BookBeat vs LibriVox
BookBeat
bookbeat.comLibriVox
librivox.orgSide by side
| Figure | BookBeat | LibriVox |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €899/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Audiobook Apps | 8.3 (#6) | 8.5 (#3) |
| Catalog | A subscription provides access to more than 1 million books. | Listeners can browse the catalog by author, title, genre or subject, and language. |
| Founded | 2015 | LibriVox was started in August 2005 by Hugh McGuire. |
| Integrations | BookBeat supports Apple CarPlay and Apple Watch. | LibriVox describes third-party apps as unaffiliated and says it does not endorse them. |
| Offline listening | Books can be downloaded in the app for offline listening, with the number of downloads limited by available device storage. | Users can download complete books or chapters and listen later without an internet connection. |
| Support | BookBeat’s chatbot BookBetty is available 24/7, and the company also offers an FAQ and contact form. | LibriVox says its forum is the best way to get in touch, with email also available. |
Plans
In their own words
LibriVox
LibriVox is a free audiobook library built from volunteer recordings of public-domain books. Listeners can browse by author, title, genre or subject, and language, then play or download individual audio files, download a book ZIP, subscribe to RSS or use BitTorrent. Catalog pages provide 64 kbps and 128 kbps MP3 files, and most books also have an M4B option. Its podcast presents one book at a time in three audio installments per week. Recordings are accepted in all languages; volunteers need no prior experience or audition, just a voice, a computer and free recording software. The catalog API offers audiobook, track and author endpoints for apps that refresh catalog data. It returns 50 records by default, up to 500 per request, with offset batches for larger pulls. Recordings are donated to the public domain, though status can vary by country. LibriVox began in 2005 and is available on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows. The catalog can include older works with language or ideas some readers find offensive or antiquated.