We’ve all heard about Kindle Unlimited, but have you heard about Audible? Both are excellent services that let you choose from thousands of books, all on audio. In addition, both services are supported by Amazon, and you can get credits for any audiobook in the catalog.
So, if both services offer pretty much the same thing, which is the best choice? Read on to learn more about Audible vs. Kindle, and then you can decide which service is the best one for you.
Pricing
The first differences you will notice between Kindle Unlimited and Audible are the subscription plans and free trials. With Kindle Unlimited, you will be required to pay a subscription fee of $9.99 per month, which will give you access to over one million e-books and thousands of Audible audiobooks.
In addition, you can borrow as many as 10 titles at once, and unlike with a traditional library, there are no due dates.
Kindle Unlimited also has a 30-day free trial, so you can see if this is the service for you. If you decide you like it, you can get most book titles from $0.99 to $4.99 each. This means you will get to enjoy lots of great books at a fraction of what they would cost to buy in traditional book stores.
If you decide you want to check out Audible, there are two subscription plans to choose from. The Audible Gold membership is $149.50 per year, or you can make monthly installments of $14.95. With your payment, you will receive one credit each month you can use to buy one Audible title.
The second Audible subscription plan costs $22.95 per month, or $229.50 per year (basically, you get two months free if you join for a year). With this, you will receive two credits per month, so you can choose two free titles.
Like Kindle Unlimited, Audible offers a 30-day free trial, and that trial includes a free audiobook. Audible has more than 200,000 titles to choose from, and in addition, you will be able to enjoy a variety of radio programs, magazines, and newspapers.
The most significant difference between Kindle Unlimited and Audible is that you can use Kindle Unlimited as a library and borrow books, while you must purchase books from Audible. But, unlike Kindle, Audible allows you to keep the books you have bought even if you cancel your membership.
What About Compatibility?
One of the great things about Kindle Unlimited is that you don’t need to use a Kindle device to read your favorite books. As long as you have the free Kindle app, available on Android, Mac, Windows PC, and iOS, you can read your books anywhere and anytime without needing an e-reader device.
Once an e-book has been downloaded, the audiobook, which is free, will also be added to your Audible library. You can also use the “With Narration” icon to search for free audiobooks.
Once you have downloaded these books, you will be able to enjoy them on a variety of devices, including the Kindle Fire tablet, iOS, and Android devices, using the free Audible app.
If you are looking for something with a wider range of compatibility, Audible may be the best option for you. You can use the Audible app (available in the App Store, Google Play Store, and Microsoft Store), Fire TV, Sonos speakers, iTunes, etc. You will also be able to use voice commands if you want to play Audible books on Alexa-enabled devices.
Availability
If you live outside of the US, you may as well get Audible because Kindle Unlimited is not available anywhere outside of the US. Local services are available in Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, China, India, and the UK, but the titles you are looking for may or may not be there.
On the other hand, Audible is available in most parts of the world, although the catalogs may be different depending on the licensing restrictions.
Cancellation Policies
After signing up for the 30-day free trial of Kindle Unlimited, you can cancel the subscription at any time during that 30 days without having to worry about paying for anything. But, if you do not cancel before the end of the trial period, you will be charged $9.99 per month.
Once you cancel, you will continue to be able to borrow titles until the membership expires at the end of that month. After that, any borrowed books will be removed, so you will no longer have access to them.
The cancellation policy is pretty much the same for Audible. But one big difference is that you will be allowed to keep one of the audiobooks after the free trial ends. Also, all of the titles you have in your library will be available.
Return Policy
Audible has a return policy you may want to know about. You have 365 days after the original purchase date to return those titles for a refund or exchange if you are not happy with the title for whatever reason.
Kindle Unlimited also has a return policy that is quite similar to that of Audible. If you wish to return a Kindle book for any reason, you may do so within seven days of the purchase date. So, it is a good idea to look at the book as soon as you download it to make sure you really want it.
Otherwise, if you wait past the one-week mark, you can return the book, but you will not be able to receive a refund.
Conclusion
If you love to read, but you can’t always carry books around with you, Kindle Unlimited and Audible are both great options. You can find thousands and thousands of your favorite titles and plenty that you never even knew existed.
Both services are pretty close in offerings, so all you have to do is a bit of research on your own to be able to decide which service is the best option for you.