If you are trying to decide between audiobooks and ebooks, you have probably been reading the same advice everywhere: audiobooks are great for multitasking, ebooks are better for deep reading, and it depends on your lifestyle. All of which is true, and none of which helps you actually decide.
Here is a more useful way to think about it. Audiobooks and ebooks are not competing formats. They are different ways into the same book, and the best option depends on what you are doing, not who you are. Most people who try both end up using both, for different situations.
How they compare
Comprehension. Research consistently shows that comprehension is broadly similar whether you read or listen. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that brain activity patterns from reading and listening were virtually identical. Where differences appear, they tend to be about the material: dense, technical content is slightly easier to absorb in text (because you can re-read a sentence without rewinding), while narrative and storytelling work just as well, and sometimes better, in audio, because a skilled narrator adds tone, pacing, and emotion that text cannot.
Convenience. This is where the formats genuinely differ. Ebooks need your eyes and at least one hand. Audiobooks need your ears and nothing else. That means audiobooks open up time that ebooks cannot reach: commuting, walking, running, cooking, gardening, housework, the gym. If you are someone who wants to read more but struggles to find the time, audiobooks are almost certainly the answer. We wrote a full guide to all the things you can do while listening.
Retention. The honest answer is that retention depends more on attention than format. An ebook you read while half-watching television is not going to stick any better than an audiobook you listen to while navigating a busy roundabout. Both formats reward focused attention. Both suffer when you are distracted. The format matters less than whether you are actually paying attention to the book.
Speed. Ebook readers can typically read faster than audiobook narrators speak, even at 1x speed. If getting through books quickly matters to you, ebooks have an edge. But most audiobook apps let you increase the playback speed (downloaded books on the xigxag app allow playback speeds from 0.5x to 3.5x), and many listeners find that the steady pace of a narrator actually helps them absorb more, not less, because they cannot skim.
The Kindle question
A lot of people searching for “audiobooks vs ebooks” really mean “should I get a Kindle or start listening to audiobooks?” That is a slightly different question, and worth addressing directly.
A Kindle is a good device for reading ebooks. The e-ink screen is easy on the eyes, the battery lasts for weeks, and if you read in bed it is genuinely better than a phone or tablet. But a Kindle locks you into Amazon’s ecosystem. The books you buy from Amazon’s Kindle store can only be read on Kindle devices and Kindle apps. You cannot transfer them to another e-reader. If you ever want to leave, your library does not come with you.
Audiobooks do not have this problem in the same way. You can listen on your phone, tablet, laptop, or bluetooth-enabled smart speaker, and most audiobook platforms let you download your books to your device. On xigxag, when you buy an audiobook you own it permanently, and you can download it and listen offline on any device with the app installed.
The deeper issue with framing this as Kindle vs audiobooks is that it assumes you have to pick one format and stick with it. You do not.
What if you could do both?
This is where things get interesting. Most audiobook apps give you audio only. Most ebook platforms give you text only. They are separate purchases, separate apps, separate experiences. If you want to listen to a book on your commute and then read it on the sofa, you are typically buying it twice.
xigxag does something different. An increasing proportion of audiobooks on xigxag are available as x-books, which combine the audiobook with synchronised text on screen. You can listen with the text visible, so you see the words as the narrator speaks them. You can switch between listening only and listening with text depending on what suits the moment. You can look up words, take notes, highlight passages, search within the book, and share quotes.
It is one purchase, one app, one book, used in two ways. You are not choosing between an audiobook and an ebook. You are getting both.
For the research on comprehension, this matters. Studies on audio-assisted reading (listening while seeing the text) show stronger gains in comprehension and vocabulary than either format alone. The dual input reinforces how your brain processes the words. It is especially effective for language learners, people with dyslexia, and anyone who finds that pure audio or pure text does not quite hold their attention. We have written more about this in our guides to learning English with audiobooks and audiobooks and dyslexia.
To find x-books in the xigxag app, look for the x-book® ribbon on the cover image, or use the search filter to show x-books only.
So which should you choose?
If you have plenty of reading time and prefer the feel of text on a screen, ebooks are a good fit. If you want to read more but your hands and eyes are already busy, audiobooks will unlock hours you did not know you had. If you want the flexibility to do both without buying every book twice, try an x-book® on xigxag.
There is no subscription and no commitment. Prices start at £8.99, and the Listen for Less section always has titles from £3.99. Every audiobook on xigxag is narrated by a professional human voice, and you own what you buy.
Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk and see for yourself.
