shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Audible.com?

Try Audible free for 30 days. Discover best-selling audiobooks, free podcasts, and exclusive Audible Originals. Listen offline with the Audible app. - audible.com

Depends. Buy it if you finish one or more books a month — the $14.95 credit plus Plus Catalog pays for itself. Skip it if you listen occasionally; buy titles outright or use free library apps instead.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 14+ public sources; many search snippets were truncated, so some details rely on category knowledge marked as guesses.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

30 days free

Free trial

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
PlusLower-cost tier (exact price not shown in evidence)
Premium Plus$14.95/mo

Best for

  • Commuters and heavy listeners
  • People finishing 1+ books monthly
  • Podcast plus audiobook consumers
  • Amazon ecosystem households

Not for

  • Light listeners under one book a month
  • Anyone wanting DRM-free, portable audio files
  • Budget listeners happy with free library apps
  • People who mostly listen to free podcasts

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Trial auto-renews to paid membership; billing-charge complaints appear on Reddit

medium

Credit plans favor heavy listeners; unused credits mean lost money

medium

Prices vary by region and user; sale prices reportedly differ between accounts

medium

Trustpilot reviews flag customer-service and cancellation friction

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 30-day free trial with full access before paying
  • Offline listening on mature iOS and Android apps
  • Plus Catalog gives unlimited listening beyond monthly credits
  • Huge catalog: bestsellers, exclusives, and free podcasts
  • Amazon-backed with a public HackerOne bug bounty program

Cons

  • Subscription punishes light listeners; Reddit debates worth repeatedly
  • Users report unexpected membership charges on debit cards
  • Regional price gaps — users cite 50% standard-price differences
  • Guess: purchases are DRM-bound to the Audible ecosystem

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/22/2026 - 10 sources - Amazon-backed with a HackerOne bug bounty and 2FA support; one 2017 CVE in Audible software, nothing recent found.

official x2review x4security x2news x2
  • CVE-2017-17069 — Amazon Audible software, Disclosed publicly on the Full Disclosure mailing list in December 2017; no recent CVEs found for the current Android app.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 3/5

    Rating

  • 30 days free

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 3/5. Good for heavy listeners; Reddit debates worth for casual ones.
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Polished iOS/Android apps, offline listening, Amazon sign-in.
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Huge catalog, Originals, Plus Catalog, podcasts, offline mode.
  • Support quality: 2/5. Trustpilot page plus Reddit billing-charge complaints.
  • Security posture: 4/5. Amazon-backed, HackerOne bug bounty, 2FA; one old CVE.
  • 9/10 CNET rating Editor review
  • $14.95/mo Classic plan price Credit plan, per Reddit users
  • 30 days Free trial Auto-renews to paid membership
  • Amazon Owner Subsidiary since 2008

Pricing

Free trial

30 days free

  • Full access during trial
  • Auto-renews to paid plan

Plus

Lower-cost tier (exact price not shown in evidence)

  • Unlimited Plus Catalog listening
  • Podcasts and Originals included

Premium Plus

$14.95/mo

  • Monthly credit for any audiobook
  • Everything in Plus
  • Keep purchased books

Security

Amazon-backed with a HackerOne bug bounty and 2FA support; one 2017 CVE in Audible software, nothing recent found.

  • CVE-2017-17069 — Amazon Audible softwareDisclosed publicly on the Full Disclosure mailing list in December 2017; no recent CVEs found for the current Android app.⁷

What users say

Reddit and app-store sentiment leans positive for heavy listeners, with recurring complaints about billing, pricing variance, and value for casual users.

Full analysis

Based on 14+ public sources; many search snippets were truncated, so some details rely on category knowledge marked as guesses.

Great for heavy listeners; casual listeners overpay. 30-day free trial, then from $14.95/mo. Watch auto-renewal.

Methodology

Based on 14+ public sources; many search snippets were truncated, so some details rely on category knowledge marked as guesses.

Sources

  1. Audible.com - CNET Reviewcnet.com
    review
  2. Is it worth it? : r/audiblereddit.com
    review
  3. Trustpilot — Customer Service Reviews of audible.comtrustpilot.com
    review
  4. I was charged for membership on my debit card - Redditreddit.com
    review
  5. Membership Plans & Pricing | Audible.comaudible.com
    official
  6. Try Audible free for 30 days | Free trialaudible.com
    official
  7. Full Disclosure: Amazon Audible Software CVE-2017-17069seclists.org
    security
  8. Audible | Bounty Policy - HackerOnehackerone.com
    security
  9. Audible (service) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    news
  10. Audible Expands Subscription Offerings with New Standard Membership Planaudible.com
    news

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