AudiobooksNow vs SimplyE
AudiobooksNow
audiobooksnow.comSimplyE
librarysimplified.orgSide by side
| Figure | AudiobooksNow | SimplyE |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $3/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Audiobook Apps | 8.3 (#5) | 7.4 (#30) |
| Privacy | The privacy policy identifies AudiobooksNow.com Corporation in Broadlands, Virginia, as the company and says it is the GDPR data controller. | The SimplyE page says the app does not track patrons’ data; the platform page says it captures only aggregated trend and usage data through Google Analytics. |
| Support | The help center provides a Contact Us form and phone support at 888-525-6293 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. | Library Simplified service providers offer setup and onboarding, plus low-cost front-line support for libraries. |
Plans
AudiobooksNow
- Monthly Club Pricing$4.99 a month
- Annual Club Pricing$35.99 a year
In their own words
AudiobooksNow
AudiobooksNow lets customers buy audiobooks individually or join an optional Club Pricing Plan for discounts. Purchased titles remain in a customer’s library without an active plan. The service lists a catalog of over 480,000 audiobooks and supports listening on the web, Android, and iOS. Customers can stream on the website or download purchases; the help center says over 95% of titles are DRM-free and available as MP3 files, while some titles require DRM and are limited to app or website streaming. Bookmarks sync across listening locations, and fully downloaded audiobooks can be played offline after signing into the app. Free Android and iOS apps are listed, with Android Auto and CarPlay support respectively. Monthly Club Pricing costs $4.99 a month after a 30-day free trial and discounts the first audiobook each month by 50%, with 35–40% off other eligible titles. Annual Club Pricing costs $35.99 a year and discounts any 12 audiobooks by 50%, with 35–40% off other titles. Club enrollment and Club Price purchases are unavailable in the Apple iOS app but can be completed on the website. AudiobooksNow says it is available worldwide, though title availability can vary by country.
SimplyE
SimplyE was a free library e-reading app for browsing, borrowing, and reading e-books, with audiobook support from Findaway and OverDrive. Patrons could sign in once with a library card and reach materials from listed providers in one place, including OverDrive, Axis360, cloudLibrary, DPLA Exchange, EBSCO NoveList, BiblioBoard, Odilo, and RBdigital. The app connected to a library’s existing card web application and supported instant card sign-up through the app. Reading controls included font, font size, and background-color adjustments, plus OpenDyslexic and screen-reader compatibility. E-books could use Adobe DRM, while audiobooks used Findaway or OverDrive rights management. SimplyE was listed for Android, iOS, and web, but the app retired in August 2025. It did not render Kindle AZW files or Adobe-encrypted PDFs and did not work on e-ink devices. Library Simplified describes the platform as open-source and provides source code for organizational customization.