Best Audiobook Services · head-to-head
Audible vs AudiobooksNow
A sourced, side-by-side comparison for audiobook services. AudiobooksNow has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Price: Audible $7.95/mo vs AudiobooksNow $0/mo — AudiobooksNow is cheaper to start.
- Free tier: Audible No; AudiobooksNow Yes.
- HIPAA: Audible —; AudiobooksNow —.
Side by side
| Audible | AudiobooksNow | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $7.95/mo (Audible Plus) | $0/mo (Pay-As-You-Go (No Membership)) |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| HIPAA (BAA) | — | — |
| SOC 2 | — | — |
| GDPR | — | — |
| Best for | Largest audiobook catalog seekers | Per-book buyers who prefer owning titles outright |
Sources — Audible: dealnews.com (verified 2026-06-14). AudiobooksNow: audiobooksnow.com (verified 2026-06-14).
Key features
Audible: 1M+ title catalog across 130+ genres; Audible Originals — exclusive audio dramas, memoirs, podcasts; Whispersync for Voice — syncs listening/reading position with Kindle ebooks; Offline downloads to mobile and select Kindle devices; Great Listen Guarantee — return any credit-purchased title within 365 days; 30% discount on additional a la carte purchases (Premium Plus); Amazon Prime exclusive: 3-month free trial; Plus Catalog: thousands of titles included at no extra credit cost
AudiobooksNow: 420,000+ audiobook catalog; Permanent ownership of all purchased titles — no licensing restrictions; No credit system: transparent per-book pricing with percentage discounts; 50% off first audiobook purchase each month (unused discount rolls over); 35–40% off all other purchases for Club members; Loyalty program with double reward points for cash back; Annual Club plan at $35.99/yr (~$3/mo) — lowest subscription cost among credit-based alternatives; Pay-as-you-go available with no membership commitment; iOS and Android apps with offline listening