Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It? 2024 Comparision & Analysis

Being avid book readers, we at Appuals are always looking forward to services that can satisfy our hunger the best. Kindle Unlimited always pops up whenever book-reading services are mentioned. So, we decided to test out the service and see it for ourselves.

In this guide, we will be looking at the different aspects of this service and by the end, you will be able to decide whether it’s worth it for you or not. So, without further ado, let’s dive straight into it.

What is Kindle Unlimited?

Kindle Unlimited is a subscription-based service offered by Amazon. The service provides you access to millions of books, magazines, audiobooks, comic books, etc. belonging to different genres. Whether you are interested in Sci-Fi, Horror, Thriller, Romance, etc., you will find multiple books to quench your thirst. It’s like your own library, from which you can borrow books anytime and return them at your convenience.

READ MORE: How Much Is Kindle Unlimited in 2024? ➜

How Can You Get Kindle Unlimited?

As mentioned before, Kindle Unlimited is a subscription-based service. You need to visit its official site, make an account, and select a plan. Then you will need to enter your payment details, and you will also get the first month as a free trial period.

We have a dedicated guide explaining how to subscribe to Kindle Unlimited and how it works. Follow it to smoothly subscribe to the service and learn about the minor details.

When deciding whether something is worth it, we have to talk about its pros and cons, and compare it to other alternatives available.

Pros of Kindle Unlimited

The following are the pros of Kindle Unlimited which have been listed after careful research and consideration.

1. Great Pricing

As of January 2024, Kindle Unlimited costs around $11.99/month. At this price, you are getting access to millions of books, all of which you can read throughout the month. However, buying the physical copy of even one book will probably cost you more than this fee. Even if you have a public library near you, Kindle Unlimited saves you from the trouble of visiting the library every time you need to issue a new book.

2. Multiple Books Can Be Borrowed

Kindle Unlimited allows you to borrow up to 20 different books from their library at a time. These books will be added to your collection, from where you can read all of them simultaneously or one by one. Then as you finish reading the books, you can return them and borrow more books in their place.

This saves you time, as instead of finding a new interesting book every time you finish one, you can add good books to your collection whenever you come across them.

3. Vast Collection

Another plus point is the vast collection available on the platform. I am not talking about thousands, but rather millions of books just a click away. These books include famous books such as Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings, Famous Five, The Hobbit, etc. as well as new books from not-so-famous authors.

This allows you to explore new books without having to spend a substantial amount to purchase a copy and then realize it wasn’t worth it.

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4. App Usability and Accessibility

You can use the subscription on any Kindle device or through its app available on iOS, Android, Windows, and MacOS. Both the Kindle device and its cross-platform app are effortless to use. The interface is self-explanatory, and any person can navigate it easily.

At a time, you can log in from different devices, so depending on your situation whether you are in bed, on the bus, or on your workstation, you can pick off right where you left off without having to log in again and again.

5. One Month Free Trial

Amazon also provides you the option to avail a free one-month trial of the subscription. During this period, you will have full access to all of the functionalities of the service. This provides you with a hands-on experience of the service, during which you can evaluate and check out the different features.

You will just need to enter your credit card details and if during the trial period, you decide the service is not for you, you can cancel the subscription without getting charged.

6. Audiobooks and Magazines

Another notable plus point is the availability of audiobooks and magazines. For a lot of people, audiobooks are very convenient. Without tiring out your eyes, you can enjoy listening to a book, even while resting. Almost all popular books have their audiobooks on the platform.

For those of us who enjoy reading books as well as magazines, it’s like killing two birds with one stone. You do not have to spend extra money to get a separate physical or digital magazine subscription. Almost all well-known magazines are available, so there is a high chance that whichever one you read will be on Kindle Unlimited.

READ MORE: How to Convert & Download Kindle to PDF (Mobile or PC) ➜

Cons of Kindle Unlimited

Now let’s look at the cons of Kindle Unlimited and how it falls behind its competition.

1. Newer Books Not Available

One thing that a lot of users complain about is that newly launched books are not available on the platform. Now of course this is to be expected as writers, especially well-known ones, make more money selling physical copies of their books, rather than making them available on platforms like Kindle Unlimited, where they have a lower profit margin.

Once the shelf life of these books is over, then they become available on Kindle Unlimited. Hence, you will have to wait some time before you can read a newly launched book on Kindle.

2. Unpolished Books Uploaded

Kindle Unlimited allows writers to self-publish their work. Now, while this may provide new writers a launchpad, it also means that there might be some unpolished work as well. When writers self-publish, they usually do not hire an editor to go over their work and smooth out the little details.

There can be grammatical errors or plot loopholes that are not dealt with. As a reader, your time will be wasted when you reach halfway through a book and realize that it’s not giving you the joy that reading a book should.

3. Disparity Between Different Niches

Another thing we noticed during our testing was that some niches were better covered than others. There is plentiful content available for genres of Romance, Comedy, and Women’s Fiction, however, genres of Action, Crime, Adventure, etc. do not have that many options. Now this does not mean that there are no books for other genres but in comparison, you may feel like it’s less.

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Comparison With Other Alternatives

We’re going to keep this section brief and not waste your time on this. We tried both free and paid alternatives to Kindle Unlimited and determined no free alternative even came close to the level of service provided by Kindle Unlimited.

When we put Kindle Unlimited next to other book services, here’s how it stands out:

• Scribd has a lot of new books and even includes things like documents. But, the books you want to read might not always be there because they change what’s available.
• Audible is all about audiobooks and has a huge selection. If you love audiobooks, this might be better, but it’s more expensive. Kindle Unlimited has some audiobooks too, but not as many.
• OverDrive/Libby lets you borrow digital books for free with a library card. It’s great for getting new books without paying, but you might have to wait if someone else is reading the book you want.

Kindle Unlimited is great because it has tons of books in all kinds of genres, and they don’t take books away. It’s really good if you read a lot and like finding new authors.

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Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It?

After considering the pros and cons, you may have come up with a verdict of your own. However, if you are still uncertain, we have defined some scenarios where Kindle Unlimited will be worth it and others where it might not be.

↪ Worth It

• You read at least 5 books a month.
• You do not limit yourself to a single niche.
• You enjoy reading unknown books from unknown authors.
• You can wait a while before reading a newly launched book.
• You enjoy audiobooks (not necessarily).

↪ Not Worth It

• You are an infrequent reader.
• You do not enjoy books from versatile niches.
• You only want to read well-known books (These are easily available for free on the internet).
• You want to read books as soon as they are launched (Buying a physical copy will be a better alternative).

READ MORE: What is AudioBook Bay and Its Best Alternatives in 2024 ➜

Conclusion

Hopefully, by now you have made up your mind regarding subscribing to Kindle Unlimited. If you found this guide helpful, feel free to share it with other book enthusiasts. In case of a suggestion or query, feel free to drop them down below. Until next time. Ciao