How much does it cost to make an audiobook in 2026?
With Narratory, production cost depends on your book’s word count, the words you generate again, and the subscription and packs you choose. Budget for previews, revisions and a final listening pass, not just the first generation.
What you pay for with Narratory
Starter includes 25,000 generated words per month; Pro includes 200,000. One credit covers one newly generated word, including previews and revisions. Replaying existing audio does not use words. Active subscribers can buy additional word packs.
Monthly allowances reset at renewal. Purchased words do not expire, but an active paid subscription is needed to use them and create an export. Your free 500-word sample lets you test the sound before paying.
Worked examples: book words plus 25% for revisions
These examples use rates checked on 15 October 2026. They assume one paid month, no existing balance, no discounts and a 25% allowance for previews and revisions. They show the lowest upfront plan-and-pack combination, before any applicable tax. They exclude the conditional first-book publication refund.
| Book length | Generated words | Plan and packs | Upfront estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30,000 words | 37,500 | Starter + 2 × 10,000 words | $39.00 USD |
| 60,000 words | 75,000 | Starter + 1 × 50,000 words | $64.00 USD |
| 90,000 words | 112,500 | Starter + 1 × 100,000 words | $99.00 USD |
The 25% allowance is a planning example, not a prediction of the revisions your book will need. Use the calculator below to change it and check refreshed prices. If generation spans multiple months, include each subscription renewal.
What will your audiobook cost?
Compare one month of each plan with the word packs needed to finish your project, including an allowance for previews and revisions.
Reference prices checked 15 October 2026. Prices are in USD. Final prices and any applicable taxes are confirmed at checkout.
100,000 generated words = 80,000 for the book + 20,000 for previews and revisions.
Lowest upfront cost for this estimate
starter + word packs
- First month: $19.00 for 25,000 words
- 1 × 50,000-word pack: $45.00 total
- 3 × 10,000-word pack: $30.00 total
- Pay upfront
- $94.00
- Estimated publication refund
- $69.00
- Cost after approved refund
- $25.00
0 monthly words left; reset at renewal. 5,000 purchased words left; do not expire, but need an active paid plan to use.
Renews at $19.00 / month until cancelled. Packs are one-time purchases.
Try your own text freeAlternative plan
pro
- First month: $99.00 for 200,000 words
- Pay upfront
- $99.00
- Estimated publication refund
- $39.60
- Cost after approved refund
- $59.40
100,000 monthly words left; reset at renewal. 0 purchased words left; do not expire, but need an active paid plan to use.
Renews at $99.00 / month until cancelled. Packs are one-time purchases.
Try your own text freeEstimate assumes all generation happens within one paid month, at the displayed prices, with no existing balance or discounts. Your 500-word sample is separate and may reduce the paid words needed. An active paid plan is required to create an export. Any applicable taxes are shown at checkout.
The refund covers one generation of the published book, after verification of its live link, your honest testimonial and the Narratory cost. Previews and revisions remain paid. This estimate uses monthly words first, then packs in the order shown, with the first pass before revisions. Actual funding and generation order can change the refund. Unused allowance and future renewals are not refunded.
Compare production approaches fairly
A human narrator’s quote may include performance, editing, mastering and an agreed number of corrections. Ask which work is included, how pickups are charged, when delivery is possible and which rights you receive.
Recording yourself shifts the budget towards equipment, a suitable recording space, editing and your own time. AI generation shifts it towards generated words, revisions and quality review. Listen to a representative chapter before deciding which approach fits your story and audience.
Leave room for the work after generation
Review pronunciation, character changes, pauses and chapter boundaries. You may also need cover artwork and a distribution service. Confirm your intended retailer’s current AI-narration rules before producing a full book: an export format does not guarantee acceptance.
Our manuscript-to-audiobook guide covers the workflow. The character-voices guide explains how to test a dialogue scene without regenerating a whole chapter.
Hear your own writing before you commit.
Try 500 generated words with no credit card. Previews and revisions use your allowance; an active paid plan is required to create an export.
Try your 500-word sample