Looking Beyond Nextory? Here Are Better Options
Nextory built its name on a simple promise: one flat fee, unlimited audiobooks and ebooks, no credit math. In its home markets of Sweden, Finland, and Germany, that model works exceptionally well. But if you’re outside those regions, frustrated by a thin English catalog, or just tired of renting books you’ll never own, the alternatives range from direct clones to fundamentally different approaches.
The honest answer is that no single platform replaces Nextory for everyone. The right choice depends on three things: whether you need to own your books, how many you finish per month, and which country you’re listening from. Here’s how the major options actually compare.
Why Nextory Falls Short for Many Listeners
Before jumping to alternatives, it’s worth naming exactly what pushes people away from Nextory. The platform’s strengths are real, but so are its limitations.
Regional restrictions are the most common dealbreaker. Nextory operates primarily in Nordic countries plus Germany. If you’re in North America, the UK, or anywhere outside those markets, you can’t sign up at all—no workaround, no waiting list. For those listeners, the question isn’t “should I switch?” but “what should I pick instead?”
The English catalog is thinner than you’d expect. Nextory’s licensing agreements skew heavily toward Nordic-language content. If you’re a native English speaker living in a supported country, you’ll notice the selection gap within your first few weeks. Bestsellers show up, but the deep backlist and mid-list titles that make a subscription valuable are often missing.
You own nothing. Like most subscription services, Nextory grants access while you pay. Cancel, and your entire library disappears. For listeners who revisit favorites or want a permanent collection, that’s a fundamental mismatch.
The alternatives below solve different combinations of these problems. Match your priorities to the platform, not the other way around.
Storytel: The Closest Direct Replacement
If you want Nextory’s unlimited model but need broader regional availability and a deeper English catalog, Storytel is the most direct comparison. It runs on the same flat-fee, unlimited-listening premise and operates in more than 25 countries, including the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, and several Latin American and Asian markets.
Where Storytel wins: The English catalog is noticeably deeper than Nextory’s, and the app includes podcasts and children’s content in the same subscription. If you’re sharing an account with family, that bundled content makes Storytel a stronger value proposition.
Where Storytel falls short: The ebook experience is functional but uninspired. The app handles audiobooks well, but if you want a seamless hybrid reading-and-listening experience, other platforms do it better. You’re also still renting—cancel and your access disappears.
Who should choose Storytel: Listeners who want Nextory’s model but need more countries supported and a bigger English selection. It’s also the better pick if podcasts matter to you, since they’re bundled at no extra cost.
One practical check: Before committing, search Storytel’s catalog for three specific titles you genuinely want to listen to. If two of the three are missing, the subscription won’t serve you regardless of how good the app feels.
Audible: The Ownership-First Option
Audible operates on a fundamentally different model. Instead of unlimited access, you receive credits each month (usually one or two depending on your plan) that you exchange for titles you keep permanently. Even after you cancel, your library remains yours.
Where Audible wins: Ownership, plain and simple. That 40-hour fantasy epic you spent a credit on? It’s yours forever, even if you cancel for a year and come back. The catalog is also the largest in the industry, with exclusive Audible Originals and celebrity-narrated productions you won’t find anywhere else.
Where Audible falls short: The credit system punishes light listeners. If you finish one book every two months, you’re paying for credits that accumulate unused. The Plus Catalog (included titles available to subscribers) helps fill gaps, but the flagship experience is credit-driven. And unlike Nextory, there’s no ebook component—you’re getting audio only.
Who should choose Audible: Listeners who want to build a permanent library, who value exclusive content, and who finish at least one book per month. If you replay favorites or want to pass books to family members, the ownership model is worth the higher per-book cost.
Try Audible Free for 30 Days — Start your free trial on Amazon and get two free audiobooks.
Scribd: The Value Play for Eclectic Listeners
Scribd markets itself as “Netflix for documents,” but its audiobook catalog has grown into one of the best values in the space. One flat fee gets you unlimited audiobooks, ebooks, magazines, sheet music, and some podcasts.
Where Scribd wins: Variety. For roughly the same monthly price as a single Audible credit, you get access to thousands of titles across multiple formats. The recommendation algorithm is also genuinely good at surfacing titles you wouldn’t have found on your own—useful if you’re tired of the same bestseller lists.
Where Scribd falls short: The “unlimited” model has a catch. Scribd throttles access to popular titles after you’ve listened to a certain amount in a month. You won’t hit a hard wall, but you may find that the specific bestseller you wanted suddenly shows as “unavailable until next month.” This is a known frustration among heavy users, and it’s worse if your taste skews toward mainstream releases.
Who should choose Scribd: Listeners with eclectic tastes who want to sample widely without committing credits. If you listen to two or three books a month across different genres, Scribd’s value is hard to beat—just be prepared for the throttling.
A practical verification: If you’re considering Scribd, check whether the specific titles you’re most excited about are available in your region. Scribd’s catalog varies by country, and a title that’s available in the US may be missing in the UK or Australia.
Libro.fm: The Ethical Alternative with Real Ownership
Libro.fm operates on the same credit model as Audible, but with one crucial difference: every purchase supports a local independent bookstore of your choice. You pick your store when you sign up, and a portion of every sale goes to them.
Where Libro.fm wins: The feel-good factor is genuine. You’re directly supporting local businesses that compete against Amazon’s dominance. The catalog is also DRM-free, meaning you own your files outright and can play them on any device or app you like—no proprietary format lock-in.
Where Libro.fm falls short: The selection is smaller than Audible’s, particularly for indie and self-published titles. You also won’t find Audible Originals or exclusive productions. If you’re chasing the newest buzzy release on day one, you may wait longer for it to appear.
Who should choose Libro.fm: Listeners who care about where their money goes and who want true ownership without DRM restrictions. If you have a favorite local bookstore, this is the most meaningful way to support it while building a permanent library.
One limitation to note: Libro.fm’s credit model means you’re paying per book, not subscribing to unlimited access. If you listen to more than a few books per month, the cost adds up quickly compared to subscription services.
Spotify Audiobooks: The Convenience Play
Spotify entered the audiobook space in 2023, and while the catalog is still limited compared to dedicated platforms, it’s worth considering if you’re already paying for Premium.
Where Spotify wins: Convenience. If you live in Spotify, having audiobooks in the same app eliminates the friction of switching platforms. The player is solid, and you can seamlessly jump between music, podcasts, and books without changing apps.
Where Spotify falls short: The selection is thin, and the model is credit-based—15 hours per month on Premium plans, with additional hours purchasable. You’re also locked into Spotify’s ecosystem with no ownership. A single long audiobook can consume your entire monthly allotment.
Who should choose Spotify: Existing Premium subscribers who want to dip their toes into audiobooks without adding another subscription. It’s a complement, not a replacement, for serious listeners.
Kobo Plus: The Emerging Budget Option
Kobo Plus is Rakuten’s answer to the subscription model, and it’s been expanding aggressively. For a flat monthly fee, you get unlimited access to a growing catalog of audiobooks and ebooks.
Where Kobo Plus wins: Price and simplicity. It’s typically cheaper than Audible’s credit model, and the unlimited access is genuinely unlimited—no throttling like Scribd. The catalog is smaller than Audible’s but includes major publishers.
Where Kobo Plus falls short: No ownership. Cancel and your access disappears. The app is also less polished than Audible or Storytel, though it’s improved significantly in recent updates. If you’re a power user who cares about playback features like variable speed controls and sleep timers, the app may feel basic.
Who should choose Kobo Plus: Budget-conscious listeners who go through multiple books per month and don’t care about building a permanent library. If you’re already in the Kobo ecosystem for ebooks, the audiobook add-on is a natural fit.
How to Choose: A Practical Decision Framework
If you’re staring at this list feeling overwhelmed, here’s a way to narrow it down without analysis paralysis.
First, decide on ownership. Do you need to own your books? If yes, Audible or Libro.fm are your only real options. Everything else is rental. If you’re fine with access-while-you-pay, subscription models give you more flexibility.
Second, count your monthly listening. If you finish one book or fewer per month, a credit-based model is wasteful. Subscription services like Scribd or Kobo Plus give you more flexibility for the same price. If you finish three or more, unlimited models pay for themselves quickly.
Third, check regional availability before you get attached. Each platform’s catalog and supported countries vary significantly. A platform that’s perfect in theory may be useless in practice if your region isn’t supported or the catalog is thin.
Fourth—and this is the step most people skip—sample the narration. The same book can be a completely different experience depending on who reads it. Before committing to any platform, search for a few titles you know you want to listen to and listen to the audio samples. A platform with a huge catalog is useless if the specific books you want have narrators you can’t stand.
One more practical consideration: If you’re currently on Nextory and it’s working for you, the switching cost may not be worth it. The platform’s limitations are real, but if you’re in a supported country, happy with the Nordic catalog, and don’t care about ownership, the alternatives may not offer enough to justify the hassle of migrating.
The Trade-Offs Worth Knowing Before You Switch
Every platform in this comparison has a weakness that only becomes obvious after you’ve committed. Here’s what to watch for.
Audible’s DRM is the most restrictive. Your purchased titles are locked to Audible’s ecosystem. You can listen on Kindle devices, the Audible app, and Alexa, but you can’t easily move files to another app or back them up independently. If you ever want to leave Audible, your library stays behind.
Scribd’s throttling is unpredictable. The platform doesn’t publish its exact limits, so you can’t plan around them. One month you might listen to five books without issue; the next, you hit a wall after two. For heavy listeners who rely on consistent access, this unpredictability is the biggest risk.
Storytel’s international catalog varies wildly by region. The platform’s English selection is deeper than Nextory’s, but the depth depends on where you’re listening. A title available in the Netherlands may be missing in Poland. Always verify your specific region’s catalog before subscribing.
Libro.fm’s smaller catalog means waiting. New releases and buzzy titles often arrive later than on Audible, if they arrive at all. If you’re the type who needs to listen to the latest release on publication day, Libro.fm will frustrate you.
Kobo Plus is still building its catalog. The platform has grown significantly, but it’s not at Audible’s scale. If you listen primarily to backlist titles and classics, you’ll find plenty. If you want the newest releases, you’ll be disappointed.
Making the Final Call
Nextory is a solid service for its target market, but it’s not the only option. Audible offers ownership and the largest catalog. Scribd offers variety and value. Libro.fm offers ethics and DRM-free files. Spotify offers convenience. Storytel offers the closest direct replacement. Kobo Plus offers budget-friendly unlimited access.
There’s no universal winner—only the right fit for your listening habits. Start with a free trial on the platform that matches your top priority, and don’t be afraid to switch if it doesn’t click. The beauty of this market is that you’re never locked in for long.
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