Reading can be an expensive hobby. Sure, libraries even so be, merely fewer people seem to employ them. Instead, many opt for buying ebooks straight to their Kindles and iPads or, as has go increasingly popular in recent years, tuning in to an audiobook on Audible.

The thing is, Audible isn't cheap. While $15 a month for an otherwise $20+ audiobook might seem like a steal, at that place are enough of other audiobook apps out there that are either completely free or at to the lowest degree much cheaper than Audible.

Then, in this article we'll take a quick look at six of these free to near-complimentary audiobook apps.

1. Libby

First up is Libby, which works past connecting your library card to access your local library's digital collection of ebooks and audiobooks.

Libby offers a pleasant, intuitive interface with an audiobook role player that resembles Aural'south. You can increase or decrease playback speed, set a slumber timer, skip a few seconds astern or forward, place a bookmark, and view capacity. Also similar Aural, y'all tin download books for offline listening.

There are a couple caveats to Libby. First, you tin only listen to audiobooks in your local library'south collection.

2d, Libby treats its audiobooks just like any other library item with borrows, holds, and renews. This ways if there is only one "copy" of Where the Crawdads Sing, and it's currently being borrowed by someone else, you can place the book on hold and Libby will judge when information technology will be bachelor to infringe.

Even then, Libby is basically free (technically you pay taxes for your library), then if you alive in an surface area with a comprehensive local library and don't listen waiting till books are available to borrow, it's a corking Aural culling.

Download: Libby for iOS | Android (Free)

ii. Chirp Audiobooks

Chirp Audiobooks provides daily deals on popular audiobooks. These deals aren't only 5-10% cuts from original prices but oftentimes immense price drops. It's not uncommon to find deals in the $3-6 range on Chirp for audiobooks that would otherwise retail for $20+. What's more, the audiobooks are yours to keep.

Once you purchase a book from Chirp'south website, information technology will exist downloaded to Chirp'due south audiobook player app, which includes all the essentials: a playback speed adjuster, bookmarks, a sleep timer, downloading for offline listening, and more than.

Despite its appeal, Chirp has a similar disadvantage as Libby. That is, you lot might non always be able to listen to what you want to listen to since the audiobook deals change daily. However, Chirp will recommend books in your preferred genres, so if you like discovering new books at cheap prices, Chirp might exist for y'all.

Download: Chirp Audiobooks for iOS | Android (Free, with in-app purchases)

iii. LibriVox Audio Books

Unlike Libby and Chirp, LibriVox offers over l,000 public domain audiobooks completely produced by volunteers, from reading and recording to editing and distributing. Of course, the wonderful advantage of volunteer production means that LibriVox is completely costless.

The LibriVox app is a simple audiobook player with the basic features. You tin can search the collection past title, keyword, writer, and fifty-fifty the narrator. LibriVox releases new audiobooks daily besides, always expanding its immense drove.

However, since the audiobooks are in the public domain, older classics comprise most of the available collection. Only, if you beloved the classics and don't want to pay for audiobooks, LibriVox is a fantastic Aural culling.

Download: LibriVox Audio Books for iOS | Android (Free)

4. Loyal Books

Loyal Books is much like LibriVox in that its drove consists of free, public domain audiobooks. While Loyal Books' audiobook collection is much less comprehensive than LibriVox'due south, Loyal Book also offers thousands of ebooks.

You lot can stream or download audiobooks, add a sleep timer, skip forward and astern, and adjust the playback speed. Loyal Books too includes book reviews, which can be quite helpful in deciding which ones to listen to.

However, this app has a similar downside as LibriVox. Virtually of the books are classics, so don't expect to find mod teen fiction or pop self-help books on Loyal Books.

Download: Loyal Books for iOS | Android (Complimentary)

5. Spotify

That's right. You can mind to audiobooks on Spotify.

Finding audiobooks on Spotify can be a scrap of a challenge since at that place is no defended audiobook section similar at that place is for podcasts and music. Withal, there are a few worthwhile ones buried in Spotify'southward database if you don't mind doing some searching. Also, Spotify has recently been releasing its own audiobook originals.

At that place are a couple of obvious drawbacks to using Spotify for audiobooks. Outset, unless yous already pay for Spotify, you'll experience ads during your listening experience.

Second, Spotify is brusque of a comprehensive collection. Like LibriVox and Loyal Books, well-nigh audiobooks on Spotify are in the public domain and are therefore often classics and not contemporary bestsellers.

All the same, if you already pay for Spotify y'all might as well give it a search for an audiobook to see if information technology'southward available before spending money on one from Audible or another paid app.

Download: Spotify for iOS | Android (Gratuitous, subscription available)

6. YouTube

Last on the listing is YouTube. Believe it or not, YouTube has thousands of audiobooks uploaded as video files. And since you tin can increment or decrease the playback speed on YouTube, using it to listen to audiobooks is non much different from using a dedicated audiobook app.

Like many of the other apps on this list, YouTube primarily includes audiobooks in the public domain. So over again, don't expect to find too many recent audiobooks.

In add-on to the limited pick of audiobooks, YouTube has some other major drawback. Unless yous pay for YouTube Premium, you can't listen to audiobooks on the YouTube app while your phone is locked.

Download: YouTube for iOS | Android (Gratis, subscription available)

Should You Switch From Aural?

There you accept information technology! Six Aural alternatives free or nearly free of charge. But is it worth the switch from Aural to one of these apps?

Of form, it will depend. If you lot like to listen to books only off your reading list, and so you'd be meliorate off with Audible because of its big collection of instantly available audiobooks.

However, if you don't mind waiting until an audiobook is bachelor or if you bask listening to mostly older classics, and so requite one of these apps a try. At the very least, they are much cheaper than Audible.

These apps aren't the merely ways to listen to audiobooks for free or cheap. For example, yous might be able to have advantage of an Audible promo code or utilize add-on narration for Kindle ebooks.

Audiobooks Are Expensive! six Ways to Mind for Costless or Cheap

Audiobooks can exist quite expensive. Here'due south how to become complimentary and cheap audiobooks you can listen to without breaking the bank.

Read Next

Almost The Author

Grant Collins (15 Manufactures Published)

In 2020, Grant graduated with a BA in digital media communications. Now, he works as a freelance writer specializing in technology. His features at MakeUseOf range from mobile and desktop app recommendations to diverse how-tos. When he'south not staring at his MacBook, he's probably hiking, spending time with family unit, or staring at an actual book.

More From Grant Collins