OverDrive Inc.

Author: Jenna Vasquez

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The Good

• Impressive stats
• Free to rent
• High app rating

OverDrive Inc. has several impressive stats, and there are several reasons why the experts at TBC would recommend them:

• They have more than 2 million premium digital titles
• They work with 5,000 publishers
• They work with 300,000 libraries
• They have content available in over 64 languages
• High-rated iOS and Android apps (4.5/5 stars)

The most important thing to note about OverDrive Inc. is that content is free to rent. Although you can't keep any of the material you listen to, you do have access to popular and old titles to rent whenever you want. OverDrive Inc.'s Android and iOS app have an average rating of 4.5/5 stars. Listeners like that they can download content without having to connect to the internet, that it's simple and clean to use, and the features.

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The Bad

• Titles vary by location
• Limited selection

Even though OverDrive Inc. publishes that they have more than 2 million titles, the titles you can access vary by location. On top of that, the number of audiobooks available is only a fraction of that number. Our location had just over 8,000 audiobooks available for renters. Overall, this is a lot less than competitors, but about the same as other free services. While the site is aesthetically pleasing and generally easy to use, there is a learning curve. You have to figure out which libraries in your area offer the widest selection. Even then, there are many books they advertise on their site that may not be available in your area.

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The Bottom Line

OverDrive Inc. is perfect for people who want to rent audiobooks for free. It also helps if those people live near, and have access to, a library with a large collection of content. If you plan on renting books through this service, you will have to wait for material to become available, just like you would have to at a library. If you are the type of person who want books instantly, and wants to keep books afterward, OverDrive Inc. is not for you.