Spotify vs Apple Books for Audiobooks: Which Should You Use?
Spotify and Apple Books both let you listen to audiobooks, but they work in fundamentally different ways — one bundles listening into a subscription, the other sells books individually. Which is right for you comes down to how much you listen and whether you want to own the audiobook.
How Spotify audiobooks work
Spotify folds audiobooks into its music app. Premium subscribers in supported countries get a set amount of audiobook listening included each month; when you hit the cap you can buy more hours. It's the best value if you already pay for Premium and listen in moderate amounts — you're effectively getting audiobooks on top of your music for no extra cost, up to the allowance.
How Apple Books audiobooks work
Apple Books sells audiobooks one at a time, the same way it sells ebooks. There's no listening cap and no subscription — you buy the book and you own it forever, playing it in Apple's Books app across your Apple devices. That's ideal for heavy listeners or anyone who wants a permanent library rather than access that depends on keeping a subscription.
Catalog and availability
Both catalogs are large, but they don't overlap perfectly — a given title can be on one and not the other, or released on different dates. This is exactly why checking a specific book (or your whole TBR) across both services beats assuming it'll be on the one you use. FindMyTBR shows you, per title, which of Spotify and Apple Books has it, plus Audible and Amazon links.
Which should you choose?
If you already pay for Spotify Premium and listen casually, start with Spotify — the included hours make it the cheapest way in. If you listen a lot, want to own your audiobooks, or live in the Apple ecosystem, Apple Books' buy-to-own model is the better fit. Many listeners use both: Spotify for what's included, Apple or Audible for the rest.
Paste your Goodreads TBR and see which books are on Spotify, Apple Books, Audible, and Amazon — free, no signup.
Find my audiobooks →Frequently asked
- Is Spotify or Apple Books cheaper for audiobooks?
- For light-to-moderate listening, Spotify is usually cheaper because a monthly audiobook allowance is included with Premium. For heavy listening or owning titles outright, buying individually on Apple Books can work out better.
- Do you own audiobooks on Spotify?
- No — Spotify audiobook access is tied to your subscription and its listening allowance. On Apple Books you buy and keep each audiobook.
- How do I know if a book is on both?
- Search the title (or paste your Goodreads shelf) into FindMyTBR — it shows which of Spotify and Apple Books has each book, alongside Audible and Amazon links.