Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
Headway: Fun & Easy Growth vs storytel
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Headway: Fun & Easy Growth |  storytel |
|---|---|---|
| Price per month | $12.99 | SEK 169 |
| Price from | $0 | SEK 99 |
| Free trial length | 7 days | 30 daysHigher |
| Access model | Unlimited | Hour cap |
| Titles in the catalogue | 2,500 | 1,500,000Higher |
| Monthly listening cap (hours) | Not confirmed | 100 |
| Catalogue languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Japanese, Czech, Romanian, Hungarian | Not confirmed |
| Keep titles after cancelling | No | Not confirmed |
| Family profiles | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Student discount | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Markets | Not confirmed | BE, BG, EE, FI, FR, DE, IS, IT, NL, NO, PL, ES, SE, TR, IN, ID, SG, KR, TH, BR, CL, CO, MX, EG, IL, SA, AE |
Same on both: Offline use (Yes).
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Key differences
- Headway: Fun & Easy Growth scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 9.0.
- Free trial length is higher at storytel: 30 days vs 7 days.
- Titles in the catalogue is higher at storytel: 1,500,000 vs 2,500.
- Support channels: only Headway: Fun & Easy Growth offers Email, Phone.
- Content types: only Headway: Fun & Easy Growth offers Summaries.
- Content types: only storytel offers Audiobooks, Ebooks, Podcasts.
Our verdict on each
Headway: Fun & Easy Growth
Headway: Fun & Easy Growth suits readers who want short summaries in a small library rather than long listening sessions. Entry costs $0, so trying it costs nothing, and a catalogue of 2,500 titles keeps browsing quick. Keep after cancel is no, so a subscription ends cleanly.
storytel
Storytel suits households that read and listen together, with family profiles, offline listening and a catalogue of 1,500,000 titles in one subscription. Readers who want a cheaper single-user plan should compare AfriKDP first, since the monthly fee of SEK 169 sits high for one person.
Score breakdown
| Area | Headway: Fun & Easy Growth | storytel |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.6HigherEntry at $0, but the paid plan bills $12.99 a month, above Audible at CAD 8.99 and AfriKDP at $3. | 8.8The subscription starts at SEK 99 and lists at SEK 169, above $3 and $19.99. |
| Offer | 8.8unlimited access, offline use, 7 days free and content limited to summaries. | 9.2HigherA catalogue of 1,500,000 titles, a 30 days free trial and a 100 hour cap in one plan. |
Sources behind this comparison
Headway: Fun & Easy Growth
- makeheadway.com: 12 facts, checked September 30, 2026
storytel
- storytel.com: 11 facts, checked September 30, 2026
- storytelgroup.com: 2 facts, checked September 30, 2026
- support.storytel.com: 1 fact, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Headway: Fun & Easy Growth | storytel |
|---|---|---|
| Audiobook, ebook and book-summary apps | 8 of 24 | 14 of 24 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Headway: Fun & Easy Growth | storytel |
|---|---|---|
| Content types | Summaries | Audiobooks, Ebooks, Podcasts |
| Legal entity | GTHW App Limited | Storytel AB (publ) |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | Sweden |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centreCovers more | Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Headway: Fun & Easy Growth | storytel | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial length | 7 daysbelow the median | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
| Monthly listening cap (hours) | Not confirmed | 100at the median | 100 |
| Titles in the catalogue | 2,500lowest quarter | 1,500,000highest quarter | 240,000 |
Median across 19 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Headway: Fun & Easy Growth
Pros
- Offline use is supported, so saved summaries open on a train or a flight with no connection at all.
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre, and phone help places it with the 22.7% of these apps that answer the phone.
- The catalogue is unusually wide for its size, running across English, Spanish and French, so a reader can switch language without leaving the app.
Cons
- Keep after cancel is no, so downloaded summaries and reading progress end with the billing period, while 50% of the apps compared do keep access after cancelling.
- Content types are summaries, so a listener after long-form narration has nothing here to weigh against Audible at CAD 8.99 a month.
- A catalogue of 2,500 titles sits far below the 240,000 median for the brands tracked here, so picking a title is the whole of the choice.
storytel
Pros
- A catalogue of 1,500,000 titles, first among the brands compared here on size.
- Family profiles are included, so several people can use one account.
- Offline downloads are available for travel and commutes.
Cons
- The monthly price of SEK 169 is higher than $3 at the same billing rhythm.
- Access is limited by a 100 hour cap rather than running without limits.
- Support runs on help centre only, with no live contact listed.
Who each suits
Headway: Fun & Easy Growth
Who it suits
- Readers who want to finish something on a commute, since offline use is supported and the catalogue stays small enough to browse.
- Readers learning a second language, since the catalogue runs across English, Spanish and French.
- Anyone who prefers a phone call to a ticket queue, since support runs on email, phone and help centre.
Who should look elsewhere
- Listeners who want full-length audio, since content types here are summaries while Audible at CAD 8.99 a month is priced around narration.
- Subscribers who want downloads to survive cancellation, since keep after cancel is no against 50% of the apps compared that keep them.
- Price-first households, since AfriKDP at $3 a month comes in well under the $12.99 Headway plan.
storytel
Who it suits
- Households that share one account through family profiles
- Listeners who want audiobooks, ebooks and podcasts in the same app
- Readers who plan around a listening allowance rather than unlimited access
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants unlimited listening, since access sits under a 100 hour cap
- Readers who want live phone support, as support runs on help centre only
- Price-first single users who may find $3 easier to justify
Current offers
Headway: Fun & Easy Growth
Current offer
Free trial
7-day free trial on yearly plan: 7 days
Yearly plan only, once per app store account, auto-renews unless cancelled before end of trial
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Headway: Fun & Easy Growth | storytel |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | No | Yes |
| Brazil | No | Yes |
| Bulgaria | No | Yes |
| Chile | No | Yes |
| Colombia | No | Yes |
| Egypt | No | Yes |
| Estonia | No | Yes |
| Finland | No | Yes |
8 of 27 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
Headway: Fun & Easy Growth
How much does Headway cost?+
Two figures matter. Entry on the Headway plan starts at $0, so a reader can look before paying, and the paid plan bills $12.99 a month. That monthly figure is the recurring rate, so a renewal looks the same as the first paid period. Budget for $12.99 each month once the trial ends.
Is there a free trial, and how long is it?+
The free trial runs 7 days, which is shorter than the 30-day median for audiobook and reading apps in this group. Long enough to judge the format and a handful of summaries, short enough that a reader who wants a broad sample should start at the free entry point instead.
storytel
How much does Storytel cost a month?+
The standard plan is billed at SEK 169 each month, with a lower entry plan starting at SEK 99. Both prices cover the full catalogue of 1,500,000 titles and the family profiles feature, so the tier mainly changes how much you can listen rather than what you can read.
Is there a free trial?+
Yes, Storytel offers a free trial of 30 days. That trial ranks third among the 16 brands compared on this measure, which makes it one of the longer evaluation windows in this category. The trial is long enough to test both the 100 hour cap and the app before the first payment.