The entertainment industry is undergoing an audio revolution, and audiobooks were the first to pave the way. We’ve compiled a list of the best audiobook apps for iPhone and iPad.
The days of purchasing audiobooks on CDs are long gone. You only need a smartphone or tablet these days.
Many platforms offer audiobooks; you can use the Apple Books app. All other significant audiobook services have regularly updated iOS and iPadOS apps available.
Therefore, selecting the platform you prefer most and downloading the corresponding app will be your main responsibility.
It’s important to note that an increasing number of apps include ebook reader and audiobook player functionality.
As a result, if you want to switch from reading to listening, you don’t need to switch the app.
Additionally, there are many excellent options with practical features for convenient listening to the best audiobook applications for the iPhone and iPad, leaving you with no shortage of possibilities.
I adore audiobooks because they make “reading” so practical. You can listen to books while performing other tasks, such as driving or doing chores.
If you love these features stated above, you’ll love these best audiobook apps for iPhone and iPad.
1. Apple Book
Apple Book is also among the best audiobook apps for iPhone and iPad. The company Apple consistently produces some of the top iPhone applications, and its Books app is no exception.
It is the ideal option for Apple users because you can browse millions of audiobooks and ebooks from every genre, including fiction, non-fiction, thrillers, romance, mysteries, children’s books, comics, and more.
I adore the simple, user-friendly interface that permeates everything Apple creates.
Additionally, you’ll enjoy listening to audiobooks because they are narrated by actors, authors, and other notable voices.
Also, you can keep track of the books and audiobooks you want to read next and set reading goals.
Additionally, Family Sharing enables you to lend your purchased books and audiobooks to up to five family members.
The best part is that there are many discounts and free books available.
2. Amazon Kindle
One of the most well-liked iOS book-reading apps is Amazon Kindle, which almost always ranks in the top three in the “Books” category.
Although the program doesn’t have an audiobook player capability, it provides a user with another fascinating way to listen to books.
Kindle provides something a lot more versatile. It is aimed at those who are not avid listeners of audiobooks.
You can purchase an ebook from the Kindle Store and add an audiobook companion at a discounted rate. You now have a single book in two forms as a result.
With just a few clicks, the user may switch between reading and listening thanks to Whispersync for Voice technology.
Your gadgets and the book editions are in sync regarding where you last read a chapter.
On your drive to work, you can start reading on your iPad, and once you get there, you can switch to listening on your iPhone.
Suppose you share your Kindle library with family members. If that’s the case, readers who want the freedom to choose the format that best suits their mood should consider the Kindle app, which can add audiobook companions.
3. Libby
Next on our list of best audiobook apps for iPhone and iPad is Libby. With the help of this app, you may search for and borrow as many audiobooks and ebooks as you like from the libraries in your area.
You must first register using your library cards, so it won’t be much use if you don’t have one or live far from some libraries.
After signing up, you can stream audiobooks to save space on your smartphone or download them offline.
I adore this software since it conveniently stores stuff from several libraries on a single shelf.
Libby is the finest app for free audiobooks of all genres, including bestsellers, obscure titles, and new releases. Most applications only provide access to ancient or classic novels.
It’s an easy, practical, and, most importantly, lawful method of downloading free audiobooks on your iPhone.
4. Scribd
A radically different subscription-based digital content platform is Scribd.
Scribd gives unrestricted access to digital publications, including ebooks, audiobooks, newspapers, and magazines, for a fixed monthly fee of $8.99.
You may explore anything you choose, in any format, with the Scribd app for iPad and iPhone. It can be a highlighted story from The New York Times or the most recent audiobook.
Given that Google Play and Kobo don’t provide access to newspapers and magazines, this indicates that the app is more flexible than those services.
According to the company, premium users can listen to as many audiobooks as they want each month.
However, there are instances when we have to restrict the titles that you can access inside a certain content library for 30 days.
5. Audible
Audible is also one of the best audiobook apps for iPhone and iPad. The most well-known audiobook app is Audible.
It provides all the playing capabilities required, including bookmarks, quick chapter navigation, customizable speed, a sleep timer, and multitasking support for offline downloads and background playback.
Additionally, you can purchase audiobooks separately or sign up for an Audible subscription to receive monthly credits to apply toward audiobooks. If you listen to a lot of books, this comes out to be considerably less expensive.
Its interaction with the Amazon purchasing app also offers other advantages. For instance, Amazon Prime subscribers may receive special offers on audio material.
Furthermore, you may smoothly transition between an ebook and an audiobook thanks to Amazon’s Whispersync technology.
If you utilize Alexa, the smart assistant, it gets much better. You can ask Alexa to play one audiobook, suggest others, and more.
Last but not least, Audible also provides access to original audio programs or brief stories. For instance, you can hear famous people reading their preferred tales.
6. Hoopla Digital
Here is yet another fantastic app to assist nearby libraries. Using Hoopla, you can instantly borrow free audiobooks, ebooks, motion pictures, music, comic books, and television shows from your local library.
It has an inventory of over 800,000 titles, ranging from blockbuster movies and best-selling books to specialized, hard-to-find stuff.
No late fees, offline accessibility, and seamless device syncing are a few outstanding advantages.
It’s the perfect method to access your library anywhere you want. The icing on the cake is a simple-to-use interface.
7. Google Play Books
Next on our list of best audiobook apps for iPhone and iPad is Google Play Books. The Google Play Books app should be tried by anyone who frequently uses Google services or recently switched from a tablet or smartphone powered by Android.
Google’s iOS reading app is now a one-stop shop for consuming various forms of digital content, including ebooks, audiobooks, textbooks, and comic books.
The Google Play Store’s book and audiobook selection is larger than iBooks but smaller than Amazon and Audible.
There is no need to purchase a subscription because you can purchase audiobooks separately. This is a significant advantage.
Download the iOS app on your iPad and iPhone, log in with your Google or Gmail credentials, and all your previously stored content should start syncing if you use Google Play Books on Android.
Additionally, audiobooks are synchronized. You can begin listening to an audiobook on your laptop’s browser and begin from where you left off on your iPad’s Play Books app.
It functions flawlessly, and I tested it with a free audiobook from the Google Play Store.
The Google Play Books app lets you directly control audiobooks via CarPlay, which is good news for those who enjoy listening to audiobooks in their cars.
8. Audiobooks.com
There are 10,000 free audiobooks available on Audiobooks.com and a sizable collection of over 250,000 others.
Everything from kid-friendly material to the newest releases, Bible readings, and best-selling non-fiction books is included. Thanks to the intuitive UI, it’s simple to find what you’re looking for.
I adore the smart suggestions tool, which chooses books based on my preferences.
The finest audiobooks of the year, most anticipated releases, books you can finish in a day, and many other lists are also available for viewing.
This is made simple by finding new books you might have not heard of. Additionally, many podcasts are available on this app, which adds to the content variety.
9. Kobo
Kobo is also one of the best audiobook apps for iPhone and iPad. In September 2017, Kobo expanded its ebook shop to include audiobooks.
It means that both ebooks (including comic books and textbooks) and audiobooks are now available from a single online location.
You can access anything you’ve bought from the Kobo online shop in a single app on the iPad and iPhone with Kobo.
The app operates similarly to other ebook-audiobook combinations. With the shared library, it can be either a book reader or an audiobook player.
It’s important to remember that audiobook playback could be more flawless. The purpose of new app upgrades is to address problems with audiobooks.
The audiobook player in the Kobo app is well-designed and incredibly simple. With only one swipe, a great slider makes it simple to flip through the book.
You can always speed up or slow down the narration because the player constantly updates the remaining time.
We must assume there is no CarPlay compatibility because no information is available.
10. Bound
Here is a creative cloud-based option that can help if you want to avoid your audiobooks taking up valuable iPhone storage space.
Bound lets you enjoy DRM-free audiobooks on your iPhone by streaming them from cloud storage platforms like iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
The mp3 audiobook player also supports several other file types, such as .m4a,.m4b, and .aac.
You could lose your place whenever you close the app if you tried to listen to these on a regular audio player.
Bound, however, offers the advantages of programmable playback rates, a sleep timer, and choices for bookmarks and search times. If you already have DRM-free audiobooks, it’s a clever solution!
11. LibriVox
Next on our list of best audiobook apps for iPhone and iPad is LibriVox. Classic novels that have become part of the US public domain are free as audiobooks on LibriVox. A service run entirely by volunteers.
The business that created LibriVox Audio Books for the iPad and iPhone differs (Book Design LLC). It also provides free audiobooks from the LibriVox library.
The app is an excellent way to see if you like audiobooks. Over 50,000 free audiobooks are available on LibriVox without restriction.
Audiobooks are recorded in over 30 languages in the LibriVox library. In addition to biographies, history books, short stories, and poetry, the app is a prominent source of literary classics.
You can become disoriented if you have access to 50,000 titles. LibriVox has a robust search feature as a result.
You can search by keyword, browse by title, author, or genre, or look for recently added audiobooks.
The program offers infinite bookmarks and a sleep timer (in case you enjoy listening to audiobooks before bed).
12. Chirp Audiobooks
Here’s another essential app for audiobook fans with fantastic discounts on a huge selection of books called Chirp Audiobook.
You may save up to 95% on audiobooks daily without paying a monthly fee. This app has much to offer at affordable pricing, including bestsellers and unique finds.
You can stream or download everything you buy to listen to it offline.
Everything you buy is yours forever. All necessary features, such as simple chapter navigation, a sleep timer, and programmable playback speed, are present.
Additionally, you receive recommendations based on your favorite genres.
13. Libro.fm
Last on our list of best audiobook apps for iPhone and iPad is Libro.fm. Here is a great tool to assist you if you want to support independent bookstores in your area.
Buy your preferred audiobooks from your neighborhood bookshop to support the local economy where you reside.
This may seem a modest gesture, but it has a big impact in important ways, like expanding job options.
Over 215,000 audiobooks, including bestsellers and bookseller choices, are available on this app. You can use tags to organize your library and playback speed controls to listen at leisure.
You receive one audiobook credit per month in exchange for an automated payment of USD 14.99 plus VAT under its subscription-based business model.
Even though it can be more expensive, buying something helps your neighborhood bookshop. Thus, it’s worthwhile.
You can access a wide range of audiobook listening apps on your iPhone, allowing you to find entertainment and inspiration wherever you are.
With these apps, you’ll always have things to do.
