Best Audiobook Apps in 2026
Updated
In short: Bookmate is ranked #1 of 32 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Playary and Sora. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Playary. The lowest first paid tier on this page is AudiobooksNow at $3/mo.
Finding an audiobook app that fits starts with how you access titles and where you plan to listen. Compared on access model and included catalog, these options also distinguish DRM-free downloads, offline listening, and family sharing. Check mobile platform support for your devices, then weigh free-plan availability and paid-from pricing. Bookmate, AudiobooksNow, and Kobo Books are among the apps to consider. Think about whether borrowing, purchasing, or another access model suits you, and compare it with the listening features and catalog details that matter for your habits.
32 audiobook apps ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Audiobook Apps, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 11 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 BookmateFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 PlayaryFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 SoraFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 AudiobookshelfFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 AudiobooksNowPaid from $3/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 HooplaFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 Kobo BooksPaid from $7.99/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 AudiblePaid from $8.99/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 LibbyFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 Audiobooks.comPaid from $14.95/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 11 Google Play Books Auto-narrated AudiobooksFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 12 Libro.fm
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 13 BorrowBox
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 14 Ubook
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 BookPlayer
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 16 Dwell
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 17 Loyal Books
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 18 The Palace Project
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 19 BookBeat
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 20 Downpour
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 21 Everand
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 22 Fabuly
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 23 Kuku FM
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 24 Prologue
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 25 SimplyE
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Offline listening | Access model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bookmate | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | subscription |
| 2 | Playary | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 3 | Sora | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | library borrowing |
| 4 | Audiobookshelf | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | — | — | Yes | — |
| 5 | AudiobooksNow | 7.1 | No | $3/mo | No | 4.99 /mo | Yes | mixed |
| 6 | Hoopla | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | library borrowing |
| 7 | Kobo Books | 7.1 | No | $7.99/mo | Yes | — | Yes | mixed |
| 8 | Audible | 7.0 | No | $8.99/mo | No | — | Yes | mixed |
| 9 | Libby | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | library borrowing |
| 10 | Audiobooks.com | 6.8 | No | $14.95/mo | No | 14.95 /mo | Yes | mixed |
| 11 | Google Play Books Auto-narrated Audiobooks | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Libro.fm | 6.7 | No | — | — | — | Yes | mixed |
| 13 | BorrowBox | 6.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | library borrowing |
| 14 | Ubook | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | mixed |
| 15 | BookPlayer | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 16 | Dwell | 5.9 | No | — | — | — | Yes | subscription |
| 17 | Loyal Books | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | mixed |
| 18 | The Palace Project | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | library borrowing |
| 19 | BookBeat | 5.8 | No | — | No | — | Yes | mixed |
| 20 | Downpour | 5.8 | No | — | No | 12.99 /mo | Yes | mixed |
| 21 | Everand | 5.8 | No | — | No | — | Yes | subscription |
| 22 | Fabuly | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | mixed |
| 23 | Kuku FM | 5.8 | No | — | — | — | Yes | mixed |
| 24 | Prologue | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 25 | SimplyE | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | — | library borrowing |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which audiobook app is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Bookmate is ranked #1 of 32 with a score of 7.7. Playary is second and Sora third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, AudiobooksNow has the lowest first paid tier we found: $3/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.