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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Libby review
Free audiobooks through your public library — if you can wait for the hold.
By Priya Raman · Tested and updated 24 July 2026 · OverDrive
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Pricing at a glance
Libby — cost and free trial
- Free trial
- Not applicable
- After the trial
- Free
- Catalogue
- Depends entirely on your library's licences
- Cancel anytime
- No — loans expire
Not an affiliate link — we earn nothing if you sign up here. Prices checked 24 July 2026; always confirm on the provider's own page.
The short version
The best value in audiobooks, full stop — the price of admission is patience.
- How it works
- Free with a library card
- Price
- Free
- Free trial
- Not applicable
- Catalogue
- Depends entirely on your library's licences
- Do you keep books?
- No — loans expire
- Offline listening
- Yes, during the loan
- Devices
- iOS, Android, web, Sonos, CarPlay
- File restrictions
- DRM-protected library loans
- Where it works
- Anywhere with participating libraries
What we liked
- Completely free
- Excellent app
- Supports public libraries
What held it back
- Long holds on popular titles
- Catalogue varies by library
- Loans expire
How it felt to use
Libby turns a library card into a full audiobook service with an app that is better designed than most paid competitors. Loans, holds, speed controls and car playback all work well.
Popular titles carry waiting lists that can run for months, and small library systems have thin audio collections.
We recommend everyone install Libby regardless of what they subscribe to. It costs nothing and it will cover a meaningful share of your listening.
Best for
- Every listener, as a supplement
- Patient readers
- Budget listening
Our verdict
Install it even if you pay for something else — nothing else offers this value.
Head to head
Chirp or Libby?
Libby is free but you wait; Chirp is cheap and instant. Most listeners we know use both — Libby for the queue, Chirp for the book they want tonight.
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