If you have the top audiobook applications on your iPhone or Android device, you'll never be without a decent book to listen to again. There are a variety of music apps available that allow you to listen anywhere, at any time, to anything from best-sellers to old favorites. All you need is a mobile device and a good pair of headphones or wireless earbuds to get started.

Audiobooks apps are available in as many variations as there are different types of books. Our list of the top audiobook apps covers anything from slick, full-featured players that also connect internet marketplaces to more modest enterprises that nonetheless provide you with the masterpieces of world literature in audiobook format, among other things.

So get ready to unwind with a nice book as soon as you've finished listening to one of these top audiobooks apps.

The best audiobook apps for Android and iOS

Audible (Android, iOS: $17.95/month)

With more than 470,000 titles in its catalog, Audible remains the undisputed leader among the top audiobooks apps — especially now that it is acquired by Amazon — and is the most popular of the bunch. In terms of playback features, Audible's audiobook player is strong, featuring chapter navigation, bookmarks, a sleep mode, variable playback speed, and multitasking support for both background playback and downloading in the background.

The merging of Audible with Amazon has provided numerous advantages. The first two credits are awarded to Amazon Prime customers who join up at Audible.com and begin an Audible Premium Plus trial subscription. Whispersync, a function offered by Amazon, allowing customers to transition between audiobook and text very smoothly. You can even have Amazon's Alexa pull up your Audible audiobooks so that they may be read aloud through an Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Tap device.

Audiobooks.com (Android, iOS: $14.95/month)

As one of the top audiobook apps for Android and iOS users, the cloud-based Audiobooks.com platform, developed by RB Audiobooks, allows customers to choose from a collection of more than 200,000 audiobooks from every genre, which they can either stream or download for offline listening.

Among the features of the Audio Books app are customizable playback speed, automatic bookmarking, and a sleep timer, amongst other things. Additionally, this program supports cross-device syncing, which allows users to seamlessly shift from their smartphone, tablet, or computer to their audiobook without losing their place in it.

Realm (Android, iOS: Free)

The finest audiobook app, formerly known as Serial Box, has a new name — Realm — but retains the same appeal to anyone who enjoys listening to a good tale on their phone or tablet. Realm provides listeners with shorter, episodic content in the form of bite-sized chunks of books that are excellent for listening on the go or during a break in your day job.

Realm includes a variety of genres, ranging from drama to fantasy and science fiction. A number of shows are available for free listening, but paying for an unlimited membership removes advertisements, allows you to listen or read while on the go, and grants you access to unique bargains. An yearly membership costs $2.49 per month, or $2.49 every week.

In addition to a robust library of titles such as "The Witch Who Came In From The Cold," "Bookburners," and "Tremontaine," as well as a highly configurable reader and audiobook player mode, Real is an intriguing new option for readers and audiobook listeners alike, especially now that an Android version of the app is available. Real is available for iOS and Android devices.

Google Play Books (Android, iOS: Free)

As an added bonus, Google Play Books has audiobook functionality, allowing you to listen to your purchased audiobooks on a variety of platforms and devices. Using their Android device, iPhone, or desktop PC, listeners can pick up where they left off on their previous listening session. Skip ahead or browse along the timeline, jump to chapters, and customize playback speed and a snooze timer are all available with audiobook options.

Unlike the other applications in our list of the best audiobook apps, Google Play Books does not require a monthly membership; instead, it allows users to preview audiobooks before purchasing them through the Google Play Books marketplace. Google Play Books is available for both Android and iOS devices.

Kobo Books (Android, iOS: Free)

Kobo may not have the same brand recognition as Amazon in the US ebooks and audiobooks sector, but the company provides an extensive collection of ebooks and audiobooks through its online marketplace and reader applications. The audiobook player on Kobo has all the essentials, including a timeline scrubber bar, timeskip buttons, chapter navigation, playback speed setting, and a snooze timer, among other features.

As well as offering cross-platform syncing, the Kobo app also has a customized ebook reader in addition to the audiobook player. Users who sign up for the newsletter will receive a $5 discount on their first ebook purchase.

Bookmobile (iOS: $3.99)

Bookmobile is a well-regarded iOS audiobook player that is ideal for folks who want to listen to DRM-free audiobooks on the go. Audiobooks in M4B and MP3 formats, as well as DRM-locked content from iTunes and Audible, as well as DRM-free content ripped from CDs or downloaded, are all supported by Bookmobile. The software has a sensible control system that prevents you from losing your place when driving or sleeping. It also supports background playback and has drive and sleep modes.

In addition, there is a custom bookmarking feature that can automatically remember where you were when you last stopped listening, playing speed options, and AirPlay compatibility. It is possible to import three audiobooks during the free trial period, which lasts for 60 days. Following that, it will cost you $.399 to unlock the entire library.

Smart AudioBook Player (Android: $1.99)

You can use Smart AudioBook Player for Android devices to listen to DRM-free audiobooks that you already have in your collection. It has a good selection of features, such as variable playback speed, bookmarking and an audio equalizer. It also includes some basic collection management features, a sleep timer, and control widgets for your notification tray and home screen. The software offers a generous 30-day free trial period before inquiring about a $1.99 unlock fee after that.

Listen Audiobook Player (Android: $1.99)

Listen Audiobook Player, formerly known as Akimbo, is another of the finest audiobook apps for Android that allows you to listen to DRM-free audiobooks. Listen is a highly configurable player that is free of advertisements and in-app purchases. It features variable playback speed, an integrated equalization, a sleep timer, inbuilt chapter support, bookmarks, lock screen controls, and widgets.

 

Users can sync their current position and bookmarks across various devices, configure skip times, UI colors, and headset button shortcuts. They can also specify skip times, UI colors, and headset button shortcuts.

Voice Audiobook Player (Android: Free)

If you don't want to spend any money on applications — whether they're the finest audiobook players or something else — you may always choose for free and open source alternatives. There is no cost to use Voice Audiobook Player, which offers a simple, Material design-based interface that provides several helpful playback functions without charging any money.

Management of libraries is straightforward and organized by folders; playing settings include variable playback speed, bookmarks, and a sleep timer. In comparison to the other applications in our list of the best audiobook apps, it is a little more basic, but you can't complain about the price.

Nook Audiobooks (Android, iOS: Free)

In addition to the Nook Audiobooks app, Barnes & Noble also has a retail catalog with more than 50,000 titles spanning a wide variety of categories. As opposed to services like Audible or Audiobooks.com, which operate on a subscription model, Nook has an online store where customers may purchase individual books, which they can then download and listen to using the Nook app.

Audiobooks Now (Android, iOS: Free)

More than 180,000 bestsellers and classics are available on Audiobooks Now's integrated market and audiobook player, which includes a library of more than 180,000 titles. Listeners can download titles to their devices and read them while on the road, or they can stream audiobooks on demand.

The software has bookmarking and playback options, as well as auto-pause and resume functionality for incoming calls and multi-device syncing. The Audiobooks Now app, in addition to providing a marketplace for audiobooks, also provides a book club-style subscription system that offers considerable savings on audiobook purchases of up to 50% off the list price.

Chirp (Android, iOS: Free)

Consider Chirp to be a sort of audiobook bargain site, where you can find a variety of titles for $1.99 to $4.99, representing a significant discount off their original price. (While the collection is skewed toward fiction, there are works from every genre covered here.) There is no membership fee, and whatever you purchase becomes your property.

Whether you prefer to stream or download your books for offline listening, the Chirp app for mobile devices is the place where you can read them. A sleep timer, configurable listening rates, and chapter-by-chapter navigation are just a few of the features.

Downpour (Android, iOS: Free)

In addition to offering a superb selection of DRM-free audiobooks for sale, Downpour offers a selection of audiobooks that you can rent for 30 or 60 days using the Downpour mobile app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Users may browse their complete library using the Downpour app, as well as download audiobooks through Wi-Fi or cellular networks for offline listening. Aside from chapter and 30-second skips, bookmarking, a sleep timer and support for background downloading and playback, playback features are quite typical.

Bound - Cloud Audiobooks (iOS: $3.99)

Instead of allowing audiobooks to suck up gigabytes of valuable iPhone storage space, you may use a cloud-based audiobook solution to store your audiobooks. Bound is one of the greatest audiobook apps for iOS, allowing you to stream DRM-free audiobooks from your favorite cloud storage services, such as Dropbox, iCloud, or Google Drive, and listen to them on your iPhone or iPad.

With the program, you can replay files in a variety of formats, including MP3, M4A, and AAC. It also has an alarm clock, a sleep timer, variable playing speed, and bookmarking and seek time configuration settings.

Scribd (Android, iOS; $8.99/month)

Instead of delivering audiobooks as a standalone service, Scribd provides them to customers as part of its on-demand service in the manner of a streaming video service like Netflix.

With their Scribd account, members may now access a library of more than 30,000 titles, in addition to the more than half-million ebooks that they can already access with their Scribd account. This is available for $8.99 per month.

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