So you’ve heard about Kindle Unlimited and maybe know of a few people who use it, but is this ebook subscription service right for you? And more importantly, is Kindle Unlimited worth it or will it just be a waste of money?
This is a pretty common question, so if you’re trying to decide whether Kindle Unlimited is worth it or not then this Amazon Kindle Unlimited review will help you figure it out! In this review, you’ll learn everything you need to know to decide whether this subscription service will be worth it or not. So let’s dive in!
What is Kindle Unlimited?
Before we get into whether Kindle Unlimited is worth it or not, it’s first important to understand what Kindle Unlimited even is. So what is Kindle Unlimited? It’s a subscription service that allows you to borrow and read an unlimited number of books each month from within the Kindle Unlimited library.
What is the Kindle Unlimited library? It’s a collection of popular books, self-published titles, Amazon originals, and more…and altogether there are over one million titles in this library! Subscribing to Kindle Unlimited gives you access to read as many of these titles as you want, with no limits.
If you love reading and read a lot of books every month, then a subscription to Kindle Unlimited may be a good choice for you. But read on to discover all the pros and cons of this Amazon subscription service!
How Does Kindle Unlimited Work?
Once you sign up for Kindle Unlimited, you can start checking out your first Kindle Unlimited books. You can check out and read up to 10 titles at a time (before you have to return a book to the library in order to check out more).
You can browse the Kindle Unlimited Books page if you don’t have a specific book in mind that you want to check out, or you can search for specific books and check to see whether they are a part of the Kindle Unlimited program. To learn more about how Kindle Unlimited works (and how to see if books are on Kindle Unlimited), check out this full article on how to use Kindle Unlimited.
How Much Does Kindle Unlimited Cost?
Cost is another consideration when trying to decide if Kindle Unlimited is worth it…so what does Kindle Unlimited cost? Happily, KU’s subscription price is only $9.99 per month!
For an entertainment service, that’s a pretty usual cost (it’s pretty comparable, for example, to a subscription fee for Netflix). Plus, this subscription cost is about the same price as buying 3-4 ebooks on their own, so if you do a lot of reading each month then this subscription can save you quite a bit of money.
Plus, you can also usually get a few months for free when you sign up for a Kindle Unlimited free trial! Additionally, when you sign up for a certain number of months up front (6, 12, or 24) you can often get a better price than paying month-by-month.
Benefits of Kindle Unlimited
Now that we’ve discussed what Kindle Unlimited is, a bit about how it works, and what it costs, it’s time to get into the big question: is Kindle Unlimited worth it? To examine this, we’ll first start by looking at the benefits of Kindle Unlimited:
1. Access to a library of over one million titles
One of the biggest benefits of Kindle Unlimited is access to a huge library of ebooks! Of course, not all of these are necessarily super popular books…but with so many to choose between, you are sure to find plenty of enjoyable reads.
2. Ability to read as many books as you want each month
Going along with the idea of access to a huge library of books, another benefit of Kindle Unlimited is that you can read as many of these books as you want each month.
If you want to read just 2 or 3, that’s fine! Or if you want to read 20 or 50 or 100, that’s great too! You can read as many books as you can fit into your schedule, which is pretty spectacular.
3. You can try new books or new genres without worrying about the cost
Something else I enjoy about Kindle Unlimited is that it allows me to try new books, new authors, and new genres…and if I don’t like them, I can just return the books and try something else.
Because you pay one fee for as many books as you can read each month, you don’t have to feel bad about checking out a book and deciding it isn’t for you…because it didn’t cost you anything extra to give it a try!
4. IMMEDIATE access to all ebooks on Kindle Unlimited
Another exciting feature of Kindle Unlimited is that you get immediate access to any and all ebooks on Kindle Unlimited. Unlike the library, where you may have to wait on a wait list for the book to become available, KU lets you check out any book on the service anytime you want.
This means you can just search for books on Kindle Unlimited and check them out right away, with absolutely no wait times! This is one of my favorite Kindle Unlimited features, and is sure to be one of your favorites too.
5. No Due Dates
Another feature that I love about KU is that there are no due dates…which means you can keep books checked out as long as you like! (Keep in mind you can only have 10 checked out at a time, however).
This means that if there’s a book you want to read but it’s taking you a while, you can take your time and even take a break and come back to it later if you want. There is no countdown to the due date to stress you out or push you to have to finish the book or give up. Instead, you can just enjoy reading at your own pace!
6. You can check out audiobooks, not just ebooks
While Kindle Unlimited is primarily an ebook subscription service, another benefit of this subscription is that there’s a pretty good audiobook selection you can check out for free too!
So if you like listening to audiobooks, this is an extra perk that might make you enjoy Kindle Unlimited even more. You can learn more about Kindle Unlimited audiobooks here.
7. Access Kindle Unlimited books from any device
Another thing KU users love about this service is that ebooks/audiobooks are available on any device! You can read on your phone, on your tablet, on your Kindle, on your computer, and more…and your books will always sync up to the exact place you left them on the last device you read from!
This is a really cool feature, and means you can read pretty much anytime and anywhere. So if you’re looking to read more as one of your reading goals for the year, this can be a great way to squeeze in some extra reading time!
8. You Can Cancel at Any Time
Something else I appreciate about Kindle Unlimited is that you can cancel your subscription at any time if you are on the monthly plan. The monthly plan allows you to not be locked into this subscription, so you can try it out and if you find it’s not for you then you can easily cancel.
With this feature, you can also choose to just get Kindle for a month here or there when you feel like it…rather than having to pay for the whole year. So if you think you’d like Kindle Unlimited but only occasionally, then that’s definitely an option!
Drawbacks of Kindle Unlimited
So those are the main benefits of Kindle Unlimited, but what about the disadvantages of this subscription service? Here are some of the drawbacks of Kindle Unlimited to be aware of when you try to decide whether it is worth it or not.
1. Many of the books in the KU library are self-published books or Amazon Originals
For many people, one of the biggest drawbacks of Kindle Unlimited is that the majority of the books in the library are self published, Amazon Originals, or otherwise less well-known books.
Yes, there are often some pretty well-known books like Harry Potter, The Selection, The Hunger Games, and more…but the majority of books are not the super popular, just-released, or best-selling titles.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of amazing books to read! There are tons of fun and enjoyable reads on Kindle Unlimited. But depending on the types of books you like, you should be aware that they may or may not be available through this service.
My recommendation is to browse through some of the available books to see whether there are any books that catch your eye. Then, I also recommend giving the free trial a try…after all, it’s free! And this will allow you to get a feel for whether or not there are books you will enjoy reading.
2. Many books on Kindle Unlimited are low cost
Because the KU library includes a lot of self published and Amazon Original books, this means that many of the ebooks in this library only cost around $0.99-$2.99 to buy. So it’s important to consider how many books you would read each month through Kindle Unlimited, and to consider what each of those would cost to just buy outright.
Because many of the ebooks are lower cost, you may find you have to read a lot of books to make back the fee you spent on the monthly subscription. You may have to read anywhere from 3-10 books a month to make back your money, depending on what the books you like to read usually cost to buy. So this is something to think about before you decide to join!
3. You don’t own the ebooks
Another drawback of Kindle Unlimited is that it is a borrowing subscription service. So you pay each month for the privilege of borrowing ebooks and audiobooks.
This means that you don’t own the ebooks, so if you cancel your subscription you will no longer have access to the books you were reading in Kindle Unlimited. This is definitely something to keep in mind!
4. You can only read using the Kindle App
Another thing to consider is that you can only read Kindle Unlimited books using the free Kindle app. This isn’t a terrible drawback, as the Kindle app is overall pretty great and easy to read on…but if you have a different app you like to use to read, you should be aware that you won’t be able to use it with Kindle Unlimited.
5. Kindle Unlimited does not work with Amazon Household
Unfortunately, another disadvantage of Kindle Unlimited is that it does not work with Amazon Household. While Household allows you to share Prime benefits and other digital content with members of your family, Kindle Unlimited is not one of the shareable benefits but is instead intended to be a subscription service for only one individual.
So…Kindle Unlimited: Is It Worth It?
So now we’ve talked about all the benefits and disadvantages of Kindle Unlimited, but the question remains: is a Kindle Unlimited subscription worth it?
And the answer is yes, 100%…at least to try it out. You can get at least a month or two of Kindle Unlimited for free with a free trial, so there is absolutely no reason not to give it a chance and see how you like it. With a price of free, it’s a no brainer to give it a try!
However, if you’re wondering whether it is worth it to pay for Kindle Unlimited, then I think the answer is both yes and no (depending on the type of reader you are). So let’s break down who is likely to find Kindle Unlimited worth buying, and who is not:
Kindle Unlimited is for you if…
- You love reading ebooks
- You read a lot of ebooks every month
- You want to read ebooks without having to wait for them to become available at your library
- You are adventurous and want to try reading new books, new authors, and/or new genres
Kindle Unlimited is not for you if…
- You don’t actually like reading ebooks
- You don’t read a lot of books a month
- You want to own all the ebooks you read
- You only want to read super popular, big-name authors and books
- You’d rather wait for ebooks to become available at your library instead of spending $9.99 a month
So the question you need to ask yourself now is: which category do you fall into? If you identify more with the list of items saying Kindle Unlimited is for you, then you have your answer that it is indeed worth it! And if you don’t, then that’s perfectly fine too.
I enjoy using Kindle Unlimited as I love to explore and find new authors and books to enjoy, but I don’t always have Kindle Unlimited all year round. Instead, I usually enjoy having it for a few months at a time and then letting it go for a few months. So the question of whether it is worth it for you is something only you can answer, and perhaps it’s a solid yes or a solid no…or maybe it’s an in-between like me!
But regardless, now you are armed with all the information you need to know to make an informed decision. And like I already said, whether you do or don’t think Kindle Unlimited will be right for you, you should still definitely get your free trial. Because you can enjoy it completely free for a month or two! What’s not to love?
How do I cancel Kindle Unlimited?
Hi Janet! If you want to cancel your Kindle Unlimited membership, check out this short step-by-step guide to the cancellation process. It’s 3 easy steps, so it shouldn’t take you long at all. I hope this helps!