Five alternatives to Audible are compared here, including Spotify, BorrowBox, Libby, Kobo and Everand. Monthly cost ranges from £0 to £11.99, with BorrowBox and Libby offering genuinely free access to audiobooks through a UK library card, an option frequently overlooked alongside the paid subscription services.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 21 July 2026
- BorrowBox and Libby both let UK residents borrow audiobooks for free using an existing library card, with no subscription fee at all.
- Spotify Premium currently includes a monthly allowance of audiobook listening hours as part of its standard music subscription, rather than as a separate charge.
- Everand offers an unlimited listening model for a flat monthly fee, differing from Audible's one-credit-per-month structure.
- Kobo combines an audiobook subscription with a large ebook library through its Kobo Plus service, useful for households that read and listen.
- Library-based apps typically involve waitlists for newly released or bestselling titles, unlike paid subscriptions which offer immediate access.
- A combination of a free library app for backlist titles alongside a smaller paid subscription for new releases can cover most listening habits at a lower total cost than Audible alone.
Audible alternatives compared by monthly cost and access model
| BorrowBox | Free with library card | Backlist strong, waitlists for new releases |
| Libby | Free with library card | Backlist strong, waitlists for new releases |
| Spotify Premium | From ~£11.99/month | Monthly listening hours allowance, bundled with music |
| Everand | Monthly subscription fee | Unlimited listening model, smaller catalogue than Audible |
| Kobo Plus | Monthly subscription fee | Combines audiobooks and ebooks in one subscription |
Source: Provider pages and UK library service information, accessed July 2026
KEY FACTS
- BorrowBox: free with a UK library card, widely supported by UK local authority library services
- Libby: free with a UK library card, built on the OverDrive lending system
- Spotify Premium: includes a monthly allowance of audiobook listening hours within its standard subscription, from around £11.99 a month
- Everand: unlimited listening for a flat monthly subscription fee, rather than a one-credit-per-month model
- Kobo Plus: combines audiobook and ebook access in a single monthly subscription
Can you get audiobooks for free through a UK library
Yes. BorrowBox and Libby both let UK residents borrow audiobooks at no cost using an existing library card, with the specific catalogue available depending on which service a local authority library subscribes to.
UK public libraries widely support digital audiobook lending through one or both of two main apps: BorrowBox and Libby, the latter built on the OverDrive lending system also used internationally. Both work in a similar way to borrowing a physical book: a library card provides the login, titles are borrowed for a set loan period, and the book returns automatically once the loan expires rather than requiring any action from the borrower. Neither app charges a subscription fee, since the cost is already covered through local authority library funding rather than billed directly to the user. The main limitation compared with a paid subscription is availability: popular new releases and bestsellers frequently carry waitlists, sometimes running to several weeks, since libraries licence a limited number of digital copies per title, similar in principle to a physical library only holding a set number of copies of a popular book. For backlist titles and less time-sensitive listening, the free library route can cover a meaningful share of typical audiobook consumption without any ongoing cost. Audible retains a meaningful advantage in exclusive content and early access to certain new releases, since publishers sometimes grant temporary or permanent exclusivity to Audible for specific high-profile titles, which is not available through any of the alternatives compared here regardless of subscription level chosen.
How does Spotify's audiobook offering compare with Audible
Spotify Premium currently includes a monthly allowance of audiobook listening hours as part of its standard music subscription, from around £11.99 a month, rather than charging separately for audiobooks the way Audible does through its credit system.
Spotify's approach folds audiobook listening into its existing music subscription rather than treating it as a standalone product, giving Premium subscribers a set number of listening hours each month included within the price they already pay for music streaming. For someone who already subscribes to Spotify Premium for music and listens to a modest amount of audiobook content, this can effectively add audiobooks at no additional cost, since no separate subscription is needed. The trade-off is capacity: once the monthly listening hour allowance is used, typically enough for a modest but not extensive amount of listening, further audiobook access within that billing period is not included, unlike Audible's one-credit-per-month system which grants a full audiobook regardless of its length. For someone who listens to more than one audiobook a month and prioritises audiobooks specifically, a dedicated audiobook subscription is likely to offer better value than relying on Spotify's included allowance alone. Kobo Plus also allows switching between reading and listening to the same title in some cases, syncing progress across formats, which suits a household that alternates between reading physical or ebook pages and listening to the audiobook version depending on the situation and time available.
What does Everand offer that Audible does not
Everand offers an unlimited listening model for a flat monthly subscription fee, differing structurally from Audible's one-credit-per-month system, which suits listeners who get through more than one audiobook a month and want a genuinely unlimited catalogue.
Audible's core subscription model grants one credit a month, redeemable for one audiobook regardless of its length or price, plus discounted pricing on any additional titles purchased outright. Everand instead offers unlimited listening across its catalogue for a single flat monthly fee, which can work out considerably better value for a listener who regularly finishes more than one audiobook a month, since Audible's model effectively caps included listening at one credit regardless of how quickly that credit is used. The trade-off is catalogue depth: Audible's audiobook library is generally considered the largest and deepest available, with the broadest range of new releases and exclusive content, while Everand's catalogue, though substantial, does not match Audible's scale and can feel patchier for readers with specific or niche tastes. For a fast, frequent listener prioritising volume over guaranteed access to every new release immediately, Everand's unlimited model is worth comparing directly against Audible's one-credit system. Everand's unlimited access does typically exclude a small number of newly released or particularly high-demand titles, which sit behind a separate, additional purchase requirement even for subscribers, so checking whether a specific wanted title is included in the unlimited catalogue is worth doing before relying on it entirely.
Is Kobo a good alternative for households that read as well as listen
Kobo combines a monthly audiobook subscription with Kobo Plus, giving access to a large ebook library alongside audiobooks in a single subscription, which suits households wanting both formats without paying for two separate services.
Kobo's positioning differs from a pure audiobook alternative like Audible or Everand, since its Kobo Plus subscription bundles audiobook listening together with a substantial ebook library within a single monthly fee. For a household that reads ebooks as well as listening to audiobooks, this can consolidate what would otherwise be two separate subscriptions, a Kindle Unlimited-style ebook service plus a separate audiobook subscription, into one combined cost. Kobo also sells audiobooks and ebooks individually outside the subscription for anyone who prefers to own specific titles outright rather than access them through a rotating subscription catalogue. Kobo's dedicated e-reader hardware integrates directly with both formats, which matters for anyone who already owns or is considering a Kobo device specifically, though the subscription and app themselves work on phones and tablets without requiring the dedicated hardware. Kobo's storefront also regularly features discounted individual titles and seasonal promotions outside the subscription, giving a further way to build a library gradually without committing to the monthly Kobo Plus fee at all. For a household weighing up a first move away from Audible, testing Kobo's free trial period against actual reading and listening habits before committing to a paid annual plan is a sensible way to confirm genuine fit.
What is the most cost-effective way to replace Audible entirely
Combining a free library app such as BorrowBox or Libby for backlist titles with a smaller paid subscription, or occasional individual purchases, for specific new releases typically covers most listening habits at a lower total cost than an ongoing Audible subscription alone.
For most listeners, the biggest saving comes not from picking a single paid Audible alternative, but from routing as much listening as possible through a free library app first, and reserving a paid subscription or one-off purchase only for titles not available through the library or needed immediately on release. Since BorrowBox and Libby's catalogues depend on what a specific local authority library service has licensed, checking both apps against a home library card is worthwhile, since availability and waitlist length can differ noticeably between the two even within the same local area. For listeners who get through audiobooks quickly and do not want to wait on a library waitlist for popular new releases, pairing a library app with a lower-cost paid option, such as Everand's unlimited model or an existing Spotify Premium subscription's included hours, is likely to cost considerably less over a year than a stand-alone Audible subscription, while still covering the majority of typical listening needs. Tracking which titles are genuinely available on a free library app before assuming a paid subscription is necessary can meaningfully reduce total annual spend for most UK households without a significant loss of listening choice overall.
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DISCLAIMER
This article is editorial information, not financial advice. Kael Tripton Ltd is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Figures were correct at the last review date shown above; verify current rates and rules with the primary sources listed below before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to pay for BorrowBox or Libby
No. Both apps are free to use with an existing UK library card, since the cost is already covered through local authority library funding rather than charged directly to the user, though the specific catalogue available depends on which service a local library subscribes to.
Can you access new releases through a library audiobook app
Sometimes, though popular new releases and bestsellers frequently carry waitlists on BorrowBox and Libby, since libraries licence a limited number of digital copies per title, so immediate access to the newest releases is not guaranteed the way it is with a paid subscription.
Does Spotify Premium include unlimited audiobooks
No. Spotify Premium includes a set monthly allowance of audiobook listening hours within its standard subscription rather than unlimited access, so a listener who gets through more than that allowance each month would need an additional or alternative audiobook subscription.
Is Everand better value than Audible for frequent listeners
It can be. Everand's unlimited listening model for a flat monthly fee suits listeners who finish more than one audiobook a month, since Audible's model effectively grants one credit a month regardless of how quickly it is used, though Audible's catalogue is generally considered larger.
Do you need a Kobo e-reader to use Kobo's audiobook subscription
No. Kobo Plus and Kobo's audiobook and ebook purchases work through apps on a phone or tablet as well as on Kobo's own e-reader hardware, so owning a dedicated Kobo device is not required to use the subscription.
SOURCES
- UK local library services information – accessed 21 July 2026
- Spotify official pricing – accessed 21 July 2026
- Kobo official site – accessed 21 July 2026
