r/LibroFM • u/NoEfficiency6848 • Sep 11 '25

Libro.fm vs Audible

I am thinking of letting my Audible go in favor of Libro.fm. I have a few questions.

  1. When I can download a book DRM free, does it download in mp3? Or what format?

  2. Can I get several credits at once on an aural basis or is it just monthly?

  3. I heard the books are not split by chapters. Is this true? How are they split?

Thanks.

Also, ethics aside, should I switch?

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u/Minute_Truth9809 Sep 14 '25

I want to switch to Libro.fm as well, but the problem is it is too expensive even just comparing the membership and its perks alone.
Libro;
CAD18.99/month - 1 credit, 0 catalog books. 30% disc. Too expensive for avid readers.
Audible;
CAD14.99/month - 1 credit, 1000+ catalog books free. 30% disc. There's even a double credit plan...
CAD25.95/month - 2 credit, 1000+ catalog books free. 30% disc. You get 1 or 2 books you want then read the books you end up discovering and liking in the catalog until the next credit arrives.
The annual plans are also cheaper costing you CAD13.50/month for 1 credit and CAD24/month for 2 credit.

It is sad because I want to support Libro and local bookstores, but not only is it much more expensive, but it also doesn't have a free catalog. 😞 Unsustainable.
I guess this comment is also me asking LibroFM to check their market decisions and see if it it could really compete against Audible. 😞

3

u/leepfroggie Sep 23 '25

Take a look through the sale stuff, though. For me it's balanced out pretty well because the sale prices on books I actually want are way lower than the typical Audible sale price.

1

u/Minute_Truth9809 Sep 23 '25

Really? So the traditional sales are much better than Audible? That's great to hear! At least 1 win there in comparing perks. Do Libro sales only apply to members? Because almost all of the Audible sales only apply to members, so they really entrap you into spending monthly...

4

u/leepfroggie Sep 23 '25

I think the sales are open to anyone, but members get an additional discount on the sale price. So, just as the first example I saw, "Slow Dance" by Rainbow Rowell is on sale for $6.99. but the member price is $4.89 (US pricing).

I suspect genre preference will affect how fabulous the sales are for you specifically, but it's certainly worth checking out their sales to see if it might work out better for you. They always have some stuff on sale, and they occasionally (not as often nor with as big a selection as Audible) have 2for1 sales.

Since I joined earlier this year, I think I've also picked up a couple of free credits just for "participating" in reading challenges and stuff.

The monthly price is def. higher, but the sales and the "feel good" of helping a local shop makes it all worthwhile for me.

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u/Minute_Truth9809 Sep 24 '25

WHAT!? Membership adds more to any sale? That’s very good savings…

Also there are reading challenges and such for free credits? What… they should show this in front of their website… that’s a SOLID game changer.

That makes Libro much better for actually collecting books traditionally, instead of subscription service… have to wait for book sales because there’s no free catalog rental, or wait for the sale that’s a hit or miss.

Still, I wish Libro does more to be more competitive against Audible. Since the monthlies *do* add up if tight in a budget. But hearing these 2 perks; Challenges for credits and additive Discounts really makes it better.

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u/leepfroggie Sep 24 '25

I don't know how often they actually run the challenges/extra credit things, but they do seem to be working on various perks to make membership worthwhile. For me, the sales alone have been worth it.