Who doesn’t love an audiobook? They provide you with the means to keep reading even when you’re doing jobs around the houses, driving, going for a walk. Really it means you never need to be without a book… what could be better?! But with Audible and Scribd out there and good things to say about both, what are the differences and which is right for you?
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How does each audiobook service work?
Audible
Audible works on the basis of giving you a credit (or more depending on your subscription), each month. Each book is then available for one credit or a one-off purchase price. Once you have bought the book you then own it and can download it into your audiobook library. If you can’t get on with a books narrator/aren’t enjoying it you also have the option to return your book and get your credit back.
Scribd
Scribd operates as a lending service. You pay your monthly fee and then have access to Scribd’s entire library where you can save or download any books that are available to you. Essentially this is unlimited, however, Scribd’s algorithm doesn’t show you all the books it has available all of the time and will sometimes remove saved books from your library. I assume this is to offer some restriction on unlimited listening, but it seems quite random. The best advice I have seen is not to save books until you’re ready to listen to them. Scribd does also include eBooks however they can only be read within the Scribd App so won’t cross over to your eReader.
How much do Audible and Scribd cost?
Audible
Audible offers tiered packages starting at:
- 1 credit per month for £7.99 (monthly)
- 2 credits per month for £14.99 (monthly)
- 12 credits per year for £69.99 (annually)
- 24 credits per year for £109.99 (annually)
Audible often have various special offers available such as £3.99 for three months and £7.99 after that. If you click the banner below you can receive 50% off your first three months with my affiliate code.
Scribd
Scribd only offers one package:
- £9.99 a month for ‘unlimited’ listening
A free trial of 60 days is currently being offered from Scribd as part of their refer a friend scheme. You can trial the service with my link here.
Are Audible and Scribd mobile friendly?
Audible
Audible has a fairly good mobile app with good accessibility to your library and the option for dark mode which I like. There is also a discover feature to allow you to find new audiobooks based on your reading tastes. However, one flaw of the Audible App I have is you aren’t able to purchase audiobooks from within the App and have to go to the website to do so. I find this a really bizarre thing not to offer and I hope it changes in the future.
Scribd
The Scribd App may not be the prettiest thing to look at, but it does the job. You’re able to easily browse titles, see recommendations based off of books you’re viewing and easily save and download any books of your choosing. I like that you can do everything you need to within the App and don’t have to cross over to the website at any point. However looks-wise, Audible wins!
What are the audiobook playback features like on Audible and Scribd?
Audible
- Easy to use playback view showing you time remaining in both the book and chapter
- Book cover artwork
- You can also see the chapter title and number
- Option to connect to an external speaker
- Option to skip forward or back by 30 seconds
- Ability to increase the narration speed
- Can select specific chapters
- Can set a sleep timer for the narration to end at a specific chapter/time
- And you can save a favourite clip.
Scribd
- Shows you the total length of the book, but not how long you have left of it
- Book cover artwork
- Chapter number and time left in the chapter
- Option to skip to start or end of chapter
- Option to skip forward or back by 30 seconds
- Ability to increase narration speed
- Can set a sleep timer for the narration to end at a specific chapter/time
All in all, they share very similar features, but I think this is where Audible excels for me.
Does Audible or Scribd have a better audiobook library?
Audible
Audible’s library stems a wide range of books and I would say probably includes almost all books to have audiobooks created for them, with the exception of a small few. I can often find what I’m looking for on Audible and whilst they don’t have everything, it is rare to find my search comes up blank.
Scribd
Scribd doesn’t offer the variety Audible does, but it does have an ‘unlimited’ library. It has a good selection of popular books of both fiction and non-fiction. I’ve managed to find a few specific books I’ve been looking for on Scribd without having to spend a credit which I like.
Which is better, Audible or Scribd?
This is up to you to decide, but I think they both have their merits. If you’re after a service that offers you a clean user experience and a range of most popular books, then Audible would be the service for you. But if you want a service that offers you a lot of variety and aren’t looking for specific books, then Scribd is perfect for you.
Fab post! I love audiobooks and love trying out new sites. I’ve had an audible membership on and off for years and have tried audiobooks.com but haven’t taken the plunge with Scribd yet.
Really informative and insightful post! I’ve been curious as to what might the best one for audiobooks as someone who doesn’t exactly listen to books much but this does enlighten so much on each of their services! Thanks for sharing! 😀
This is interesting. I always had audible until I started using audiobooks on my commute which means I listen to 3 or 4 audiobooks a month. I pay slightly less that you (around £7.50 and can see how long I have left although this is rounded to the nearest hour). I’ve only once been told that I have a limited section of books available to me and only once had a book taken away – I was given a week’s notice. My husband however has had several problems with the app so it sounds hit and miss.
This was a very interesting post. I have had an Audible Subscription in the past, but am now happy with Scribd. I like that I can listen to many, many books in a month for a relatively low cost. I do get frustrated when I am ready to listen to a book and suddenly, it is no longer available. Even with that, I think Scribd is my best option, but that is a personal preference.
I did a similar post last year (https://adventuresofabibliophile.com/2019/11/14/i-cheated-on-audible-it-didnt-work-out/)!
For me, Audible comes out on top. They recently added the ability to purchase books within the app (credits only, though), which is nice. And with Scribd, they advertise “unlimited”, but once I finished two or three audiobooks most of their selection was suddenly “unavailable” until the following month. I didn’t like that.
Currently, I use both Audible and libro.fm, which supports indie bookstores. I don’t mind paying for each audiobook if it means I can listen to what I want. I feel like with Scribd, it’s fine, if it’s not your only source of audiobooks.