What Are the Best Free Audiobook Apps

Introduction

Recently, audiobooks have seen their popularity grow due to their versatility and convenience.

Originally introduced in the 1930s for the visually impaired, audiobooks have evolved significantly over the decades. Initially available on vinyl records and cassettes, they have transitioned into digital formats. Today, it is possible to easily listen to audiobooks directly on a phone or tablet.

Now, the ease of downloading or streaming audiobooks has revolutionized how people consume literature. With the best free audiobook apps, it’s possible to enjoy books while commuting, exercising, cooking, or performing other tasks.

They’ve become so important that today, audiobooks are a major component of the publishing industry due to a massive market expansion with millions of titles now available across various genres. They’re also still a great resource for those with visual impairments or other disabilities.

Given the widespread availability of audiobooks, a common question naturally arises: Is it possible to access these audiobooks for free? Let’s explore the various options available for obtaining audiobooks at no cost.

What are free audiobook apps?

Free audiobook apps allow users to access audiobooks on smartphones or tablets without needing to pay per book or subscribe, though some may include ads or offer premium features for a fee.

In terms of functionalities, these apps often provide features like adjustable playback speed and navigation controls, letting users skip forward or backward by chapter or specific time increments. Additionally, many platforms categorize audiobooks by genre, author, or new releases, making it easy to browse and organize content.

Furthermore, audiobooks on these platforms can range from simple narrations to elaborate productions with multiple voice actors, music, and sound effects.

There are various reasons an audiobook might be legally free, including:

• The audiobook is in the public domain.
• The author is seeking feedback and is temporarily offering their work for free.
• The audiobook is ad-supported as a means of remuneration.

Let’s go through a few of the best free audiobook apps where you can find audiobooks for free.

Fabuly

Fabuly is a unique platform focusing on public domain works in text and audio, primarily sourced from Librivox.org, or generated using digital voices. It is important to note, however, that Fabuly is not affiliated with the Librivox volunteer association.

What does Fabuly offer?

• Cherry-Picked Editorial Selection: Access hundreds of top renowned books and short stories in classic literature, featuring high-quality audio along with text and audio synchronization.
• Massive Audiobook Library: Gain access to over 10,000 audiobooks from classic literature from Librivox.

Pricing

• Currently, Fabuly is completely free and without ads. However, a premium subscription will be introduced in the future for more advanced features.

Key Features:

1. Editorial Selection: Fabuly curates top books and short stories, ensuring quality control. They strive to select the best available audio tracks, though this is inherently subjective and may change.
2. Text and Audio Synchronization: One of the most unique aspects of the Fabuly app is the ability to switch from reading to listening or to read and listen at the same time.
3. Custom Book Covers: The app uses custom book covers to maintain a consistent style throughout the platform.
4. Personalized Recommendations: The “For You” section uses algorithms to suggest your next read based on your preferences.
5. User-Friendly Interface: The clean UI makes it easy to find new audiobooks and manage your personal library.
6. Focus on Classics: Fabuly is dedicated to helping users discover classic works.

Fabuly is available for download on the App Store and the Play Store.

Librivox App

The Librivox app is also giving access to classic audiobooks in the public domain. The app is offered by the BookDesign company, although it does not appear to be officially affiliated with the Librivox volunteer association.

What does Librivox App offer?

• Massive Audiobook Library: Gain access to over 10,000 audiobooks from classic literature from Librivox.

Pricing

•  It is free to use with ads, but there is the possibility of making a payment to remove the ads.

Key Features:

• Ratings & Reviews: The Librivox app gives the ability to leave ratings & reviews which enables users to share their opinion on the audiobooks and to see which are the most appreciated works.
• Ability to Create Collections: You can create your own custom collections.
• The “Shelf”: You can see the books you are currently reading and your favorites in the “Shelf” section.
• Focus on public domain works: Only public domain works are available.

The Librivox app is available for download on the App Store and the Play Store.

Audible

What does Audible offer?

• The Largest Audiobook Library
• Limited Free Audiobooks: A small selection of audiobooks is available at no cost.

Pricing

• You can access the entire catalog through a monthly subscription or with a pay-per-use approach.

Key Features:

• An expensive subscription gives access to the biggest catalog of audiobooks, including best sellers.
  • Using their “free trial” option might unlock temporary free access to their entire catalog.
• Access to some free audiobooks:
  • While they are hard to find, Audible does offer some free audiobooks without the need for any payment or subscription. They might be classics or more recent books.
  • The catalog of free classic audiobooks is extremely limited compared to Librivox.
  • For example, you can read “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde entirely for free on the audible website.

The Audible app is available on the App Store and the Play Store.

Wattpad

What does Wattpad offer?

• It specializes in providing a platform for emerging and new authors, focusing on original content over classic literature. Additionally, this platform is known for its community-driven approach, offering a wide range of genres to its users.

Pricing

• Wattpad provides access to many free audiobooks (with ads) while some others are paid stories.

Key Features:

1. Text-to-Speech Audio: Wattpad uses Text-to-Speech technology to automatically generate audiobooks.
2. Serialized Releases: Audiobooks are often released in episodes, maintaining listener interest over time.
3. Interactive Elements: Users can interact with the content through comments, votes, and direct engagement with authors.

The Wattpad app is available on the App Store and the Play Store.

Note: it contains an important amount of sexually explicit content.

Libby

Libby, on the other hand, is an app that allows you to directly borrow digital titles from your local library.

What does Libby offer:

1. Libby provides free access to your local library’s audiobooks, ebooks, and magazines directly through a user-friendly app. You can borrow digital titles that include titles in the public domain but also more recent works.

Pricing

• Free

Key Features:

1. Easy Access: If you have a library card, you can sign up to borrow and enjoy digital titles from your library’s collection.
2. Stream & Download Available: Choose to stream or download audiobooks for offline listening.
3. Automatic Returns: No late fees—titles are automatically returned at the end of the lending period.

Libby is available for download on the App Store and on the Play Store.

Conclusion

There are many ways to enjoy free audiobooks, either by borrowing works from your library through Libby, by listening to new authors seeking feedback on WattPad or by listening to public domain books with the Librivox app or Fabuly!