Gone are the days of hard copies and paperbacks. In recent years, more and more passionate readers have slowly switched to audiobooks. Thanks to the easy accessibility and convenience they provide. Not only do audiobook platforms offer a wide range of genres and voices to choose from, but they also allow users to download titles.
If you use an iPhone or iPad and are looking for some of the best free audiobook apps for it, look no further. We will help you review the top options currently in the market. Let’s get started.
Best Free Audiobook App for iPhone and iPad
Amidst multiple ever-growing entertainment businesses, audiobooks have made a well-liked entry and are here to stay. After all, what’s better than someone narrating the entire book while you can just multitask on the go?
Moreover, there are a tonne of fantastic options with practical features for convenient listening when it comes to audiobook apps for iOS. Let’s check them out:
NAME | FEATURES | RATING |
Apple Books | Customized recommendations | 3.6 |
LibriVox | Narrate own audiobooks | 4.3 |
Audible | Syncs audiobooks in your online library | 4.8 |
hoopla | Offers sleep timer and audio speed control | 4.8 |
Spotify | Post your personal audiobook on your channel | 4.8 |
1. Apple Books
Made for Apple users, the Apple Books app is where you can purchase or free download a vast selection of e-books and also listen to any audiobooks you love. In case you are skeptical about any title, it lets you sample the first few pages or preview an audiobook for free and then decide whether to go ahead with it or not.
- Use any iOS device to set your own reading goals and keep track of what you’ve read and want to read
- Palette of reading themes with multiple fonts and background colors
- Reading Now option makes it easy to select the ideal page quickly, whether you’re reading a book in progress or are immersed in a single narrative.
- Receive customized recommendations based on the stuff you’ve been reading.
- Use Auto-Night theme for reading in low-light conditions
2. LibriVox
When a book’s original copyright expires and it enters the public domain, everyone can use it without restriction. In this way, many new books enter the public domain annually, and people find creative ways to use them.
LibriVox is a nonprofit website where thousands of public domain audiobooks, covering genres such as classic literature, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and many more are available for free. All you need is to browse through the catalog of audiobooks by genre, author, title, or narrator.
It also welcomes volunteers to read aloud their own public domain audiobooks, submit them to the platform, and make them available to listeners for free. Even though there are differences in quality across the works, it’s still a fantastic effort and a great way to read more classic literature.
3. Audible
Audible is well-known to almost everybody, and for good reason. You may listen to thousands of well-known audiobooks in your preferred genre, original audio content, podcasts, and others. It’s the world’s biggest and most sophisticated audiobook service with a vast library that includes bestsellers, classics, and exclusive titles and runs on Amazon.com.
- Download your favorite audiobook for offline listening
- Syncs audiobooks in your online library across all linked devices
- Adjust playback and narration speed and also set a sleep timer
- Whispersync for Voice lets you switch between reading an e-book on your Kindle to listening to the audiobook version from where you left off
- Offers an Audible Premium Plus subscription service and is also free of ads on its 30-day free trial period.
Also Read: Audible Plus vs Premium Plus: Which is the Best Audiobook Subscription?
4. hoopla
If your library is an affiliate member, you can access periodicals, e-books, and audiobooks using hoopla, another free audiobook app for iPhone and iPad. It allows library patrons to access online content for free using their library card.
- You can borrow and stream content instantly without waiting for holds or reservations. So, there are no waitlists for popular titles.
- It also offers access to comic books, movies, and TV shows in addition to books.
- Other features include bookmarking, a sleep timer, and audio speed control.
Keep in mind that you are limited to the number of volumes you can check out at once, just as in any other regular library.
5. Spotify
Spotify Premium offers users instant access to over 150,000 audiobooks from self-care to novels posted by other users on their channel. You either need the subscription or be the plan manager for Family or Duo accounts.
Search for titles marked Included in Premium with Spotify’s catalog to find audiobook titles from major publishers and independent authors. However, it is accessible only in the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
With the free version, you will have to watch out for ads and can’t skip playlists. Premium members will receive 15 hours of audiobooks each month.
Also Read: Audible vs Spotify Audiobooks vs Kindle Unlimited
6. Amazon Kindle
When it involves ebooks, the Amazon Kindle app is unmatched. But did you know that it also offers access to audiobooks? This implies that you can use Audible narration to follow along with your books as necessary.
For a captivating experience, it’s quite simple to move between the two modes or use them both at once. You can sample any Kindle book for free. Additionally, for a single-time monthly fee, you can access a variety of free content if you purchase a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
7. Audiobooks
Audiobooks has plenty of amazing audiobooks available to listen to for free. You can enjoy a selection of podcasts that have been carefully chosen according to your audiobook history.
Not only this, Audiobooks can be an ideal choice to listen to if you’re going on a trip as they can be downloaded offline. What’s more? AirPlay, background playback enabled, and sleep Timer with complete customization of your list!
8. Everand
Everand (formerly known as Scribd) has access to millions of e-books, audiobooks, periodicals, and other resources. It is a great platform to have quick access to enough popular titles to last you the entire day.
Moreover, this audiobook app for iPhone and iPad also offers a 30-day free trial. At present, there is a monthly membership fee of $11.99, which provides access to an endless amount of audiobooks and other content.
Also Read: 29 Best Motivational Podcasts on Spotify: Get Inspired Anytime, Anywhere
9. Chirp
BookBub’s audiobook platform Chirp offers limited-time deals on popular audiobooks, including New Your Times best sellers. The best part is, doesn’t have waiting lists or a membership fee.
Additionally, it offers one-time savings on popular audiobooks of up to 95% without asking customers to create a subscription. Audiobooks are available for a monthly fee, making them perfect for infrequent audiobook listeners. If you’re not happy with any of Chirp’s audiobooks or their quality, you can look into their money-back guarantee.
10. Kobo
Kobo is the ideal choice for readers who value having a wide selection of novels and the flexibility to select from a variety of formats.
With the Kobo Plus subscription, which costs $9.99 per month, you get access to one credit that may be used for any audiobook. Kobo Plus provides unlimited access to over 1.5 million eBooks and over 150,000 audiobooks, with subscriptions made especially for eBooks, audiobooks, or both.
How to Download Audiobooks on iPhone
You need to download and install your favorite audiobook app from the App Store on your iPhone and then from the app, you can download the audiobooks that you want to listen to.
How to Listen to Audiobooks on iPhone from Library
If you listen to audiobooks on Apple Music, you can also add them to your library. Here’s how:
1. Open Apple Music and go to the audiobook of your choice.
2. Tap on the three dots and select Add to Library.
3. Now, tap on Library to listen to recently added audiobooks.
Audiobooks allow you to multitask and catch up with your favorite stories, making them a loved choice in this busy world.
Now that you know the best free audiobook app for iPhone and iPad, go ahead and finish all the books you’ve been waiting to give a try.
If you have any queries or suggestions for us, do let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechCult for more app reviews.