How Much Do You Need to Read to Make Kindle Unlimited Worth the Cost?
With the advent of BookTok and the continued growth of Amazon’s Kindle e-readers, a subscription service like Kindle Unlimited may seem like a good bet. After all, it gives you unlimited access to over 4 million digital titles for just a small monthly fee. But is it worth it?
How much does Kindle Unlimited cost?
Kindle Unlimited is available with a monthly subscription of $11.99. However, you can often find deals available for this service. (Some users who sign up now may qualify for a three-month deal that costs just $0.99, although it’s unclear how widely available that deal is.)
Access to over 4 million books, audiobooks, magazines, and more for $11.99 a month sounds like a great deal. And frankly, for some it will be that way. However, there are some caveats to consider before signing up for Kindle Unlimited, most notably the limit on the number of books you can receive at once.
It’s limitless… but with limitations
One of the biggest caveats you’ll find with Kindle Unlimited is that you can only read 20 books at a time. This means that you will have to return the books every time you finish them. It’s not a big deal, but if you often find new books you might want to read and want to add them to your library, you might want to jot them down in your phone or notebook instead. I currently have at least 50 books on my Kindle that I plan to read at some point, but other books have come along that have grabbed me instead. With Kindle Unlimited, you can’t keep adding books to your library, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Are you reading enough to make it worth it?
Another question to ask yourself if you’re considering purchasing Kindle Unlimited is whether you’re actually reading enough to justify the $11.99 price tag. Many Kindle books are already heavily discounted, ranging from $5 to $9.99. If you only read one book a month, then paying for a monthly subscription may not be worth it.
However, if you often read three or four titles a month, then paying $11.99 instead of purchasing each book individually could be a great way to take advantage of Amazon’s subscription service. Before you subscribe, consider how much you’ll read each month, and then decide if the subscription is really worth it.
Kindle Unlimited is a mess to navigate
For someone who likes to simply browse through the available books, Kindle Unlimited can be quite difficult to navigate. Of course, you can specifically search for books to see if they’re available on Kindle Unlimited. But if you like to just browse digital shelves like you would in a library, then you’ll probably get a little lost with all the options presented to you.
Moreover, Kindle Unlimited has many genres that you may not like. The subscription service is full of adult romance books, so if that’s not your thing, you’re probably better off looking for books another way. This isn’t necessarily a reason to ditch the service entirely (after all, the Kindle Store experience has always left a lot to be desired), but it’s important to keep in mind when signing up for Kindle Unlimited.
However, if you think the price is right for what you’re looking for, you can find a lot of great books on Kindle Unlimited, including some really solid books from famous authors. There are also a ton of lesser-known hits on the digital shelves that are available on Kindle Unlimited, making it a really great way to discover new authors you might not have heard of before without having to justify buying the book right away.