Are you looking for free audio books online. Put an end to your search with these best websites to Download Free Audiobooks and listen to tons of digital books anytime & anywhere at no cost:
I remember, as a child, I had an impressive collection of storybooks. I loved a good story, but not reading them. My mom would always tell me a bedtime story while I fell asleep. I think that’s where my love for hearing stories came from. As I grew up, stories took a backseat, forgotten among other things in life.
My perspective shifted completely after hearing a well-known figure narrating a tale on their program. I fell in love with stories all over again. It was then that I found out about audiobooks. That made me think about everyone who loves hearing stories while driving, traveling, or trying to sleep.
So, here is a list of free audiobook sites you can look at to find your favorite books.
Table of Contents:
Free Audio Books: Top Trending Websites
Hardcover and paperbacks are still the preferred books for book addicts. And frankly, it is hard to beat the feel and smell of a book if you are a book addict. But it is hard to carry them around when you are traveling. Also, you can’t read them while cooking, driving, or walking. That’s where audiobooks come in handy. They allow you to multitask, and you can enjoy the books anytime.
List of the Best Websites to Download Free Audiobooks
Here is the popular list of audiobook websites:
- Scribl
- Storynory
- LibriVox
- Lit2Go
- OverDrive
- Internet Archive
- ThoughtAudio
- Audible
- Digitalbook.io
- Loyal Books
- Open Culture
- Learn Out Loud
- Project Gutenberg
- Hoopla
- Light Up Your Brain
Comparing the Top Free Audiobook Sites
| App Name | Best For | Pros | Cons | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scribl | Filtering and finding audiobooks, ebooks, and podcasts | Lots of filtering options | Not all audiobooks are free | Starts from $0.10 |
| Storynory | Free audiobooks for kids | User-friendly interface | Limited library | Free |
| LibriVox | Accessing free audiobooks online on mobile devices | No need to download entire book | Can't sort by most popular | Free |
| Lit2Go | Free audio books for children and adults | Transcripts along with audiobooks | Can’t download entire book | Free |
| OverDrive | Accessing free audio books through your local library. | Free audiobook samples | Must have a library card from a library it supports | Free |
Detailed reviews:
#1) Scribl
Best for filtering and finding audiobooks, ebooks, and podcasts.
To be honest, Scribl isn’t entirely free. There are some free audiobooks, but most come at a nominal cost. What I love most about this website are the filters. There are lots and lots of filtering options to find that one book you are looking for without having to scroll endlessly. If you are lucky, you might find some of the rare free audiobooks online here.
When you do, grab them quickly before they get even more popular, and Scribl’s CrowdPricing puts a price on it. Here, you will also find an impressive collection of eBooks and podcasts.
- Crowdpricing
- A lot of filtering options
- Easy browsing
- Ebooks and Podcasts
- Price-based ratings
- Books at nominal cost
- Lots of filtering options
- Some rare books
Cons:
- Not all audiobooks are free
- Need to sign in to download
#1) Go to the Scribl website.
#2) Click on Sign in.
#3) Select Create an account.
#4) Fill in the details.
#5) Check the box beside I am not a robot.
#6) Click on Sign Up.
#7) Verify your email address to use Scribl.
#8) Open your email by Scribl and click on the link to verify your email.
#9) On the new tab that opens, click on Verify email.
#10) Enter the name of the book in the search bar or click on Browse to find your free audiobook.
#11) Click on Story Books or Knowledge Books
#12) Use the Filters on the left-hand panel to narrow your search.
#13) When you find your book, click on it.
#14) Click on Add to Library.
#15) Once it is added to your library, click on Download Audiobook.
Our Review: Although the audiobook collection alone isn’t that impressive, I have found some books that are not easily available on other websites for free. They are crowd-priced now. So, you will have to be quick to download the free audiobook. It’s amazing for podcast audiobooks.
Price: Starts from $0.10
#2) Storynory
Best for free audiobooks online for kids.
Storynory should be your first stop if you are looking to download free audiobooks for kids. You will find an impressive range of original stories, classic stories, fairy tales, educational books, and small stories as well.
The website is extremely user-friendly. You can easily download audiobooks here. You can download the iOS app as well but it is not free.
- Simple interface
- Collection of kids’ books
- Texts available with textbooks
- Frequent new releases
- Easy search option
- Free audiobooks
- User-friendly interface
- Frequent updates
Cons:
- Limited library
- The iOS app is not free
#1) Go to the website.
#2) Use the menu to find the audiobook.
#3) Select a category and click on Go to stories.
#4) Select a story by clicking on go to story.
#5) You can listen to the audiobook online, read the text, or click on download.
Our Review: You can find famous storybooks for kids here and you can download them for free. The collection is not mighty impressive, but it is worth a look. I recommend Storynory to download free audiobooks if you have kids.
Price: Free
#3) LibriVox
Best for accessing free audiobooks on mobile devices.
I love LibriVox for its huge collection of free audiobooks. Volunteers record these books by reading the chapters for books available in the public domain. You can search the books by author, genre, title, or language. What I love most about it is that I can listen to particular chapters of a book without having to download the entire book.
- User-friendly interface
- Books in different languages
- Impressive library
- Download individual chapters
- Zip and Torrent Download
- No need to download the entire book
- Multi-language support
- Supports mobile version
Cons:
- No most popular option in sorting
- Audio quality can vary
#1) Go to the website.
#2) Click on catalog.
#3) Click on the tabs to select a browsing criteria.
#4) Click on the title of the book you like.
#5) To download the entire book, click on download at the left-hand panel.
#6) To listen or download a specific chapter, click on the chapter.
#7) To download the chapter, click on the three dots and select download.
Our Review: I have already mentioned earlier that I love LibriVox for many reasons. It has an impressive collection of books that they update regularly. Everything is free and you don’t even have to download an entire book, you can just listen or download a specific chapter. Also, if you love reading out loud, you can even volunteer.
Price: Free
#4) Lit2Go
Best for free audiobook downloads for children and adults.
Lit2Go is a wonderful place for free audiobook downloads. You can easily find just about any book available in the public domain here. It has options to search books by genre, author, title, and reading level.
You will get information about this book, including word count, publishing date, readability, genre, and more. Transcriptions are available as well, so you can read along as you listen to the chapters.
- Simple user-friendly website
- Easy browsing
- Wide collection of books
- Frequent updates
- Kids books, adult books, and poems available
- Access to almost all books available in the public domain
- Transcripts along with audiobooks
- Easy to download
Cons:
- Most books are for K-12 students
- Can’t download the entire book
#1) Go to the website.
#2) Search your book using the criteria.
#3) Click on the book you want.
#4) Click on the chapter you want to listen.
#5) You can download the chapter or listen to it on the website.
Our Review: This is one of the best free audiobook sites for children’s books. You can find poetry books and some adult books as well. It is easy to navigate but you can’t download the entire book. You will have to download individual chapters. You can listen to the chapters online and read the transcript if you are having difficulty understanding the audio.
Price: Free
#5) OverDrive
Best for accessing free audiobooks through your local library.
You can use OverDrive if your local library has a subscription to this site. You can use the Find a Library option on the website to see if any library near you has a subscription to OverDrive. It has an impressive collection of audiobooks, fiction and non-fiction.
Some of them are bestsellers. The website offers a library experience. You can borrow a book, and you will have to return it at the end of the borrowed period.
- You can borrow audiobooks
- Associated with many libraries
- Access through the app on iOS and Android
- A huge collection
- Bestseller fiction and non-fiction books
- Easy search option
- A wide variety of books available
- Free audiobook samples
Cons:
- Must have a library card from a library that supports
- You can only borrow an audiobook
#1) Go to the website.
#2) Select the Browse Collection option.
#3) Click on the book you like.
#4) Click on Listen Now in Browser.
Our Review: If you have a library card of the library that has a subscription to OverDrive, this is the best site to download free audiobooks. You can borrow the audiobook, so when you are done, it will not occupy the space on your device forever.
Price: Free
#6) Internet Archive
Best for finding audiobooks through the archives of several other audiobook websites.
Internet Archive has thousands of free poetry books and free audiobook downloads. What I love most about this free audiobook website is that you can access the archives of several other free audiobook websites along with its library. It has an easy search option for such a wide collection of free audiobook downloads.
- Multimedia support
- A huge library
- Access to archives of other audiobook websites
- Easy search option
- User-friendly interface
- Several sorting options
- Multiple audio formats
- Access to archives of other websites
Cons:
- Many audiobooks are poorly named
- Not many non-English audiobooks
#1) Go to the website.
#2) Click on the Audio tab at the top of the page.
#3) In the left-hand menu, click on Audio Books & Poetry.
#4) Browse through the audiobooks available, or use the search bar to find a specific book or author.
#5) Click on the audiobook you want to listen to.
#6) Click on the Play to start listening.
You can also download the audiobook to listen to it offline by clicking on the download option button on the right-hand side of the page and choosing the file format you prefer. Suppose you want to listen to audiobooks on your mobile device. In that case, you can download the Internet Archive app for iOS and Android devices,
Our Review: If you are looking for a specific free audiobook, there is a high chance you will find it here. It has an impressive library, and the accessibility to archives of other websites makes its collection formidable.
Price: Free
#7) ThoughtAudio
Best for free classic literature and philosophy audiobooks.
ThoughtAudio is a website where you go to find free classic literature and philosophy audiobooks. You can just scroll through the title list to see the books in the collection. You can listen to them on the browser or download them in several parts by clicking the one you want to save. You can also check out the PDF transcripts of the audiobooks.
- Classic literature and philosophy audiobooks
- Simple interface
- Summary of the book and author’s autobiography
- PDF Transcript
- Direct online streaming
- No need to download audiobooks
- PDF Transcript
- Classic audiobooks
Cons:
- Download available in parts
- No search option and a limited collection
- Go to the website.
- Browse through the audiobooks available.
- Click on the audiobook you want to listen to.
- Click on the Play button to start listening.
You can also download the audiobook to listen to it offline by clicking the download button on the right-hand side of the page and choosing the format you prefer. You can also download the ThoughtAudio app for iOS and Android and browse and listen to audiobooks through the app.
Our Review: If you are a classics fan, you will find some of the most notable classics here. I have often used ThoughtAudio to listen to my favorite classic audiobooks. Remember, you can’t download the entire book here in one click. That’s the only thing that has troubled me on this website.
Price: Free
#8) Audible
Best for a huge collection of audiobooks, podcasts, originals, etc.
Audible isn’t a free website, but it offers a 30-day free trial where you can access the audiobooks for free for 30 days and download one for free. You can also download two Audible originals for free during the free trial. After the trial period, you can get one book a month for $14.95 /month, regardless of the price of the book.
- Free 30-day trial
- Audible app for easy access
- An impressive collection
- User-friendly interface
- Two free Audible originals
- Available for the Web, iOS, and Android
- Huge collection of books
- Two free Audib;e original audiobooks
Cons:
- The trial period is just a month
- A charge of $14.95 /month for downloading books after free trial
#1) Go to the website and sign up for a free account if you don’t already have one.
#2) Click on Browse at the top of the page.
#3) Select All categories.
#4) Browse through the selection of free audio books downloads available, or use search to find a specific book.
#5) Click on the audiobook you want to download.
#6) Click on the Add to Cart button.
#7) Click on the Library tab
#8) Select Titles to see all the audiobooks you’ve purchased.
#9) Click on the Download button next to the audiobook you want to listen to.
#10) Follow the prompts to download it to your device.
Our Review: If you are willing to pay $14.95 /month for one book a month, Audible is your audiobook website. However, it works well if the audiobook is otherwise expensive. Moreover, you can use it on your computer and mobile devices as well.
Price: $14.95 /month
#9) Digitalbook.io
Best for launching audiobooks free into podcasts on iTunes.
Digitalbook.io was previously called Librophile. Here, you can find public-domain audiobooks and download them easily. You can download the entire audiobook or play it as a podcast on your iTunes. You can browse using various filters like trending or popular. Digitalbook.io has over 100,000 items in its library, including audiobooks and ebooks.
- Easy search options
- Multi-language support
- Huge collection
- Audiobooks, ebooks, and podcasts
- User-friendly interface
- Audiobooks can be used and podcasts in iTunes
- Many well-known and lesser-known titles
- Books in many languages
Cons:
- More ebooks than audiobooks
- More classic novels than new releases
#1) Go to the digitalbook.io website.
#2) Click on the Audiobooks tab at the top of the page.
#3) Filter the audiobooks by category, genre, author, and other criteria by using the filters on the left-hand side of the page.
#4) Click on the audiobook.
#5) Click on the Play next to the chapter.
#6) Click on the Download button next to the book’s cover image to download the audiobook or you can convert the entire book into a podcast.
#7) You will need to create a free account on the website in order to download the audiobook.
Once you’ve finished listening to the audiobook, you can leave a rating and review for the book to help other users find good audiobooks free download to listen to.
Our Review: It has a clean website with easy search option. I like the number of audiobooks available here and I love how we can play them as podcasts on our iTunes.
Price: Free
Suggested reading=>> Best eBook Readers
#10) Loyal Books
Best for offering free books in various languages and genres.
Previously known as Books Should Be Free, Loyal Books is an easy-to-use audiobook website. Here you can find audiobooks in different languages and genres. There is a wide selection of audiobooks and eBooks, including works by authors such as Jane Austen, Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, and Charles Dickens.
All of the books are available for free and can be downloaded in a variety of formats, including MP3, M4B, and EPUB. Loyal Books also has a mobile app that allows users to listen to audiobooks on the go.
- Large selection of free audiobooks
- Multiple file formats
- Volunteer narrators
- Community forum
- Mobile support
- Multiple audiobook file format support
- Community Forum
- Free Audiobooks
Cons:
- Collection limited to public domains
- Audiobook recording quality can vary because of volunteer narrators
- Go to the website.
- Browse the collection.
- Select the book you want to listen to and click on it.
- Choose the audio format.
- Click the download button to start downloading the audio file to your device.
Our Review: If you are a classics fan, Loyal Books is an amazing website to download free audiobooks. However, its limited collection of new and popular books with copyrights worries me a bit. Also, you get only the books available on public domains, which is enough if you are not an audiobook addict.
Price: Free
#11) Open Culture
Best for finding free online courses, audiobooks, eBooks, language lessons, and more.
If you are looking for an online educational platform, Open Culture is a good option. Here, you will find free online courses, audiobooks, eBooks, language lessons, and other resources for anyone who wants to learn from any corner of the world. It is best for individuals who are looking to expand their knowledge on various subjects, including arts, literature, history, philosophy, and more.
Open Culture can be used for self-directed learning, research, or as a supplement to traditional classroom education. The platform also provides access to educational materials and audiobooks that may not be available elsewhere, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to learn something new.
- Free and open access
- A diverse range of content
- User-generated content
- Multi-language support
- Closed captions or transcripts
- Free to use
- High-quality audiobooks
- No need to sign up
Cons:
- No new releases
- No mobile app
#1) Visit the Open Culture Audiobooks website.
#2) Click on Audio Books tab.
#3) Browse the available audiobooks by clicking on the different categories such as Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Educational Material.
#4) Go to the title of the audiobook you want to download.
#5) Choose the format and click on the corresponding link.
The download will start automatically. Depending on the size of the audiobook and your internet speed, the download may take some time. Once the audiobook is downloaded, you can play it on your computer or transfer it to your mobile device or mp3 player to listen to it on the go.
Our Review: There’s a lot you can find here, from fiction to learning material. You must take advantage of what it has to offer. Also, everything is free, so browse, listen to your favorite book, and even learn something new on this website.
Price: Free
#12) Learn Out Loud
Best for finding audiobooks of a wide range of genres for free.
Learn Out Loud offers a wide variety of audiobooks, podcasts, and other educational content. It has an extensive collection of audiobooks including business, self-help, history, science, and fiction. What I love about Learn Out Loud is that it offers several free audiobooks that you can download and listen to.
It also has a subscription service called “LearnOutLoud.com Pro,” which offers unlimited access to its entire library of audiobooks and podcasts for a monthly fee. The website also has a blog and a forum where users can discuss and share ideas about the content they have listened to.
- Multiple format support
- User ratings and reviews of audiobooks
- A wide range of genres in the extensive library
- Subscription service
- User-friendly interface
Pros:
- Supports multiple formats
- User-friendly interface
- User ratings and reviews of audiobooks
Cons:
- Subscription required for full access
- Some audiobooks may not be available on Learn Out Loud
#1) Go to the Learn Out Loud website.
#2) Click on the Audiobooks tab at the top navigation bar.
#3) Browse or search the audiobook that interests you.
#4) Click on the title to go to the audiobook’s page.
#5) Click on the Add to Cart button to purchase the book.
#6) To download it to your device or stream it online go to My Account.
#7) Select View My List.
#8) Click on the download button next to the audiobook you want to download.
#9) To stream the audiobook online, click on My Account.
#10) Select My Audio Downloads.
#11) Click on the Play button next to the audiobook you want to stream.
Our Review: Learn Out Loud is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn and grow through audiobooks and other educational content.
Whether you are interested in personal development, history, science, or literature, there is something for everyone on this website. If you have an Audible account, you can access books for free.
Price: Free
#13) Project Gutenberg
Best for classic literature, such as novels, poems, and plays, as well as historical and scientific texts.
Project Gutenberg has over 60,000 free e-books that you can read online or offline. Michael S. Hart, founded this library in 1971. He aimed to create a digital library of literary works available in the public domain.
Its whopping collection includes classic literature and historical and scientific texts all in various formats, including EPUB, Kindle, HTML, and plain text. You don’t have to register or subscribe to download them.
Volunteers digitize and proofread the books and make them available to the public for free. Apart from the books in the public domain, there are also a few books that are available with the permission of the copyright holders.
- Large collection of free e-books
- No registration or subscription required
- Run by volunteers
- Supports multiple formats
- User-friendly interface
- Huge library
- Some copyright books are available as well
- No registration or subscription required
Cons:
- Audio quality may vary
- No reviews
- Go to the website.
- Browse the collection.
- Select an audiobook.
- Pick a format to download.
- Select More Files for more format options.
- Click on the download link.
Our Review: Project Gutenberg is said to be one of the oldest digital libraries and a pioneer in making literature accessible to all, regardless of location or income. It is a valuable resource for students, researchers, and anyone who loves to read classic literature.
Price: Free
#14) Hoopla
Best for a wide range of digital content, including e-books, audiobooks, comics, music, movies, and TV shows.
Hoopla is an extensive digital media platform. Here you can borrow and stream a wide range of digital content, including e-books, audiobooks, comics, music, movies, and TV shows. I love this website, everything at one place.
Amazing, right? However, you will need a library card from a participating library to use it. If you have one, you can access the platform on your computers, mobile devices, or streaming devices like Roku or Apple TV. There is a certain number of titles you can borrow each month, depending on your library’s agreement with Hoopla.
- A large collection of digital content
- Multi-device support
- Parental controls to restrict access to certain types of content for kids
- Personalized recommendations based on borrowing history and preferences
- Social sharing of favorite content on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
- Diverse digital content
- Multi-device support
- Offline access to content
Cons:
- You need a library card from a participating library to use the website
- Borrowing is limited
#1) Create an account.
#2) Check if your local library has partnered with Hoopla.
#3) Link your library card
#4) Enter the PIN if required
#5) Search for the audiobook
#6) Click on the title
#7) Click on Borrow
Our Review: I usually turn to hoopla for TV shows and movies. However, you will be amazed at its audiobook collection as well. Once here, you will find it hard to leave with so many options. The drawback- not all library cards can give you access to Hoopla. Find out if yours can.
Price: Free
#15) Light Up Your Brain
Best for audio stories and books for children.
If you are looking for audiobooks for children, Light Up Your Brain is the place you will find it. The website is designed to encourage children to read and listen to stories, improve their reading skills, and develop a love of literature. It has a wide range of audio content, including original stories, classic tales, and educational programs. You can access the content on any device with an internet connection.
The website is ad-free and does not require registration, making it easy for children to access and use independently. Additionally, some printable activities and worksheets come with the audio content to further engage children with the stories.
Light Up Your Brain is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations and grants to continue providing free audio content to children.
- Original stories and classic tales
- Educational programs for kids
- Printable activities
- Child-friendly design
- Website easy to use for children
- Easy to use for kids without supervision
- No registration required
- Ad-free
Cons:
- Limited content availability for others
- Supports limited formats
How to use Light Up Your Brain:
- Go to the website.
- Click on Audio stories for kids.
- Browse the stories.
- Click on the title.
- Click on the Play button.
Our Review: It is a great place to keep your kids engaged and inspire them to read more. It has a good collection of children’s audiobooks. However, if you are looking for something for yourself, you will have much better luck on the sites I have mentioned above.
Price: Free
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where can I download free audiobooks?
You can download free audiobooks from these websites:
Scribl
Storynory
LibriVox
Lit2Go
OverDrive
2. Is Lit2Go free?
Yes, Lit2Go is a collection of free audiobooks in MP3 format.
3. Which app has the most free audiobooks?
LibriVox has over 50,000 free public domain audiobooks by volunteers who read, record, edit, and distribute these audiobooks.
4. Are Spotify audiobooks free?
Unfortunately, no. Spotify audiobooks are not free, even if you are a premium member.
5. Can I listen to Audible offline?
Yes, you can download the titles on your Aurdible app if you are a premium member. Once downloaded, you can access these audiobooks even without internet access.
Conclusion
In this article, I have mentioned many websites where you can download free audiobooks of your choice. Some of them are free but give you access only to those audiobooks that are available in the public domain.
For some, you will need a subscription, like Audible, while for a few, like OverDrive and Hoopla, you will need a library card from the local partner library. With so many options available, you will never be at a loss for a good audiobook whenever you need one.
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