Libro.fm review · Updated November 2026
Libro.fm Review 2026: Price, Perks and How It Compares to Audible
Libro.fm works a lot like Audible: you pay a monthly fee, get a credit for any audiobook and keep what you buy. The difference is that part of every purchase goes to an independent bookstore you choose. Here’s what you get, what it costs and whether it’s worth switching.
By Peter Clemens · Originally published 2022 · Updated November 2026
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My verdict
Libro.fm is an excellent audiobook service. The price is about the same, the app is great, the bookseller picks are a brilliant way to find your next listen, your credits never expire and the audiobooks are DRM-free, so you can download the files and keep them forever. It doesn’t have Audible’s exclusives or its cheaper plan, but if you’d rather your money supported a local bookstore than Amazon, it’s the one I’d choose.
How Libro.fm works
Libro.fm was founded in 2014 to give independent bookstores a way to sell audiobooks. When you sign up, you pick a bookstore to support, and Libro.fm shares the profit from your purchases with that store. More than 4,500 bookshops take part, in the US, Canada and around the world.
From there, it’s simple. Members get a credit each month that buys any audiobook in a catalog of more than 750,000 titles, regardless of price. (A few titles can’t be bought with credits because of publisher rules.) You can also buy audiobooks one at a time without a membership. Everything you buy is yours to keep.
I picked Three Hills Books, the closest independent bookstore to me, and the Libro.fm website and emails are co-branded with the store, which is a nice touch.
What you get with a membership
- A monthly credit that never expires. Use it on any audiobook, or save it for later. Unused credits stay in your account even if you cancel.
- 30% off extra audiobooks. Members save 30% on anything they buy with cash, including sale titles, which makes the Libro.fm sales a great deal.
- DRM-free audiobooks. Listen in the app or download the files and play them anywhere. You own them outright.
- Bookseller picks and playlists. Recommendations from real booksellers, which are the best way I know to find a great audiobook. More on that below.
- Easy gifting. Use a credit to send an audiobook to someone, or buy a gift membership.
- Support for your local bookstore. Every membership payment and purchase sends money to the store you choose.
Bookseller picks: the best way to find a great listen
This is my favorite thing about Libro.fm. Instead of star ratings from strangers, audiobook pages show short recommendations written by booksellers at independent stores. These are people who read for a living, and their picks are a great way to find excellent audiobooks you might never have come across.
You can browse the Bookseller Picks page, dig into playlists curated by booksellers and the Libro.fm team, or start with the Top 20 bookseller-recommended audiobooks of all time. That list is how I picked Daisy Jones & The Six when I first signed up.
I like bookseller picks so much that I’ve built lists around them, like the best literary fiction audiobooks and the best horror audiobooks, each one recommended by a bookseller.
Is there a Libro.fm free trial?
No, Libro.fm doesn’t offer a free trial. Instead, it usually has a deal for new members. Right now, when you start a monthly membership you get three audiobooks for the price of one: your first month’s credit plus two bonus credits.
The offer applies to the 1-credit monthly plan, not the 2-credit or annual plans. And because your credits never expire, there’s no rush to use them, and you keep them even if you cancel after the first month.
If that offer has ended when you read this, use my code AUDIOBOOKADDICTS when you sign up for a monthly membership and Libro.fm will add a bonus audiobook, so you start with two credits. Sign up with my code.
Plans and prices
US prices as of November 2026. In Canada, it’s $18.99 CAD a month, $32.99 CAD for 2 credits or $216.99 CAD a year. Libro.fm also charges in pounds, euros and Australian and New Zealand dollars, depending on where you live.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Plan | Price | Cost per book | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly, 1 credit | $14.99/mo | $14.99 | 1 credit a month, 30% off extra audiobooks and member-only sales. Can be paused. |
| Monthly, 2 credits | Varies | Less per credit | Everything above with 2 credits a month, for heavier listeners |
| Annual, 12 credits | $169.99/yr | About $14.17 | All 12 credits up front, and your bookstore gets paid for the whole year at once |
| No membership | Free account | List price | Buy audiobooks one at a time, or buy credit bundles |
You can put a monthly membership on hold or cancel at any time from your account page. Annual memberships can be cancelled but not paused.
The Libro.fm app
The Libro.fm app for iPhone and Android is excellent and very highly rated. It has everything I want for listening: speed control, a sleep timer, bookmarks, a wish list and a dark mode. It works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there’s an Apple Watch app, and you can use credits to get books right in the app.
Because the audiobooks are DRM-free, you’re not tied to the app. You can download your books as files on a computer and play them in any app or on any device you like.
Returns and customer support
You can return an audiobook you bought by mistake or didn’t enjoy within six months by contacting Libro.fm support. A book bought with a credit comes back as a credit. Libro.fm may limit returns if you return a lot of books or ones you’ve mostly finished, and it may refuse returns for books you’ve downloaded as files.
Support is run by real people, not bots. When I first tested returns, my email was answered by the CEO himself, who told me support is a team effort there. That says a lot about the company.
What I like and what I don’t
What I like
- Every purchase supports an independent bookstore
- Credits never expire, even if you cancel
- DRM-free audiobooks you truly own
- 30% off extra audiobooks for members
- Bookseller picks that lead to excellent audiobooks
- Friendly support from real people
What I don’t
- No Audible Originals or exclusives
- No free trial
- No cheaper plan like Audible Standard, and the annual plan costs more than Audible’s
- Returns go through support, not a button
- No listener star ratings to judge narration
Libro.fm vs. Audible
I’ve been an Audible member since 2008, and Libro.fm is the alternative I recommend most to people leaving Audible. The two cost almost the same for a monthly credit: $14.99 at Libro.fm and $14.95 for Audible Premium. Audible has the bigger catalog, its own exclusives, a cheaper Standard plan and self-serve returns. Libro.fm has credits that never expire, DRM-free files and 30% off extra books, and your money goes to a bookstore instead of Amazon.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Libro.fm | Audible | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly, 1 credit | $14.99 | $14.95 (Premium) |
| Annual, 12 credits | $169.99 | $149.50 |
| Cheaper plan | None | Standard, $8.99 a month (books only while you’re a member) |
| Unused credits | Never expire, kept if you cancel | Roll over for up to a year, lost if you cancel |
| Your audiobooks | DRM-free files you can play anywhere | Locked to Audible’s apps |
| Selection | 750,000+ audiobooks | Bigger, plus Audible Originals and exclusives |
| Extra audiobooks | 30% off for members | Member sale prices |
| Returns | Within 6 months, through support | Self-serve in the app or online |
| Your money supports | An independent bookstore you choose | Amazon |
If you want the biggest selection and Audible’s exclusives, stick with Audible. If you’d rather support independent bookstores and own your audiobooks outright, choose Libro.fm. My Audible review has the full details on Audible’s plans.
Other alternatives worth a look
- Audiobooks.com: the closest thing to Audible without Amazon, with a free trial and a bonus VIP book every month.
- Chirp: no subscription, just discounted audiobooks you buy one at a time.
- Libby: free audiobooks from your local library, if you don’t mind waiting for popular titles.
See all of them side by side in my best audiobook services compared.
Libro.fm questions
Is Libro.fm worth it?
Yes, if you listen to at least one audiobook a month and like the idea of supporting independent bookstores. For $14.99 a month you get a credit for any audiobook, credits that never expire, DRM-free files and 30% off extra books. If you want Audible’s exclusives or a cheaper plan, Audible is the better fit.
How much does Libro.fm cost?
$14.99 a month in the US for one credit, or $169.99 a year for 12 credits. There’s also a 2-credit monthly plan, and you can buy audiobooks without a membership. In Canada, it’s $18.99 CAD a month.
Does Libro.fm have a free trial?
No. Libro.fm doesn’t offer a free trial, but it usually has an offer for new members. Right now, you get three audiobooks for the price of one when you start a monthly membership. You can also use my code AUDIOBOOKADDICTS for a bonus audiobook when you sign up.
Is Libro.fm legit?
Yes. Libro.fm was founded in 2014, works with thousands of independent bookstores, and is an employee-owned Social Purpose Corporation and Certified B Corp. Its apps are very highly rated.
How does Libro.fm support bookstores?
When you sign up, you choose a bookstore to support. Libro.fm then shares the profit from your membership payments and audiobook purchases with that store.
Do I keep my audiobooks and credits if I cancel?
Yes. You keep every audiobook you bought and any unused credits. Credits never expire.
What is the Libro.fm return policy?
You can return an audiobook within six months of buying it by contacting Libro.fm support. Books bought with a credit are returned as a credit. Libro.fm may limit returns, especially for books you’ve finished or downloaded as files.
Is Libro.fm available outside the US?
Yes. Libro.fm is available in most countries, with prices in US and Canadian dollars, pounds, euros and Australian and New Zealand dollars. Some titles may not be available everywhere because of publisher rights.
Is Libro.fm better than Audible?
It depends on what matters to you. Audible has the bigger catalog and exclusives. Libro.fm costs about the same, its credits never expire, its audiobooks are DRM-free and it supports independent bookstores instead of Amazon.
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Hi, I just read your article because I’m trying out Libro fm. That’s because my favorite author did not put his latest on Audible, because they aren’t paying the authors enough. Don’t care about the local book store angle, but the price here is competitive.
Hi Hilary,
Thanks for your comment. Which author was this? What do you think of the service so far?
Peter
Thank you so much for this in depth comparison. I just signed up for the Libro.fm membership because a book I really wanted to listen to wasn’t available on Libby. I canceled my Audible subscription a few months ago because I am trying to only support ethical companies and they don’t fit that requirement. I used the SWITCH code and got 2 free credits so I get to start out with 3 credits! It was so exciting to pick my local bookstore and then to pick my first book, The Incandescent. I’m also inspired to make my company a Special Purpose Corporation providing financial counseling to new/need minority business owners in addition to accounting management to my current clients. Inspiring!
Hello Peter, I have been a huge Audible fan for many years. I, though I wished it was different, have maintained my membership even with the Amazon connection. Living in a small town in Ontario, we still use Amazon (sadly) but I try to limit my purchases. Very recently I found that the Audble Plus just wasn’t worth it for me, the price being too high. And also, the books available there are only available for a limited time. So recently at least 12 titles I had lined up to listen to became “unavailable”. I would be okay with me not owning those titles, and they becoming unavailable once I had listened to them but this is not the case. I am still paying the premium so I am not happy. I have often paused my account with Audible, to catch up, or help my budget, but this time I think I am going to cancel. I happened upon your article while browsing “Alternatives to Audible” and decided to take the plunge and sign up with Libro.fm from the 1st of Feb. I already knew about it from a small bookstore – the staff recommended it to me, but I was so into Audible that I felt unsure. I checked out some really good titles – I am a huge reader of British Mysteries/Fantasy/Children’s Books, and was not disappointed.
All this to say, thank you for your in-depth article outlining why Libro.fm is a good choice.
Cheers!
Patti