-plus free titles need no membership at all. So you can install it, listen, and spend nothing.

If you want premium titles, a paid membership adds one monthly credit usable on any premium book, which is yours to keep, plus a monthly VIP selection from a bonus catalog. Members can also take part in 2-for-1 deals, buy individual titles at a discount, and get personalized perks, recommendations and pre-order offers.

That structure rewards regular listeners more than occasional ones. One credit a month suits someone who finishes roughly a book in that time; if you listen far more, the deals and discounts on individual titles are the part that would do the heavier lifting. The free catalog remains available either way.

How it compares with the alternatives

The obvious comparison is a dedicated audiobook subscription service, where you pay monthly and draw from a catalog rather than owning credits. Audiobooks.com sits between that model and a free audio library, since the no-cost selection is substantial and the membership is optional rather than the price of entry.

A general podcast app is another option, and it costs nothing, but it won't have bestsellers, memoirs or kids' books read end to end. A physical book or ebook store solves the same problem in a different format, and the developer explicitly positions this as a companion to reading on a Kindle, Kobo or in print rather than a replacement for it.

If your interest is narrower, a meditation or sleep-focused app will go deeper on calming audio than a general library can. The trade-off is that you would then need a second app for thrillers, romance or true crime. For listeners who want one library covering several moods, keeping everything in a single place is the stronger argument.

A library worth carrying for regular listeners

Audiobooks.com makes most sense for people who already listen often and want a broad catalog without an immediate commitment. The free selection is large enough to be useful on its own, the player covers the controls that matter for hands-free listening, and the paid tier is there when you want newer or premium titles.

The app has been around since 2012 and was last updated in late September 2026, with the most recent release described only as minor bug fixes. A 4.5 average from a large body of ratings suggests the basics have held up over that time.

I'd suggest installing it and working through the free titles first. If you find yourself wanting the newest releases each month, the membership with its monthly credit and VIP pick is the natural next step; if not, you have lost nothing but the time it takes to listen.

What's new

We’re always working to improve our app and enhance the listening experience. Here’s what’s new with our latest release: - Minor bug fixes for an optimized user experience