So you’ve just heard of Chirp and you’re wondering if it’s for you? There are so many different audiobook services out there that it can be hard to know what is worth it and what isn’t. But with this Chirp audiobooks review, you’ll learn everything you need to know to decide if Chirp is worth using for your next audiobook listen!
Spoiler alert: after testing it out, I think it’s definitely worth it. But read on to learn all the pros and cons of Chirp to help you decide for yourself!
Want to give Chirp a try? Click here to get 30% off your first purchase!
What is Chirp?
Chirp is an audiobook service that offers incredible limited-time deals on audiobooks (up to 95% off!), as well as great prices everyday even on audiobooks not on sale. Unlike many audiobook services, however, Chip is not a subscription model but instead lets you purchase the deals you want when you want them—and the audiobooks are yours to keep forever!
Chirp is owned and operated by the same people who started BookBub, which is a book discovery service used by millions of readers. If you’ve ever used BookBub in the past, you can rest assured that Chirp will provide the same great service and great deals for audiobooks that BookBub does for books!
How Does Chirp Work?
So how does Chirp audiobooks work? Since publishers are always looking for ways to get new readers to discover their books, many publishers offer temporarily discounted audiobooks to Chirp and Chirp passes along the savings to us! It’s a low cost and low risk way to try out new audiobooks…perhaps even audiobooks you otherwise might never have tried.
All you need to do is create a free account, check their website for amazing audiobook deals you want to purchase, and then stream or download the audiobooks to listen to them. There is a Chirp app you can download for free for Android or iOS to make listening easier, or you can stream from their website.
Chirp Books Review
So is Chirp Books an audiobook service you should use? Here’s what you need to know!
One of my favorite things about Chirp is that there is no subscription fee. This means you can purchase what you want, when you want, with no pressure to spend a set amount each month. I love the flexibility this gives! Deals also change regularly…so even if you don’t see something you want right now, it’s a pretty good bet that there will be an audiobook you’ll enjoy on sale soon.
I also love how incredible the deals are a lot of the time. We’re talking audiobooks for $1-5, as opposed to the audiobooks’ regular retail prices of $20-30! Now that’s a good deal. Taken together, the extremely good deals and the lack of subscription fees are all I need to be sold on using Chirp to buy audiobooks!
However, there are a few things you’ll want to consider if money isn’t your biggest motivating factor in choosing an audiobook service. First up is that you may (and often will) find audiobooks you love and audiobooks you’re looking for through Chirp, but it’s not a guarantee that you’ll find books you want exactly when you want them. This is because not all the titles are on extremely good sales all the time (some are just everyday pricing), and the deals do rotate so you can’t guarantee finding a $1-5 deal on the exact book you’re searching for exactly when you’re first searching for it.
So you just have to go into Chirp with the mindset that you’re exploring and searching for hidden treasures. You may find popular audiobooks you’ve always wanted for $1.99, you may find audiobooks you never knew you needed but now absolutely have to have, or some days you might not find anything on sale that interests you. Every day is a fun adventure and you never know what you’re going to get!
But if you don’t want to spend your days searching Chirp for deals, there is a way to make this easier. Simply sign up for personalized emails to get daily alerts when books you might like are on sale! You can also just browse their website for deals if you prefer to do it that way, but singing up for emails helps ensure you won’t miss a sale on a book you’ll love.
What else should you know before you buy your first Chirp audiobook? Another thing to realize is that you can listen to your audiobooks via streaming on their website or by downloading the Chirp audiobook app to your Android or iOS devices. The app is only used for listening to the audiobooks, however, so if you want to buy new titles then you will still have to buy them through the website (and then they will automatically sync to your Chirp app). I don’t find this to be an issue since the Chirp website is so well designed on both desktop and mobile, so it’s easy to search for books and purchase them even though you can’t use the app to do so.
Additionally, one more thing to be aware of is that any Chirp audiobooks you buy have to be listened to through Chirp’s website or app. This isn’t any different from other audiobook services, like Audible, who also require you to listen through their dedicated apps when you purchase through them. But it does mean one more app added to your collection on your phone or tablet, so if that’s a deal-breaker then Chirp likely isn’t for you.
But if you’re looking for incredible audiobook deals on popular audiobooks, or looking for a low-cost way to discover new authors or audiobooks you otherwise wouldn’t have given a chance, then Chirp audiobook deals are quickly going to become one of your new favorite things!
Try out Chirp now and get 30% off your first order!
Is Chirp Audiobooks Worth It?
So now that we know a bit about Chirp and have gone through the main Chirp review, the big question remains: Is Chirp Audiobooks worth it?
In general, I say a resounding yes! Here’s why:
Pros
- No subscription fee
- Low cost audiobooks
- Popular books on sale (not just less well-known books)
- Personalized emails to help you find deals you’ll love
- Easy to navigate app
- Audiobooks you buy are yours forever
- 14-Day Money Back Guarantee
But there are also a few cons to consider, and depending on your needs these may mean Chirp isn’t right for you:
Cons
- Can’t always find specific audiobook titles you want for good sale prices, since the deals rotate
- Occasionally certain audiobooks are cheaper on other services like Audible
- Can’t buy books directly through the app
- Must use the Chirp app/Chirp website to listen to the audiobooks you buy
To me, the pros far outweigh the cons…especially since some of the cons are the same as cons for other audiobook services like Audible! But if you’re still on the fence here about whether it’s worth it for you, I say go ahead and give it a try. Because there’s no subscription fee, you really don’t have anything to lose by trying Chirp and seeing if it’s for you! Plus, you can use my code to get 30% off your first order…and who doesn’t love an incredible deal on an already incredible deal? 😉
Chirp Books FAQ
Still have questions about Chirp? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about Chirp Books. But if you don’t see your question answered, feel free to leave a comment below!
1. What countries is Chirp available in?
Currently, Chirp is only available in the United States and Canada.
2. Is Chirp audiobooks legit?
Yes! I know the deals might sometimes look too good to be true, but I assure you they’re 100% legit!
Keep in mind that there is also no subscription fee required, and you get exactly what you pay for—good quality audiobooks you own forever.
Additionally, it’s important to note that Chirp is owned and operated by the people who started BookBub (a popular book discovery service that helps you find great deals on books). The parent company for both Chirp and BookBub is Pubmark Inc., which has been around since 2012.
3. How do I listen to the audiobooks I buy on Chirp?
You can listen to audiobooks you buy on Chirp on your phone, tablet, or computer. You can do this by streaming your audiobook purchases on their site or by downloading the app to your Android or iOS devices.
It’s also possible to listen to Chirp audiobooks on any Alexa-enabled devices with Chirp’s custom Alexa skill (you can find more info about that here). Plus, it’s easy to switch between devices so you can listen on the go no matter where you are!
4. Can I listen to Chirp audiobooks on other apps?
No, Chirp audiobooks can only be listened to on their website or through the Chirp app.
5. Is there a money back guarantee if I’m not happy with an audiobook?
Yes! If for any reason you aren’t satisfied with your audiobook purchase, you can contact them here within 14 days of your purchase to request a full refund.
6. How does Chirp compare to Audible?
Wondering how Chirp compares to Audible or other subscription services? There are a few key differences to note.
First, Chirp has no subscription fee, while Audible has a monthly subscription fee. Second, Chirp offers extreme deals on many audiobooks (can be as low as $1), while Audible offers one audiobook for $14.95 each month and then any additional audiobooks are 30% off their full price (so could still cost in the $20+ range).
Other than that, the quality of audiobooks you receive from both will be the same as they offer many of the same audiobooks with the same narrators. Occasionally, when looking at Chirp’s everyday pricing on audiobooks, you may find that it’s less expensive to get a month of Audible for $14.95 than to buy the Chirp everyday-priced audiobook. But for the up to 95% off deals Chirp regularly offers, it will be hard to find anything close to Chirp’s deal prices anywhere else!
7. Is there a Chirp promo code I can use?
Yes! Click here to automatically apply a promo code for 30% off your first order!