While Audible got flashier with unlimited content and marketing gimmicks, Audiobooks.com stayed seemingly “boring”, focusing on sustainable member benefits and fair author payments. For smart listeners who think beyond just getting the most stuff, that boring approach might actually become attractive in 2025!
**The marked links and book covers on this page are affiliate links. If you use them to purchase something, I earn a fee at no additional cost for you. Disclosure**
Audible vs Audiobooks.com: The Quick Answer
- Most content? Audible (Membership benefits come out of the pocket of indie authors, not Amazon)
- Most ethical? Libro.fm (supports local indie bookstores, 1 book/month)
- Smart middle ground? Audiobooks.com (member benefits and sustainable payments for authors)
What You Actually Get for $14.95/Month
Audible Premium Plus
✅ 1 audiobook credit for a premium title
✅ Unlimited listening to 30,000+ Audible Plus titles
✅ 30-day free trial**
Unbeatable for pure volume! You get as many listening hours per dollar as you want.
Audiobooks.com
✅ 1 audiobook credit for a premium title
✅ 2 monthly borrows from monthly new VIP bestseller selection
✅ Access to a free audiobook library
✅ 30-day free trial**
More than just 1 book per month, but can’t compete with Audible’s unlimited catalog.
Libro.fm
✅ 1 audiobook credit for a premium title
✅ DRM-free downloads to save your audiobooks forever
✅ Supports local indie bookstores
✅ 2 Premium Audiobooks in your first month**
❌ No additional free content
The Hidden Cost of Audible’s “All You Can Listen”
Here’s what Audible doesn’t advertise: their royalty payments were already insultingly low (25% for non-exclusive authors). They praised themselves for increasing these to 30% but changed their whole payment structure in a way that will result in an even smaller bottom line for most authors!
Audible’s Deceptive Royalty “Increase”
- Promised: Higher royalties (30% non-exclusive, 50% exclusive)
- Reality: Changed the entire payment structure so most authors actually earn LESS
- Result: Fewer audiobooks get made, authors struggle financially
Why This Matters to You
When authors can’t make a living, fewer quality audiobooks get produced. Audible increasing the reach of its “unlimited” deal could mean fewer great books in your future TBR pile. It also might lead to more titles being AI voice generated, further hurting narrators as well.
The whole audiobook creator industry hurts!
Audiobooks.com: The Ethical Middle Ground
ABC isn’t flashy, but they’ve stuck to fundamentals. You get more than just one audiobook per month for your fee, but ABC can maintain a sustainable royalty structure. Authors being able to make a living means more quality, human-read audiobooks get produced long-term, which makes us listeners happy, too.
Audible vs Audiobooks.com Apps
There isn’t much difference in regard to the Audiobooks vs Audible app. Neither service lets you use your own choice of audiobook player. Only Libro.fm offers this as their audiobooks are DRM-free and can be downloaded as MP3s.
Both apps offer what we as avid listeners expect:
- Sleep timer
- Narration speed settings
- Bookmarks
- Offline downloads
Audible advantage: Seamless Amazon integration (Kindle Unlimited audiobooks and Whispersync)
ABC advantage: Accepts PayPal, belongs to an independent company
Returns Policy Reality Check
Audible: Easy one-click returns (over-promoted and too easy, leading to author abuse and penalties on customer accounts)
Audiobooks.com: Contact customer service for returns (protects both your account and authors)
Who Should Choose What?
Choose Audible if:
- Volume matters most and you can’t get audiobooks through library apps
- Audiobook budget is tight
- You love Audible Originals
Choose Audiobooks.com if you:
- Want good value but ethics matter
- Care about a sustainable audiobook industry
- Prefer supporting independent companies
- Want more than 1 book/month
Check out the current VIP Selection**!
Choose Libro.fm if:
- Ethics matter most
- You want to support your local indie bookstore
- You prefer DRM-free files so you can save your audiobooks forever
- 1 book/month is enough
Related article: How to find quality Cheap Audiobooks
The Smart Choice for 2025
Audible’s unlimited catalog is genuinely impressive and unbeatable for pure content volume. And the elaborate productions of Audible Originals always make me think that there are still a few people at Audible who genuinely love audiobooks.
But in 2025, if we want to be smart listeners and consumers, we want to try and think beyond just “getting the most stuff”. And we know that one company having all the market power is bad for everyone else, including us customers.
Audiobooks.com represents the sensible middle ground. They provide fair author payments that ensure a sustainable industry, and still give us member benefits that mean more bang for our buck.
Sometimes boring wins! While Audible chases flashy features and keeps squeezing authors more and more, ABC quietly provides solid value for customers while treating creators fairly.
Ready to try them?
Try Audiobooks.com free for 30 days**
Try Audible free for 30 days**
Try LibroFM and score 2 Premium Audiobooks**
Related article: My 3 favorite Audiobook Apps that I never uninstall
Eline Blackman (pronouns: she/they) fell in love with books as a child – with being read to and reading herself. 11 years ago, she bought her first Audible book. It was love at first listen! An average of 200 audiobooks per year has become the new normal, and you will rarely see Eline without a wireless earbud. Romance and Fantasy are the go-to genres for this audiobook fan.
I bought my first Audible audiobook in June 2014 solely because of the old “Great Listen Guarantee.” Anything I didn’t finish, I returned. That process is now essentially worthless. The “people are cheating” excuse doesn’t hold up—Audible knows exactly how much of a book has been listened to and could have throttled returns based on purchase volume. I buy 10+ books a month yet have the same return limit as someone who buys two.
I currently have Everand (have had both pricing models), but I’m about to cancel due to their recent changes. I use my 15 Spotify hours, tried and dumped Chirp, and never used library apps. For me, it’s about breadth—5–7 active books at once, and I’m picky about what they are. No other service offers enough variety. A glance at audiobooks.com shows a big content gap there too.
I’d love a real alternative to Audible. I’m tired of greedy corporations, and Audible’s sloppy app design proves their developers don’t use it regularly. Unfortunately, for now, I’m stuck with the corporate giant I wish I could ditch.