Audible vs Kobo Books

Audible offers audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals across Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. Its catalog includes bestsellers, new releases, exclusive titles, and Originals. In the mobile app, listeners can download titles for offline playback, adjust narration speed, set a sleep timer, and use Car Mode’s larger, simplified controls. The Cloud Player streams titles in a browser on a computer with an internet connection. Free or purchased titles can be played in the app without a membership, but an Amazon account is required. Audible also works with Alexa-enabled devices when both services use the same Amazon account, and supports Android Auto, Android Automotive OS, Apple CarPlay, and Waze. Alexa does not support clips and bookmarks, ratings and reviews, listening logs, or marking titles finished. Plans include Standard at $8.99 a month, Premium at $14.95 a month, and Premium (24 credits/yr) at $229.50 a year. The service was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.

Kobo Books is a digital platform for buying and listening to audiobooks, with apps for iOS and Android and playback on select Kobo eReaders with Bluetooth. The mobile app lets listeners pause, fast-forward, rewind, and resume playback. Downloaded audiobooks can be played on a smartphone or tablet without an internet connection, and Bluetooth headphones or speakers can be used with the app. Kobo Plus Listen costs $7.99 a month after a 14-day free trial, plus applicable taxes. Kobo Plus Read & Listen costs $9.99 a month after the trial, plus applicable taxes. These subscriptions include audiobooks, or eBooks and audiobooks in the latter plan, but neither includes every title. Subscription credits also apply only to eligible audiobooks. Audiobooks cannot be played in the Kobo Desktop app or on a laptop or desktop computer. On iOS, audiobook purchases must be made through Kobo.com because the app does not support in-app purchases. Kobo Plus members can open up to 15 books offline in an eReader or app during a 30-day period before reconnecting and syncing. Kobo is based in Toronto and was founded in December 2009.