If you love consuming the latest book releases but don’t always find the time to sit and read, audiobooks are a great alternative. Finding cheap and free audiobooks in the UK means you can cut the cost of your hobby, especially if you prefer downloading the latest releases.
From old classics to the newest faves from Oprah’s Book Club, there are lots of different ways to consume literature, and audiobooks are an increasingly popular option. And yes, it still counts! Listening to audiobooks is just as beneficial as reading a physical (or digital) book, despite what the haters say.
However, just like their physical counterparts, audiobooks can be pricey. So we’ve rounded up some money-saving ideas for those who love listening on the regular. We’ll compare subscriptions, one-off purchases, audiobook apps, and sites with freebies to cut out the hard work for you.
Audible has somewhat dominated the audiobook market. But if you’re specifically looking for alternatives to Audible, we’ve got you covered, too.
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Is Amazon Audible the best option?
As the most popular and well-known option for finding audiobooks, an Audible subscription is likely what pops up first in your research. But is the most well-known always the best?
Audible offers around 600,000 titles in their catalogue and their Plus catalogue features thousands of Audible Originals (meaning you won’t find them anywhere else). This vast catalogue is split up into categories like History, Literature & Fiction, Kids, Romance, Biographies & Memoirs, and Teen.
There are also dedicated lists for Bestsellers and New Releases, so if you’re new to the site or audiobooks in general, it’s easy to find a title fast.
So, what does it cost?
A standard Audible subscription costs £7.99 a month, for which you’ll get one credit. Use this credit to download and keep any title you want. You’ll also get unlimited access to their Plus catalogue which features selected podcasts and audiobooks within the Audible Originals collection.
Other subscriptions include:
Audible Monthly – 2 books for £14.99/month
Audible Premium Plus Annual – 12 books for £69.99/year
Audible Premium Plus Annual – 24 books for £109.99/year
Audible is TopCashback member Sarah's favourite:
"I subscribe to Audible and love it. This year I paid for a year's subscription in advance as that gave me 24 credits all at once - double the amount of credits and cheaper in total than my previous monthly subscription.
I then take advantage of the 2-for-1 offers (if I see books I like) to make the credits go further. If paying monthly and credits build up you can take a 'payment holiday' and pause membership while still being able to listen. There is also unlimited use of the Plus Catalogue of free Audible books and podcasts."
Can you get anything free?
Yes, as a new user, you’re eligible for a 30-day free trial that gives you one credit. Existing Amazon Prime members can get two credits with their free trial. You’ll have to put your payment details in to sign up, so if you don’t want to continue with a paid subscription, make sure you cancel on time.
Some people might want to avoid using Amazon for ethical and environmental reasons. If you’re looking for alternatives to Audible, we’ve got lots of other options for you below.
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Where to get free audiobooks
Let’s start with the freebies. We've split this section into two parts, and this first section has a wider selection of free books that include classic and modern.
1. Local libraries
Cost: free
Pros: support libraries and authors
Cons: limited selection, waiting times, deadline for borrowing
The first and easiest step is to sign up to your local library if you haven’t already. It’s likely they’ll have at least a modest selection of audiobooks available to lend or request. More popular titles will have a queue to join until you’re able to borrow, with a reserve date and notification when it’s available.
2. Library apps
Cost: free
Pros: support libraries and authors, download from your phone
Cons: limited selection, waiting times, deadline for borrowing
You don’t even have to physically go to your library to find your favourite audiobooks. Popular library apps like Libby (previously OverDrive), BorrowBox, and uLibrary mean you can sign up using your local library card and borrow right from your phone. You can add more than one library card to your apps, meaning you’ll have a larger selection to choose from.
BorrowBox is my favourite service for free audiobooks. I previously downloaded it for eBook downloads and found they had a fantastic range, including new releases.
I looked into their audiobook range which is just as impressive. I'm currently listening to The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, which I also have in eBook form, so I'm able to listen on walks in between reading sessions. Ann Dowd narrates the Aunt Lydia sections, which is great as a fan of the TV series.
3. RNIB Reading Services
Cost: free
Pros: large selection, can listen via digital download, CD, or USB file
Cons: RNIB members only
For blind and visually impaired people, there are extra resources for finding free audiobooks in the UK. The RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) website features around 40,000 audiobooks for adults and children. Anyone with blindness or visual impairment can sign up as a member to get access to audiobooks via digital download or delivery of CDs and USB sticks.
4. BBC Sounds
Cost: free
Pros: no licence required, modern books available
Cons: limited selection, can only download on app, UK use only, usually abridged versions
BBC Sounds is easy to use and has lots of modern titles, like Yellowface and How to Kill Your Family (although often abridged), as well as classics like The Thirty-Nine Steps and Wind in the Willows. You can only access BBC Sounds when you’re physically in the UK but the good news is you don’t have to have a TV licence to access their ~150 titles.
5. Storynory
Cost: free
Pros: back-to-basics children’s stories, professional storyteller, great selection
Cons: only for children, Apple-only app
There are around 600 stories for children on Storynory, which aims to educate and entertain young listeners. You’ll find stories of Greek mythology, classic fairy tales, legends, and contemporary series told by a professional storyteller. All audiobooks are free on the site and you can download an app for iPad and iPhone.
6. Lit2go
Cost: free
Pros: nice site, wide range of age-appropriate collections, classics and modern
Cons: some more US-centric collections, children’s fiction only
This is an ideal resource for teachers of primary and secondary pupils as you’ll find all sorts of children’s fiction, poetry, and short stories. As a US site, some of the collections veer towards American history and culture, but we found plenty of audiobooks for a range of ages like Sherlock Holmes, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Frog-Prince, and Beowulf.
7. YouTube
Cost: free
Pros: listen on almost any device with wi-fi
Cons: streaming only; need YouTube Premium to lock & listen
YouTube has a surprising amount of free audiobooks. Simply type in ‘[title]’ + ‘audiobook’ to find what you want – you could also add ‘read by’ if you have a narrator in mind. When we looked, we found a variety of titles from classics like The Great Gatsby and The Metamorphosis to modern releases like Lessons in Chemistry and The Tattooist of Auschwitz. This option means you’ll have to stream rather than download, and having YouTube Premium means you can lock your phone while you listen.
Hannah from TopCashback loves this option:
"My go-to for cheap and free finds is surprisingly YouTube! It's a treasure trove for discovering public domain audiobooks. Many of these are historical, which perfectly align with my interest in history. Plus, there’s a fantastic collection of children's stories that I'll sometimes put on for my son to enjoy during our occasional travels."
8. Amazon Echo & Google Assistant
Cost: free
Pros: listen in your home or on any device with Google Assistant
Cons: limited narrator choice, can’t download
If you have a smart speaker in your home, you can ask it to find and read audiobooks that are free within the public domain or free from Audible – without a subscription. The only downside is that you don’t have a lot of leeway with your narrator, so if you need a soothing voice to enjoy books out loud, this option might not be for you.
9. Netgalley
Cost: free
Pros: good variety of genres, merit-based selection
Cons: more difficult for new visitors
Netgalley works on a read-and-review exchange. You’ll get access to free audiobooks as long as you keep reviewing each and every one you download. Requests to listen to an audiobook are more often approved for those who have a few reviews under their belt, especially if you demonstrate social reach (Goodreads, Instagram etc). So give meaningful reviews on as many platforms as you can to improve your standing on Netgalley.
10. Scribl
Cost: free
Pros: helps new authors gain a following and earn money
Cons: you have to search to find the freebies, unknown authors
US site Scribl uses its own unique ‘crowd pricing’ model to help establish new authors. When a new book joins the site, it’s always free, then the more popular it becomes, the higher the price goes. This means you’ll have to manually and frequently check for new additions to the site for free versions. Once you read it, you rate it and set what you think is a fair price. Scribl is best for people who want to find new authors and don’t mind going in blind.
The six sites below feature only public domain books. This means their copyright has run out, which in the UK is 70 years after the author’s death. As you might imagine, this section contains only classics. If that’s not your bag, you can skip to the cheap audiobooks section.
11. freeclassicaudiobooks.com
Cost: free
Pros: you’ll find lots of classics
Cons: basic website, have to search manually, US public domain laws
The clue is in the title of this website, where you’ll find a huge amount of books in the public domain. While this website is pretty basic in design, you’ll find tons of classics from The Wind in the Willows to White Fang. There’s also an option to pay for 200 classic books for $9.95 to save on searching.
12. digitalbook.io
Cost: free
Pros: attractive interface, grouped by collections, 60+ languages, eBook downloads available, snippets available
Cons: only public domain
digitalbook.io works in multiple countries and languages and boasts 100,000+ free audiobooks. Unlike most other public domain sites, this one looks really great and is fun to browse. Get recommended books, save favourites, and play snippets.
13. LibriVox
Cost: free
Pros: contribution option
Cons: not professionally read
LibriVox features books within the public domain read by volunteer narrators. If you enjoy a crowd-sourced project and listening to a variety of voices from all over the world, this site might appeal to you. As an added quirk, you can also choose to contribute – a book, a chapter, a section of a play, whatever you want. For budding voice artists, this could be a great way to practise.
14. Project Gutenberg
Cost: free
Pros: large collection and different narrators available
Cons: basic website, works under US public domain law
With a 50-year history, Project Gutenberg is a popular go-to for eBooks and audiobooks. The titles are helpfully split into three categories: human-read (600+), computer-generated narrator (300+), and human-read volunteers from LibriVox. The site interface is pretty basic, so you’ll have to know which author and title you’re looking for as you won’t find any lists for inspiration.
When accessing non-UK sites that host public domain titles, make sure it falls within UK law. For the US, public domain begins 95 years after first publication; in the UK it’s 70 years after the author’s death. This usually results in an overlap, but it’s your responsibility to check a title if you’re downloading from a non-UK site.
15. Loyal Books
Cost: free
Pros: easy to use and search, variety of genres and languages
Cons: works under US public domain law
There are 7,000 titles to find on this public domain site which features a huge variety of languages and genres, too. You’ll find fiction for children and teens as well as genres like fantasy, horror, non-fiction, philosophy, and romance.
16. Internet Archive
Cost: free
Pros: huge selection, multiple languages, different mediums
Cons: public domain only, have to manually search
You may know this site from using Wayback Machine, but Internet Archive has a lot more to offer. We found 72,000+ audio selections that include poetry, fiction, non-fiction, short stories, and philosophical texts. Internet Archive works as a site portal that searches dozens of public domain sites including LibriVox and Project Gutenberg to source its material.
Where to get cheap audiobooks
Most sites that charge for audiobooks come with a subscription, so this (small) section covers downloads for a one-off basis. This is handy if you’re new to audiobooks, don’t listen regularly, or for finding those titles you just can’t get anywhere else.
17. xigxag
Cost: maximum £7.99 per book
Pros: cheaper prices the more you buy, Certified B-Corporation & Ethical Consumer, no subscription fee, get audiobook and eBook together
Cons: new signups pay more
xigxag offers ~7,000 books and an original and flexible pricing model where you’ll pay less the more you buy. New sign-ups will pay the maximum of £7.99 per download, then once you’ve bought five downloads, you’ll start working your way up (or rather down) the ladder. Here’s how it works:
There are occasional offers on site, meaning you can find books for £3.99 each even as a newbie. The xigxag selection includes plenty of popular bestsellers like The Idea of You, The Bullet That Missed and Where the Crawdads Sing. Their unique x-book® downloads mean you can listen and read along with an audiobook and eBook together for one price.
18. Apple Books
Cost: £2.99–£14.99 per download
Pros: listen to a preview, good variety, easy to use
Cons: slightly pricier than other platforms, hard to find deals
In general, prices are a little higher for Apple Books than other places, but we have some tips for saving money. The free audiobook selection is limited to some public domain books and romance novels, but we found around 100 titles.
Prices vary and aren’t visible from the home screen, so you’ll have to look manually, but we found some from as little as £2.99. It’s possible to get a deal during a one-off or seasonal sale like Black Friday.
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Audiobooks free with subscriptions
There’s a chance you already pay for a subscription service that comes with free audiobooks. Why not take advantage of the below options that mean you don’t have to pay anything extra?
19. Amazon Prime
Pros: plenty to choose from
Cons: less variety in genres compared to other platforms
Prime members have automatic access to Prime Reading, which features hundreds of eBooks and audiobooks free for download. The audiobooks from Prime are under its Audible Plus catalogue (mentioned earlier) which has a fair bit to offer.
20. Spotify Premium
Pros: huge choice
Cons: limit of 15 hours a month
We don’t love this one since you’re limited to just 15 hours a month, even with any of the paid subscription options. For context, Pride and Prejudice comes in at around 11 hours, without factoring in times you need to rewind and re-listen. This is a good option if you already pay for Spotify Premium and use it alongside a free service, but we certainly don’t recommend signing up just for audiobooks.
TopCashback staff member Chloe uses Spotify as her go-to:
"I pay for Spotify Premium and you get 15 hours free listening time per month within your subscription. They've got pretty much every title you can think of, I've never searched for one and not found it. Some months I do use up my 15 hours and get put into 'Spotify jail' so I have to wait until my hours renew before I can continue! You can purchase extra hours for an extra charge but I've never done that.
I'm a big reader, I've only recently got into audiobooks as I didn't think they were for me but now I really enjoy them. I usually listen in the car or pottering about the house. I mainly listen to non-fiction as I really like an autobiography read aloud by the author, I think that makes it a lot more personal."
Audiobook subscriptions
Last on our list are subscription services, ideal for those looking for alternatives to Audible. We love finding stuff for free when possible, but paying for your audiobooks helps authors make money.
21. audiobooks.co.uk
Cost: free trial then £7.99/month
What you get: 1 premium + 1 VIP book a month
Pros: huge selection, occasional sales, cancel anytime
Cons: limitations on redeeming credits
You’ll get a free 30-day trial with audiobooks.co.uk, then it’s £7.99 a month. For that price, you get two audiobooks a month, which we think is pretty good value for their selection of 450,000+ titles.
There’s a slight limitation in that one audiobook can come from their premium selection and the other from their VIP selection. The latter has less to offer, so you may not find anything of interest (meaning you’re only getting one book a month). Occasionally, you’ll find deals and sales like 2 for 1, so there can be good value for money, so it’s definitely worth trying out for a month for free.
22. BookBeat
Cost: £5.99, £9.99, or £14.99 a month
What you get: 20, 50, or 100 hours a month
Pros: flexible pricing, free trial, wide variety
Cons: limited listening amount
The flexibility of BookBeat’s subscription plan means you can choose from basic, standard, and premium based on how much you listen. You can even try it free for 30 days to get an idea of your usage before you start paying. There’s lots to choose from in every category, with bestsellers like Crying in H Mart, Cat Lady, and I Hope This Finds You Well.
23. Everand
Cost: £10.99 a month
What you get: access to millions of titles
Pros: huge variety of media types, cashback from us
Cons: you have to pay for multiple features, slightly higher cost
Previously known as Scribd, Everand is a little pricier as it includes more. For its monthly cost, you’ll get eBooks, podcasts, magazines, newspapers, and sheet music as well as audiobooks. But if you’re unlikely to use most of these features, it’s probably not worth the cost. You can try for 30 days free before deciding whether to pay for a subscription (and you can earn cashback with us if you do).
24. Spiracle
Cost: Up to £12 a month
What you get: two audiobooks a month + 20% discount
Pros: support UK independent authors and publishers, quality selection
Cons: higher cost than other platforms
This ethical alternative to Amazon offers both free and paid memberships as well as one-off purchases. Spiracle’s focus is on supporting small independent publishers in the UK. They offer a selection of handpicked books that focus on high quality rather than mass quantity of bestsellers.
The free membership will include some – although not many – audiobooks, as well as articles and podcasts. A paid membership gives you two free audiobooks per month and a 20% discount on extra audiobook purchases.
25. Kobo
Cost: £8.99–£11.99
What you get: access to 150,000+ audiobooks
Pros: unlimited downloads, cashback, free trial
Cons: slightly higher monthly cost
Kobo Plus membership starts from £8.99 a month and lets you listen to unlimited audiobooks from their selection of 150,000+ titles. For £11.99 a month, the Read & Listen membership includes eBook access from their collection of 1.5 million titles.
We found popular bestsellers like I’m Glad My Mom Died, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Call Me By Your Name. As an extra perk, you can earn cashback from us when you sign up for a membership, buy an eReader, device accessories, or gift cards.*
*correct at the time of writing
Sound decisions
Whether you’re an audiobook aficionado or amateur, we hope this guide has given you some sound advice on free and cheap resources. We’ve covered a lot, so here’s a quick roundup of our favourites to summarise.
Our favourite for classics
Project Gutenberg: a huge selection of public domain classics
Our favourite for latest releases
Netgalley: an honest read-and-review system that benefits readers and authors
Our favourite for kids
Storynory: back-to-basics storytelling for young listeners
Our favourite free option
Library & library apps: get a range of audiobooks for free in exchange for a little wait time
Our favourite cheap option
xigxag: pay as you go and get cheaper prices the more you listen
Our favourite subscription
Kobo: unlimited downloads for just £8.99/month
Our favourite alternative to Audible
Spiracle: get two audiobooks a month and support independent publishers
Have you tried out any of the above platforms? Let us know in the comments your favourite places for free and cheap audiobooks.