Category
AI audiobook apps: what they are and who makes them
ai voice tools that read or make audio, subscription catalog apps, library lending apps, pay-per-title stores: Speechify, Storytel, BookBeat through BorrowBox.
Types of AI audiobook apps
AI voice tools that read or make audio
Speechify turns PDFs, web links and pasted text into spoken audio and adds summaries and chat. ElevenLabs sits at the production end, with Studio projects and voice cloning for people who want to make audio rather than only play it.
Subscription catalog apps
Storytel, BookBeat, Audible and Everand charge a monthly fee for hours, credits or unlimited listening of human-narrated titles. They suit people who finish several books a month, want one app with offline downloads and do not mind that access ends when the payments stop.
Library lending apps
Libby and BorrowBox cost the listener nothing but need a participating library card. Waiting lists and the library's own catalog decide what you can play, so they pair well with a paid app for popular new titles, and they only work where your local library has joined the service.
Pay-per-title stores
Libro.fm, Chirp and Audiobooks.com sell individual audiobooks or credits. Buying a title can mean keeping it, which appeals to listeners who dislike subscriptions that lapse and take access away. Chirp runs on daily deals, Libro.fm sends sales to independent bookstores, and Audiobooks.com leads with trials.
Facts at a glance
| Tool | Publisher | Based in | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speechify | Speechify Inc. | United States | Free tier + API |
| Storytel | Not stated on the vendor pages | Not stated on the vendor pages | Trial |
| BookBeat | BookBeat AB | Not stated on the vendor pages | Trial |
| Audible | Audible GmbH | Germany | Trial |
| Everand | Scribd Inc. | Not stated on the vendor pages | Trial |
| Libby | OverDrive, Inc. | Not stated on the vendor pages | Free tier |
| ElevenLabs | Eleven Labs Inc | United States | Free tier + API |
| Libro.fm | Not stated on the vendor pages | Not stated on the vendor pages | Paid |
| Audiobooks.com | Storytel Audiobooks USA LLC | United States | Trial |
| Chirp | Not stated on the vendor pages | Not stated on the vendor pages | Trial |
| BorrowBox | Bolinda Digital Pty Ltd | Not stated on the vendor pages | Free tier |
