Audible offers a 30-day free trial that includes one credit and access to the Plus Catalog. This is legitimately useful if you:

The catch: Amazon is very good at making you forget to cancel. Set a calendar reminder for Day 28. Seriously. Put it in your phone right now if you're going to do this.

Also worth noting: If you cancel and come back later, sometimes they'll offer you another trial or a discounted rate (like 3 months for $0.99/month). Amazon wants your business.

If you do have an Audible subscription, the Plus Catalog is where the free-with-membership content lives. For kids, this is surprisingly solid:

The selection rotates, so what's free this month might not be next month. But for younger kids (ages 5-10), there's usually enough to keep them busy.

If you already have Amazon Prime (and let's be honest, who doesn't at this point), you get access to a small rotating selection of free audiobooks through Prime Reading. It's not the same as Audible's Plus Catalog—it's more limited—but it's completely free with your existing Prime membership.

You can access these through the regular Amazon app or Kindle app, not the Audible app. Confusing? Yes. But free? Also yes.

Okay, this isn't technically Audible, but if we're talking about free audiobooks for kids, we need to talk about Libby and Hoopla.

Libby (powered by OverDrive) and Hoopla are apps that connect to your local library system. They're completely free with a library card, and the selection is massive. We're talking:

The only "cost" is wait times—popular books might have holds. But you can place holds on multiple books, and the apps will notify you when they're available. Teach your kid to queue up 5-10 books at a time, and there's always something ready.

Real talk: Libby and Hoopla are better than Audible for most families. The selection is comparable, it's actually free, and you're supporting your library system. Learn more about how library apps compare to Audible.

Audible produces original content that's sometimes available for free, even without a subscription. During the pandemic, they made a bunch of kids' audiobooks free to stream on their website (audible.com/ep/children).

As of 2026, some of that content is still accessible without logging in. It's worth bookmarking and checking periodically, especially during summer or school breaks when they tend to promote free kids' content.

Here's where it gets interesting: Audible doesn't have a true "family plan," but if you have an Audible subscription, you can share books with other Amazon accounts in your "Amazon Household."

How it works:

This doesn't make books free, but it does mean one purchase can serve multiple kids. If you've got siblings who want to listen to the same Harry Potter book, you're not buying it twice.

Not Audible, but worth mentioning: YouTube has a surprising number of full audiobooks (usually older, public domain stuff). Quality varies wildly, and you'll deal with ads, but for free? It works.

Spotify also has audiobooks now (as of 2024), and if you already have a Premium Family plan, you get 15 hours of audiobook listening per month included. Not unlimited, but decent for casual listeners.

Ages 5-8: Start with the Plus Catalog classics or library apps. Kids this age usually prefer shorter books (under 2 hours), and there are tons of free options. Look for books with engaging narrators—production quality matters more than you'd think for keeping young listeners engaged.

Ages 9-12: This is peak audiobook age. Kids can handle longer chapter books, and audiobooks are perfect for long car rides or quiet time. The library apps are your best bet here—the selection is huge, and kids can explore series without you spending $100 on the next 5 books.

Teens: They're probably already using Spotify or YouTube for music. The Spotify audiobook feature might be the path of least resistance if they're interested. Or just get them their own library card and let them manage their own Libby queue.

Audiobooks aren't cheating: Some parents worry that audiobooks are "less than" reading. They're not. Audiobooks build vocabulary, comprehension, and a love of stories. If your kid will listen to a book but won't read it, that's still a win.

Screen time considerations: Audiobooks are technically screen-free if you're using a dedicated device or playing them through a speaker. But if your kid is holding a tablet or phone to listen, it's still a screen in their hands. Consider using:

Costs add up fast: If you're not careful, Audible can become a $200/year habit. Do the math on what you're actually using before you commit. For most families, the library apps + occasional Audible trial is more than enough.

Not all narrators are created equal: Some audiobooks are beautifully produced with full casts and sound effects (looking at you, The Graveyard Book narrated by Neil Gaiman). Others are... fine. If your kid bounces off a book, try a different narrator or format.

You don't need to pay for Audible to give your kids access to great audiobooks. Start with your library card and Libby/Hoopla—they're free, the selection is massive, and you're supporting a public good. Use Audible's free trial strategically for that one expensive book your kid is dying to hear, then cancel.

If you do end up with an Audible subscription, focus on the Plus Catalog and make sure you're actually using that monthly credit. And remember: audiobooks are a tool, not a moral statement about parenting. If they help your kid fall in love with stories, mission accomplished.