As the world becomes more digital, various industries must adapt to changes in the marketplace. Publishing is one of the many industries that is experiencing drastic changes. There are now millions of readers around the world that use eBooks instead of a traditional paper book.
Amazon has been at the forefront of the book market for years. While the company began by delivering low-cost print books to customers around the United States, one of its new specialties is in offering affordable eBooks to readers around the globe. Recently, the company launched a new subscription eBook service called Kindle Unlimited.
So, is it worth your time? This Kindle Unlimited review will tell you all you need to know.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links. We normally review products that are popular and are talked about a lot. This means that there are people who like them and dislike them. We go through the product in an unbiased way and list both the good and the bad.
What Is Amazon Kindle?
To understand the product, you need to understand the Amazon Kindle device. In 2007, Amazon.com created Kindle Unlimited, a digital reading program that quickly set the standard for modern eBook platforms. The app allows you to download various books, magazines, articles, and texts onto eligible devices.
Since its inception, Amazon Kindle has grown to be one of the most recognizable book options on the planet. The platform hosts most major books and popular magazines, with a large selection of over three million titles available to its subscribers, including romance novels, Hunger Games, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, The Handmaid’s Tale, and books from Stephen King, Nora Roberts and Margaret Atwood among others.
Kindle is famous for being easy to use. The costs of Kindle books are often much less than paying the price tag of traditional books on your Amazon account. Also, the Kindle app and Kindle device can be used to download and store hundreds of books or magazines at a time. It’s the perfect device to have a book on an extended vacation or your commute to work.
Because Amazon has also emerged as a popular self-publishing service, there are thousands of books written by independent writers on the platform as well. In fact, you can find Kindle Unlimited books that you won’t be able to find anywhere else on the internet.
Unlike many of its competitors, Amazon’s eBook platform has global reach; you can purchase Kindle Unlimited books while you’re overseas, or if you move to a different country.
What Is Kindle Unlimited?
Kindle Unlimited is an ebook subscription service that allows you to get access to books. In 2014, Kindle decided to change the way that readers can access titles on its interface. Instead of purchasing each book, Amazon brought out a subscription service that charges you a monthly subscription fee for over a million books. Like Spotify and Apple Music, Kindle Unlimited is a subscription that allows users to mass consume content for a set monthly fee.
How Does Kindle Unlimited Work?
Kindle Unlimited works by providing you with unrestricted access to a broad range of book titles. Once you sign up for an account, you’ll be able to choose from the large selection of titles. If you search for a Kindle book on your Amazon account, it will tell you the purchasing price, as well as notify you of whether it’s included free with the Kindle Unlimited subscription.
It’s important to keep in mind that not all titles are included on the platform. Many of the largest publishing houses in the world, such as Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, HarperCollins, Simon Schuster and more have yet to sign up because they don’t believe the revenue sharing mechanism will be beneficial to their business model.
Just like a library card, there are many books to choose from and you can rent up to 10 books at one time. You can read them on any device that is compatible like a Kindle device, or using the Kindle cloud reader with your web browser.
Hardware Options
One of the core benefits of subscribing to Kindle Unlimited is the number of hardware options that come partnered with this platform. Ever since Kindle’s inception, Amazon has been striving to bring a range of different devices and compatibilities to its user base.
The eReader itself has changed the industry. There are several different devices available at various price points. The primary benefit of the Kindle Unlimited eReader is that the screen appears like traditional paper, which makes it much easier on the reader’s eyes.
Also, the devices are lightweight, WiFi enabled, easy-to-use, and come packed with extensive battery life. You can purchase and download Kindle Unlimited books directly on the device.
Do I Need Kindle Devices?
Users used to be restricted to Amazon’s Kindle eReaders (Kindle Fire). While these are excellent and affordable devices for reading a book, people were looking to gain access on devices that they already own. Amazon answered the calls, and now you can now download the Kindle app to your iOS or Android device.
Does Kindle Unlimited work without a Kindle device? In short, yes, ebook reader devices are not required. You can subscribe to Kindle Unlimited without a specific device. You don’t have to go to the Kindle store. You can download the Kindle cloud reader from the app store or play store and be used on your phone. This means that users will be able to read eBooks on Kindle eReaders and phones at the same time, depending on your reading habits. You won’t have to worry about forgetting your book on your next holiday or finding anything on the Kindle store.
Kindle’s mobile app makes its book platform one of the most practical options on the planet. The Kindle Unlimited app also works on all major Android and iOS tablets (iPads). The downside of not having a device, you need a wifi connection to use Kindle Unlimited books. Next time you’re thinking of gift ideas, a device might not be necessary!
Is It Free With Amazon Prime?
If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you might assume that the Kindle Unlimited membership is part of your overall subscription package. While Amazon Prime does offer a range of benefits to its users, Kindle Unlimited is not included in the monthly subscription. You’ll need to pay for your plan separately, but you can link it to the same Amazon Prime account you’re currently using on your Kindle Unlimited.
With some of Amazon Prime’s other platforms receiving discounts, you may expect to get a few dollars off the subscription costs per month. Again, no luck. Unlike Amazon Music, which offers a discount to Prime members, if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, it will cost you the full price.
Prime Reading
Prime Reading is another membership-based reading platform for Amazon users. Prime Reading comes free with all Prime subscriptions, and like Kindle Unlimited, it gives you access to a range of different magazines and books.
Unfortunately, Prime Reading is a much more ‘watered down’ version of Kindle Unlimited. You’ll only have unlimited access to around 1,000 titles, and you can borrow up to 10 books at one time, which may be a bit limiting if multiple family members use your Amazon Prime account. It may still be a good option to use Prime Reading if the usage fits yours. Titles are rotated so you do get more than 1,000 titles theoretically.
Kindle Unlimited Library
One of the essential components of Kindle Unlimited is the library, which is the primary feature that you’re paying for. So, what’s included in the library?
Amazon has been working hard to increase the amount of self-publishing in their library. For this reason, a lot of the books in the Kindle Unlimited library are from the ‘self-publishing’ wing of the Amazon Kindle database. However, there are also plenty of traditionally published books on the platform as well.
At present, there are over 1.4 million books available for download on Kindle Unlimited. While this seems like a ton, there are over 3.5 million eBooks on the overall Kindle platform, so you’re still getting less than 50% of the total book collection available on Amazon, although it’s still over 1 million.
Kindle Owners Lending Library
This is not the same as Kindle Unlimited. Amazon Prime members will have access to the lending library and just like Prime Reading, you get free access to different books.
Customer Support
If you’re investing in a subscription service, it’s essential to work with a provider that understands the value of your business. Using a team with poor customer support can be frustrating and costly; you may not get your money’s worth if something goes wrong. Fortunately, the customer support team is powered by Amazon.
Amazon is well-known for having one of the most extensive customer service teams on the market. You can contact its team via live chat 24/7 by logging into your Kindle Unlimited account to gain access to the portal. There’s also an excellent resources centre that makes it easy to troubleshoot any problems with your Kindle Unlimited subscription or Kindle device.
One thing I like is how easy it is to cancel Kindle Unlimited. Many services make it next to impossible to cancel; you may have to call a company’s team or submit a range of forms. With Kindle Unlimited, you can easily cancel in a few seconds by logging into your account, and if you have trouble figuring out how, there’s a comprehensive tutorial available on the Amazon website.
From my experience dealing with Amazon, my attitude towards their support team is only positive. It’s clear that Amazon is a team that truly values its customer base. They’re keen to resolve problems and to ensure you have a favorable opinion of its company and its operations
Kindle Customer Rating System
One of the primary benefits of Amazon’s platform is its rating system. Because Amazon is such a large online retailer, they get feedback from millions of worldwide customers, which can help you make better purchasing decisions when it’s time to buy a product.
This same benefit extends to Kindle Unlimited titles. While you don’t have to pay to access books on Kindle Unlimited, it’s nice to have a feedback mechanism that can help you avoid reading lousy books. Many top books on Kindle Unlimited have thousands of customer reviews.
If you’re looking for a platform that offers extensive user review features, Kindle Unlimited is far above the competition.
Additional Features To Keep In Mind
While most of the focus on Kindle Unlimited is related to eBooks, it’s important to highlight that many of the world’s most massive magazine titles are also available on Kindle Unlimited. If you’re someone who enjoys reading the latest magazines, it’s an excellent platform that can help you avoid the cost of buying popular magazines off the rack each month.
Also, it’s important to keep in mind that Kindle Unlimited is only available for US-based customers with credit cards. While Kindle has a presence in a broad range of countries across the globe, its service is currently just for United States customers. If you’re planning on moving or traveling for extended periods, make sure to cancel Kindle Unlimited before you leave!
Kindle Audiobooks Vs Audible
In addition to traditional eBooks, you’re also able to access audiobooks through its Audible platform. Audible is the Amazon’s audiobooks wing of the book platform. While these traditionally cost money, you can listen to a free Audible narration from plenty of Kindle Unlimited titles. This is a hugely beneficial feature if you’re someone who sometimes prefers to listen to the audio narration rather than read. Just look for the headphones icon to find the audio version.
The difference, Audible is a subscription based app that gets you 1 audiobook per month while being able to purchase more audiobooks. It makes sense if you want to choose specific books that are usually top sellers not included in the Kindle Unlimited subscription that has an Audible narration. Do take note that Amazon gift cards can’t be used with Kindle Unlimited but can be used for Audible. Check out our full comparison of Kindle Unlimited Vs Audible here.
How Do The Major Competitors Stack Up?
If you’re going to purchase an eBook subscription, it’s always important to look at the competitors. Fortunately, there are plenty of other options available on the market. Let’s go through some of the other favorite eBook subscription services available to readers. Can they compete with Kindle Unlimited?
Scribd EBook
Kindle Unlimited’s primary competitor is another eBook subscription named Scribd. It’s important to note: Scribd didn’t start as an eBook subscription service; it originally published academic papers and court documents. You’ll still have access to these forms of texts as well, which makes it an excellent choice for students and academic-types.
Scribd is slightly cheaper than Kindle Unlimited, and the company claims to provide access to over one million titles. Like Amazon Unlimited, you’ll find that many of the world’s most popular titles aren’t available on the service. One primary benefit associated with Scribd is that it has a global presence; you can access the subscription service in a range of foreign countries.
There is much evidence online that Scribd’s unlimited plan doesn’t offer truly limitless choices. Some users are finding their accounts restricted after downloading many books per month. Also, another downside associated with Scribd is its customer support team. The company’s reputation has suffered because of numerous bad reviews on many of the top consumer watchdog sites.
See our Scribd review here.
Project Gutenberg Books
Project Gutenberg is another online eBook platform that aims to provide users with access to some of the world’s most popular titles. One of the best things about Project Gutenberg is that the platform is entirely free. So, what’s the catch?
Unlike Kindle Unlimited and Scribd, which have over one million texts available, Project Gutenberg has just over 50,000. The organization aims to provide users with access to books with expired copyrights, which means that they don’t have to pay for the rights to the book.
One of the best things about Project Gutenberg is that they have some decent texts available. Because many old classics no longer have copyright restrictions, Project Gutenberg has some very well-known titles on its platform. Just keep in mind, you won’t find nearly as many options or benefits on this platform when you compare it to Kindle Unlimited or Scribd.
Blinkist
Blinkist is mainly for book reviews. They are almost a totally different app from Kindle Unlimited and they both can be very beneficial.
Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It?
The answer to this question is slightly complicated. Kindle Unlimited is an excellent service with a massive library and is an industry leader in the subscription book industry. Still, there are aspects of Kindle Unlimited that may mean it’s not worth it for some customers.
If you’re someone who is constantly reading books, Kindle Unlimited is most likely a good option. While many of the books on Kindle Unlimited offers relatively affordable prices, if you read many books, maybe more than two or three books per month, you’ll most likely recuperate all your subscription cost. However, it’s important to make sure that the books on your Kindle Unlimited platform are the types of books you’ll want to read.
While there are millions of options, the lack of current best sellers may mean you don’t find what you’re looking for on the service. Regardless, if you’re someone who is continuously looking to consume new authors, or you enjoy reading on your way to work every day, this provides an excellent way to avoid paying extra for your love of reading. So is Kindle Unlimited worth it? You decide.
Try Kindle Unlimited For Free Here
The Free Trial?
If you’re going to fork over your hard-earned money for a Kindle Unlimited subscription, you need to make sure it’s worth it. One of the best ways to make the right purchasing decision is to take advantage of the trial.
You can try Kindle Unlimited free of charge for 30 days. It’s the perfect way to give this platform a spin before you make any financial commitments. Just make sure to cancel your subscription before the trial is over if you don’t want to continue.
Kindle Unlimited Pros
- Unlimited access to over a million titles
- No cost for titles (after you pay for the subscription)
- Exclusive self-published books on the Amazon platform
- An extremely affordable pricing structure
- A range of compatible devices, including the Kindle eReaders
- Kindle app is easy to use
- An excellent customer support team
- Reliable rating systems
- Some audiobooks included with subscription
- Tons of magazines available
- Much more extensive than many of the industry competitors
Cons
- Continuous monthly payments
- Don’t have many top titles
- Only worth it if you read consistently (many books a month)
- Needs a Wi-fi connection
- Amazon Prime or Prime Reading might be a better deal (depending on what you’re looking for)
The Bottom Line
After taking in all this information, you may still be wondering: is Kindle Unlimited right for me? There’s no denying the power of the Kindle Unlimited platform. With it, you’ll receive access to over 1 million book titles and a range of supported hardware devices. You’ll also benefit from working with one of the most trusted retail giants on the globe. As book lovers, whether it’s better for you to get Prime Reading or Amazon Prime, you should now be able to make a sound decision.
If you’re looking for a way to indulge in an endless list of books, Kindle Unlimited a great option. Best of all, using its free trial means you don’t have to make any financial commitments before you give it a try. If this review has helped you, do consider using our affiliate links as it will help keep the blog up!