One credit a month plus unlimited access to a large VIP listening library.
- Price
- $14.95 / month (US)
- Free trial
- 30 days, 3 titles on most offers
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Downpour review
DRM-free purchases and the rare option to rent an audiobook.
By Mara Chen · Tested and updated 1 August 2026 · Blackstone Publishing
Not an affiliate link. We earn nothing if you sign up here.
Pricing at a glance
Downpour — cost and free trial
- Free trial
- 30 days
- After the trial
- $12.99 / month for 1 credit; rentals from about $5
- Catalogue
- Strong Blackstone catalogue plus wide licensing
- Cancel anytime
- Yes, DRM-free
Not an affiliate link — we earn nothing if you sign up here. Prices checked 1 August 2026; always confirm on the provider's own page.
The short version
Rentals make expensive long books affordable, and the files are DRM-free.
- How it works
- À la carte, credits, or rentals
- Price
- $12.99 / month for 1 credit; rentals from about $5
- Free trial
- 30 days
- Catalogue
- Strong Blackstone catalogue plus wide licensing
- Do you keep books?
- Yes, DRM-free
- Offline listening
- Yes, MP3 downloads
- Devices
- iOS, Android, any MP3 player
- File restrictions
- DRM-free
- Where it works
- US primarily
What we liked
- Audiobook rentals
- DRM-free downloads
- Deep Blackstone catalogue
What held it back
- Dated website
- Mostly US-only
- Short rental windows
How it felt to use
Renting a 30-hour history for a few dollars is a genuinely useful option that almost nobody else offers, and purchases arrive DRM-free.
The website looks a decade old and browsing is a chore, but the download workflow is dependable.
Availability is mostly US-only and rental windows are short, so plan your listening.
Best for
- One-off long listens
- DRM-free buyers
- Blackstone narration fans
Our verdict
Worth bookmarking for rentals even if you subscribe elsewhere.
Other services we tested
The biggest catalogue and the deepest bench of exclusive originals.
- Price
- $14.95 / month (Premium Plus, US)
- Free trial
- 30 days, 1 credit
Same credits, same catalogue — but your money supports an independent bookshop.
- Price
- $14.99 / month (US)
- Free trial
- First month, 1 credit