If you’re a reader, you have likely heard of Kindle Unlimited, or KU as those on BookTok, BookTube, and Bookstagram sometimes refer to it. If you haven’t, Kindle Unlimited is Amazon’s reading subscription service, boasting access to over 4 million digital books, along with thousands of audiobooks, comics, and magazines for $11.99 (plus tax) per month.
As someone who has used the service for about two years, I’m here to tell you exactly what I think. Is Kindle Unlimited worth it? Here’s my opinion, including all the reasons I love the service.
It's (Mostly) Unlimited
While it may be in the name, this subscription service obviously can’t be totally unlimited. You can borrow 20 digital books at a time, a limit that I have personally never found to be constricting. I typically read 2 or 3 books at the same time, but 20? No way. The high limit allows me to borrow a couple books to try right now, plus some others to create a TBR- with room to spare!
You are free to keep the books you borrow as long as you’d like, which I LOVE. I’m a mood reader and don’t always end up reading books right away, even if they sound good at first. I also like to switch between books, so I don’t always finish them quickly. The absence of a due date is a big plus in my book.
You Don't Need a Kindle
Personally, I read my Kindle Unlimited books and magazines on my iPad using the Kindle app. I don’t feel like I need a separate device just for reading right now, not when it’s so easy to download and use the Kindle app.
No iPad or Kindle? Just download the app on your phone and get to reading- easy, plus the app itself is free.
The Kindle Unlimited Book Library
As I mentioned previously, Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited library includes over 4 million digital books, a number that is hard to even fathom. To me, there’s one important question- are any of these books actually worth reading?
My short answer is a resounding yes. I have read a ton of great books from various genres on the platform, including classics, romances/rom-coms, nonfiction, and more. Many wonderful authors have some or all of their published works on Kindle Unlimited. For example, I currently have books by Alex Michaelides, Abby Jimenez, Fredrik Backman, Jane Austen, and Dolly Alderton sitting in my Kindle Unlimited TBR folder.
After two years of reading on Kindle Unlimited, here are some of my insights on their book library:
- It’s easy to try new things. There’s very little risk when trying out a new genre, author, or book on Kindle Unlimited. If you are 10% into a book and realize it’s not for you, you can return it and find a new one to borrow within a couple minutes. There’s no physical book to deal with and you didn’t pay $15 (or more) for a book you don’t even like. I have personally read books on Kindle Unlimited that I never would have thought to try and that I know I wouldn’t have bought at full price- some I absolutely loved, and others really just weren’t for me. In those cases, I just picked out something different- no harm, no foul!
- Expect some hot new releases on Kindle Unlimited, but very few. Do not expect every single new release to immediately be on Kindle Unlimited. In my experience, there are some new releases but it all depends on the author. I wasn’t really expecting every new release to be on the platform (just not realistic), so I wasn’t disappointed in this area.
- There are some great trendy and viral books. I have been delighted at how many trendy/viral books I’ve been able to try out on Kindle Unlimited, especially those that are being or have been adapted into movies or TV shows. For example, around the time the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty debuted on Amazon Prime last year, all three of Jenny Han’s beloved books in the series were available on Kindle Unlimited. Today, they’re not- the series’ moment in pop culture has passed. However, now the first three books in the Bridgerton series are available to borrow on Kindle Unlimited, likely because a new season of the show will be dropping on Netflix soon. There are also a lot of other books that I have seen go viral on social media that are currently on Kindle Unlimited, like The Silent Patient, The Inheritance Games, and a ton of romance books.
- The Kindle Unlimited dashboard updates seasonally. This is just something I have personally noticed and come to love over the past couple of years. For example, during Christmastime, a bunch of holiday-themed books are featured on Kindle Unlimited, including fun rom-coms.
- There are some audiobooks. This is not a feature of Kindle Unlimited that I use much, just because I’m not a big fan of audiobooks. However, if you are, Kindle Unlimited includes thousands of audiobook versions of e-books that are also on the platform (just look for the little headphone icon next to the book!). Maybe one day I’ll become an audiobook listener, but I still think it’s a nice added perk for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
Magazine Lovers, Listen Up
I’ll be honest, I signed up for Kindle Unlimited solely for the books. However, you can also read certain magazines as a part of your membership. New issues are automatically delivered to your device and they will remain in your library until you delete them or they are removed from Kindle Unlimited.
This has become one of my favorite parts of my membership because I am a huge fan of home/kitchen/garden/beauty magazines. I am currently receiving issues of Better Homes & Gardens, Magnolia, Food Network, Pioneer Woman, People, Elle, Women’s Health, and more.
Have you seen how expensive magazines are nowadays? I’ve perused magazines at the grocery store just to notice that they’re $8.99 or $10.99 or $12.45 or $14.99 each. Picking up a magazine is now comparable to (or more than) buying a book.
Just to illustrate, in April so far, I have had 15 magazines delivered automatically to my Kindle library that are included with my Kindle Unlimited subscription. Let’s say I end up actually reading 10 of them. That’s less than $1.20 (before tax) for each magazine. Plus, you don’t have to deal with the physical magazines… which, let’s face it, you probably won’t look at again. If you’re a magazine lover, I’d highly recommend looking at the titles included with Kindle Unlimited- if they suit your interests, it’s a great deal.
So... Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It?
For me, the answer is ABSOLUTELY YES. I read on Kindle Unlimited every month. It allows me to try out new authors/books/genres without fully committing to them and read some really popular books and magazines- a nice balance if you ask me.
Most of the Kindle Unlimited books I have borrowed right now normally sell for around $11 to $20 each. Reading just one or two of those a month makes the subscription price more than worth it for me, and that’s not even taking into account the magazines I read each month!
This is not to say that I don’t read physical books- I still do and I will always love them. However, if you are a voracious reader, reading only physical books and magazines can be expensive and take up a lot of space. Kindle Unlimited has been a fantastic way to supplement my physical book collection.
If you think Kindle Unlimited might be for you but you’re not sure, sign up for a free trial on Amazon. That’s exactly what I did a couple years ago. It let me get a feel for the type of books on the platform and gave me some time to figure out if I would use it enough to justify the subscription price. Now, here I am two years later still reading on Kindle Unlimited!
Make It a Gift!
Or, maybe you’re thinking about buying another reader in your life a Kindle Unlimited subscription as a gift. One great thing about purchasing a 6-month, 12-month, or 24-month subscription is that the per-month price goes down as the number of months you sign up for goes up.
Shop for a 6-month Kindle Unlimited subscription on Amazon.
Shop for a 12-month Kindle Unlimited subscription on Amazon.
Shop for a 24-month Kindle Unlimited subscription on Amazon.
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