Best Audiobook Apps in 2026
Updated
In short: Playary is ranked #1 of 32 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Audiobookshelf and Sora. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Audiobookshelf. The lowest first paid tier on this page is AudiobooksNow at $3/mo.
Finding an audiobook app that suits your listening habits means comparing how titles are made available and what each app includes. Check access models and catalogs, then look at DRM-free downloads, offline listening, and family sharing. Mobile platform support helps clarify where you can listen; free plans and paid-from pricing add cost details. Playary, Bookmate, and Hoopla are among the apps shown. Use the listed features to compare borrowing, purchasing, or other access models with the devices and listening options you want.
32 audiobook apps ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
7 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PlayaryWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 2 | AudiobookshelfWeb · Windows · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 3 | SoraWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 4 | BookmateWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | HooplaWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 6 | LibbyWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 7 | Google Play Books Auto-narrated AudiobooksWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 8 | BorrowBoxWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 9 | Kobo BooksWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $7.99/mo | 5.6 |
| 10 | Libro.fmWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 11 | AudiobooksNowWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $3/mo | 5.5 |
| 12 | AudibleWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | $8.99/mo | 5.3 |
| 13 | BookPlayerMac · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 14 | DwellAndroid · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 15 | Loyal BooksWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 16 | SimplyEWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 17 | The Palace ProjectAndroid · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 18 | UbookWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 19 | FabulyAndroid · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 20 | Kuku FMAndroid · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 21 | PrologueMac · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 22 | Audiobooks.comWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $14.95/mo | 5.1 |
| 23 | LibriVoxWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | plappaiPhone | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | Apple Books Digital NarrationWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Offline listening | Access model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Playary | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 2 | Audiobookshelf | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | — | — | Yes | — |
| 3 | Sora | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | library borrowing |
| 4 | Bookmate | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | subscription |
| 5 | Hoopla | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | library borrowing |
| 6 | Libby | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | library borrowing |
| 7 | Google Play Books Auto-narrated Audiobooks | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | BorrowBox | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | library borrowing |
| 9 | Kobo Books | 5.6 | No | $7.99/mo | Yes | — | Yes | mixed |
| 10 | Libro.fm | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | Yes | mixed |
| 11 | AudiobooksNow | 5.5 | No | $3/mo | No | 4.99 /mo | Yes | mixed |
| 12 | Audible | 5.3 | No | $8.99/mo | No | — | Yes | mixed |
| 13 | BookPlayer | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 14 | Dwell | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | Yes | subscription |
| 15 | Loyal Books | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | mixed |
| 16 | SimplyE | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | library borrowing |
| 17 | The Palace Project | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | library borrowing |
| 18 | Ubook | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | mixed |
| 19 | Fabuly | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | mixed |
| 20 | Kuku FM | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | mixed |
| 21 | Prologue | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 22 | Audiobooks.com | 5.1 | No | $14.95/mo | No | 14.95 /mo | Yes | mixed |
| 23 | LibriVox | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 24 | plappa | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 25 | Apple Books Digital Narration | 5.0 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
Is your app 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 Freedom251?
Playary is ranked #1 of 32 with a score of 6.8. Audiobookshelf 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 free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.