Audiobooks.com vs Speechify
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Buying an audiobook is not the only option you have for listening to your favorite reading material. With text-to-speech software such as Speechify, readers are now able to convert any book into an audiobook without having to pay audiobook prices.
Audiobooks have gained a lot of popularity in recent years as more and more people discover the benefits of listening to their reading material from a mobile device. Another factor that has given rise to the growing popularity of audiobooks is platforms such as Audible and Audiobooks.com. These user-friendly platforms offer audiobook versions of countless physical books, allowing readers to listen to almost any book they can imagine. That said, whether it's from Amazon's Audible, Audiobooks.com, or any other platform, purchasing audiobooks can quickly become expensive if you are a voracious reader. However, buying an audiobook is not the only option you have for listening to your favorite reading material. With text-to-speech software such as Speechify, readers are now able to convert any book into an audiobook without having to pay audiobook prices. Using the Speechify audio reader to convert e-books into audiobooks can be a great way for audiobook lovers to save time and money, but there are a number of other important factors to consider as well. To help you decide which choice is best for you, we'll discuss Audiobooks.com, Speechify Inc, and how the two compare when it comes to listening to your favorite books. What Are the Differences Between Audiobooks.com and Speechify? While there is some crossover between the functionality of Auidbooks.com and Speechify, it's worth pointing out that the two companies offer completely different products. Audiobooks.com is a platform for discovering, purchasing, and downloading audiobooks. Speechify, meanwhile, is a speech app that is able to convert written text from any webpage or digital document into high-quality, natural-sounding audio. Since any digital document includes e-books, though, the Speechify app essentially enables you to turn any e-book that you purchase into an audiobook at no additional cost. The question, then, is which of the two apps is better for the purpose of listening to audiobooks? To answer this, let's take a closer look at what both have to offer. Speechify summary Speechify is a text-to-speech (TTS) tool that utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to produce voices that sound just like real human narrators. Along with enabling you to convert any book into an audiobook, Speechify offers a wide range of other functions and uses. For one, TTS apps such as Speechify are especially popular for those with disabilities such as dyslexia and ADHD since they eliminate many of the reading challenges that these disabilities create. Speechify also enables readers to multitask while they listen, freeing up their hands and eyes so that they can work on other tasks while consuming their reading material. This is one big reason why audiobooks have become more popular as well since audiobooks likewise enable you to listen while doing tasks such as driving to work, doing the laundry, or working on your computer. Preventing eye fatigue is another benefit offered by Speechify. Staring at a screen for hours on end can cause blurry vision, tired eyes, and headaches. Listening for long periods of time, though, does not cause nearly the same fatigue. For the purposes of this article, we're going to focus on how Speechify can be used for the purpose of listening to your favorite reading material. However, it is worth mentioning that Speechify has commercial applications as well. With Speechify, business owners and content creators are able to easily create high-quality voiceover content for a podcast, YouTube video, TV or radio ad, or anything in-between. The Speechify API also allows commercial users to build text-to-speech functionality into their own websites and apps. Audiobooks.com summary Audibooks.com offers a massive library of both fiction and non-fiction titles. Each of these titles can be purchased individually for a flat-rate cost without having an Audiobooks.com membership. If you sign up for the VIP Rewards Program, though, you will be able to download one free audiobook each month using credits. If you read at least one book per month or tend to prefer longer books (which are typically more expensive), a VIP Rewards Program will probably save you money. Once you've found an audiobook that you would like to purchase, all you have to do is choose whether you would like to purchase it using cash or credits. Purchased books can then be listened to from your mobile device using the Audiobooks.com app. Speechify details Speechify comes available in two different pricing plans. Speechify Limited is a free version of the software that offers 10 AI voices to choose from and limited features. Speechify Limited is free to download and use indefinitely with no credit card required. Speechify Premium, meanwhile, costs $139 per year and offers 30+ AI voices across 20+ different languages as well as a range of additional features. One feature that you can look forward to with Speechify Premium is the ability to adjust your reading speed. By allowing you to listen at up to 5X standard playback, Speechify lets you breeze through books, documents, and other reading material as fast as you are able to comprehend them. Speechify Premium also offers advanced note-taking and highlighting features. With Speechify Premium, you can take notes and highlight text using voice commands, leaving your hands free to focus on other tasks. The ability to scan printed documents is another feature of Speechify Premium, enabling you to have printed pages read aloud as well. For business users, Speechify Premium provides full ownership of any audio file that is produced so that it can be sued for commercial purposes and also provides an API for building text-to-speech functionality into any website or app. Both Speechify Limited and Speechify Premium can be used to read online text as well as a broad range of digital documents, including Word docs and PDF files. Both versions come available as a Chrome extension for listening to text from your Mac or Windows PC. Speechify is also available as an App for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Audiobooks.com details Audiobooks.com offers a 30-day free trial of its VIP Rewards Program that also includes an additional two free titles when you sign up. Once your free trial is over, you'll have to $14.95 per month to receive one credit per month that can be used to purchase any audiobook on the platform. Auidbooks.com also offers the option to sign up for plans that provide two or three credits per month as well as the option to purchase additional credits if you run out before your next billing cycle. As for the Audiobooks.com app, what you get is a fairly basic audio app. However, the app is well-polished and includes features for navigating your library of titles, shopping for new titles on Audiobooks.com, and adding bookmarks while you listen. Speechify vs Audiobooks.com: Which is better for listening to audiobooks? Converting e-books into audiobooks using Speechify is certainly more affordable than purchasing titles from Audiobooks.com for those who read on a regular basis. With Speechify Limited, you can convert e-books into audiobooks completely free of charge. Even using Speechify Premium to listen to audiobooks is more affordable than purchasing them outright if you listen to one or more audiobooks each month. Of course, pricing isn't the only factor to take into account. Titles on Audiobooks.com are recorded by professional narrators who are able to replicate numerous accents and voices for different characters and really bring an author's story to life. While Speechify offers high-quality AI voices that sound just like real humans, listening to these AI voices read a book aloud isn't going to be quite the same experience as listening to the actual audiobook version. If you would like to see for yourself which of the two is better for listening to audiobooks, you can sign up for a free trial of Speechify Premium today or download the Speechify app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Frequently asked questions
Is Speechify worth the money?
If you are looking for a high-quality TTS reader that offers natural-sounding AI voices and convenient features then Speechify Premium is certainly worth the price.
Is Speechify.com free?
Speechify Limited is free to download and use. Speechify Premium costs $139 per year.
Is there a monthly subscription for Speechify?
Speechify Premium is billed on an annual basis and does not offer a month-to-month subscription.
Do you need Speechify Premium?
Compared to Speechify Limited, Speechify Premium offers three times as many AI voices to choose from, the ability to listen in multiple languages, and additional features such as adjustable listening speed and hands-free highlighting and note-taking. Whether these additional features are worth paying for Speechify Premium is up to you. If you plan to use your Speechify audio files for commercial purchases, though, you will be required to purchase a Speechify Premium subscription.
Cliff Weitzman
Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.