As an avid audiobook fan, you may be wondering whether to subscribe to Audible‘s Plus catalog or the Premium Plus plan. I‘ve subscribed to both services, so I‘m breaking down the key differences to help you decide which option best fits your listening needs and budget.
What do the Plans Offer?
Here‘s an at-a-glance overview before we dive into the details:
| Audible Plus | Premium Plus | |
| Monthly Price | $7.95 | $14.95 (1 credit) $22.95 (2 credits) |
| Free Trial | 30 days | 30 days |
| Catalog Access | 11,000+ Audible Plus titles | 500,000+ titles from the Plus catalog AND premium titles |
| Credits to Spend Each Month | None | 1-2 credits to redeem for premium audiobooks |
| Own Audiobooks Forever? | No | Yes, when using credits |
| Exclusive Member Discounts | No | Yes, 30% off all premium titles |
As you can see, while Audible Plus grants you access to an ample 11,000+ audiobook catalog for just $7.95 a month, Premium Plus offers extras like credits towards an expanded catalog of 500,000+ audiobooks and ebooks.
Now let‘s explore those key differences in more detail…
Pricing & Credits
Affordable Streaming:
Audible Plus clocks in at only $7.95 per month. This affordable rate lets you stream from a curated Audible Plus catalog of 11,000+ audiobooks without any caps on how many you listen to.
Over a year, you would spend $95.40 for unlimited Audible Plus streaming. Pretty decent!
Enhanced Value with Credits:
Premium Plus offers two plan options:
- $14.95/month: 1 credit per month
- $22.95/month: 2 credits per month
These credits allow you to redeem ANY premium audiobook or ebook from Audible‘s entire 500,000+ catalog. And those books are yours to keep forever!
Let‘s break down the math assuming you maximize using 12 credits per year:
- At $14.95/month, you‘d spend $179.40 per year and redeem 12 audiobooks. That shakes out to $14.95 per audiobook downloaded – basically the cost of one full-priced book!
- With the $22.95 plan granting 2 monthly credits (so 24 per year), your annual cost would be $275.40. Each audiobook would cost just $11.47 when you maximize credits. Now that‘s a steal!
As you can see, Premium Plus offers way more value if you are willing to spend the upfront cost and actually use all those credits! Casual listeners may prefer Audible Plus.
Catalog Differences
Audible Plus grants you unlimited access to stream over 11,000 titles handpicked for the Plus catalog. These include Audible Originals and popular audiobooks across genres – think mysteries, sci-fi, memoirs, personal development etc. All great stuff!
But avid listeners will prefer Premium Plus access to Audible‘s full premium catalog spanning over 500,000 titles of new releases, best sellers across all genres imaginable.
Yes, with Premium Plus you still get unlimited streaming access to the 11,000+ Audible Plus catalog too. You simply get to dig into a much deeper collection of audiobooks for a broader listening experience.
Worth noting however that titles can rotate in and out of the Plus catalog, while premium titles redeemed via credits are yours to own indefinitely.
Ownership: Streaming vs Downloads
Here‘s an incredibly important difference…
With Audible Plus you are just streaming audiobooks. Stop paying the monthly fee and you lose access to those titles.
However, Premium Plus allows you to download and own premium audiobooks forever when you redeem monthly credits. Even if you cancel Premium Plus, all redeemed audiobooks stay in your permanent Audible library.
That ownership, combined with the bigger premium catalog, makes Premium Plus more appealing to diehard audiobook lovers building an epic listening stash!
Exclusive Discounts
Premium Plus also grants you 30% off additional premium audiobooks beyond your monthly credits. Audible Plus does not offer any member discounts or deals.
So if you tend to buy extra books each month beyond credits, those savings add up nicely!
Which Plan is Right for You?
Audible Plus is a great flexible streaming option for casual listeners who plow through a couple audiobooks per month. At just $7.95 the price can‘t be beat!
You can cancel anytime without losing access to redeemed books. And the Plus catalog offers plenty of best sellers and popular books to keep your ears happy for that Netflix-like affordable monthly fee.
Premium Plus makes most sense if you are an avid audiobook fan plowing through at least 2-3 (or more) books per month.
The credits and exclusive premium catalog access lets you download way more audiobooks than you could buy outright. And any redeemed books are yours forever, even if you later pause or cancel your membership.
You‘ll also appreciate the 30% member discount on any extra premium purchases. If you buy additional books every month beyond your credits, the savings add up!
So do the math based on your listening habits. An average full-price audiobong from Audible costs about $15. If you use just a couple credits per month, Premium Plus easily pays for itself while expanding your permanent listening library!
More Audiobook Subscription Questions Answered
Here are answers to some other common questions about these two plans:
Can I switch between Audible Plus and Premium Plus?
Absolutely! You can cancel and swap plans anytime without losing access to already redeemed audiobook credits or purchases in your Audible library. Any unused Premium Plus credits get transferred over if/when you return to that upgraded subscription later on too.
Is there a limit to how many titles I can stream or download?
Nope! With both Audible Plus and Premium Plus you have completely unlimited streaming and download access to their respective catalogs.
Note that while individual titles rotate in/out of Audible Plus over time, any premium audiobooks redeemed via credits are yours to own and enjoy forever!
What about returning books I don‘t like?
One great perk of Premium Plus is you can return premium audiobook credit redemptions within 12 months of purchase, no questions asked! Audible Plus titles cannot be returned though since you are merely streaming them.
Ready to Start Listening?
Hopefully this Audible Plus vs Premium Plus breakdown gave you clarity around the best audiobook membership for your personal listening needs!
Both options let you enjoy plenty of audiobook goodness on a budget. Premium Plus simply unlocks bigger savings and ownership if you plow through a ton of audiobooks regularly.
And with 30 day free trials available for both plans, why not give each a test listen to experience those catalog differences firsthand?
Happy streaming and downloading! May your ears be filled with audiobook joy.
