For book lovers and bibliophiles of all kinds, it seems that there are more ways than ever to read all your favorite books. But while these services can be rewarding, they also provide plenty of confusion. One of the most popular is Kindle Unlimited, offered by Amazon. But how does it work and is it really worth it? We’ll answer these and many other questions as we walk you through the basics of Kindle Unlimited for beginners—though even longtime users might learn a little something!
How does Kindle Unlimited work?
Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service offered by Amazon.com. At the time of this writing, it costs $11.99 per month and gives you access to more than four million books (as well as magazines, comic books, and more), which you can read on any device that can support the Kindle app—meaning that you can read on your phone or tablet and don’t even have to own a Kindle device.
If you're browsing our website, we have a special banner that indicates when a book is available in Kindle Unlimited. You can also browse the Amazon website or Kindle app. Books that are available for Kindle Unlimited will have a special “Read for Free” or “Read with Kindle Unlimited” button among the normal purchase options. Clicking it allows you to “check out” the book to read for free on your device. You can have up to 20 books “checked out” at the same time, with no due dates.
When you’re done, you simply navigate to “Your Kindle Unlimited” under “Your Account” and click “return” to return any books that you’ve finished and free up another slot for you to “check out” your next read.
How do I sign up for Kindle Unlimited?
Signing up for Kindle Unlimited requires an Amazon account with a valid credit card on file as a payment method. Once you have that in place, you can simply go to Amazon.com and click “Join Kindle Unlimited,” which usually has a one-month free trial offer for you to try the program out before you commit. At the time of this writing, there is also a deal to get two months of Kindle Unlimited for $4.99, which would cost $23.98 at full price. Then, you can start reading on any device that supports the Kindle app.
Is Kindle Unlimited included in Prime?
No, Kindle Unlimited is a separate subscription service with its own cost. However, Prime members do have access to a similar but more limited service called Prime Reading. Prime Reading differs from Kindle Unlimited in several ways. For starters, it has considerably fewer titles available, and you're limited to borrowing 10 titles instead of 20. Titles on Prime Reading also tend to rotate, with new titles appearing and old titles “rolling off the shelves,” so that what you read today may not be available next month. In this way, it more closely echoes many online video streaming services.
Does Kindle Unlimited include Audible?
The short answer is no, but it’s not quite as simple as that. For those who don’t know, Audible is a popular audiobook and podcast streaming service that allows members to stream countless different kinds of spoken word content—with audiobooks being among the most popular.
A subscription to Kindle Unlimited doesn’t get you an automatic subscription to Audible, but there is some overlap. Kindle Unlimited subscribers have access to thousands of audiobooks through the service, just not quite as many as they would get if they actually subscribed to Audible. They can also sometimes purchase Audible books at discounted rates. If an audiobook is available through your Kindle Unlimited subscription, this will be indicated by a headphone icon next to the Kindle Unlimited logo on the product page.
Can you share Kindle Unlimited?
Sort of! The books you “check out” from Kindle Unlimited can be shared to a few people assuming you set up an Amazon Family (or Amazon Household) account. This requires the member who has an active Kindle Unlimited subscription to set up an Amazon Family account, to which they can add up to one other adult and up to four children.
These additional members of the Amazon Family can then access “checked out” Kindle Unlimited books, although the primary Kindle Unlimited account holder remains the only one who can actively “check” books out.
To share Kindle Unlimited content within your Amazon Family once it is set up, you simply have to go to “Share Your Kindle Content” on the home screen of the app, choose which Amazon Family member you would like to share it with, and then click “Share Items”.
How to gift Kindle Unlimited
Kindle Unlimited makes a great gift for the book lover in your life, and gift subscriptions are available in durations of 6, 12, and 24 months. From the Kindle Unlimited Gift Page, you simply choose the subscription duration that you want, then enter the email address for the intended recipient and the date when you would like them to receive the email notification. Once you’ve made your purchase and that date arrives, they will receive an email walking them through how to redeem their gift.
Is Kindle Unlimited worth it?
That’s a hard question to answer, and one that will be different for every reader. If you love reading ebooks (and sometimes audiobooks) and tend to purchase several ebooks per month, the answer is almost certainly yes. With more than four million books and thousands of audiobooks available, there’s something for just about anyone—but if you’re unsure, you can try a free one-month subscription or simply browse Amazon’s listing of Kindle Unlimited books to see if the books available are right for you.
The primary downsides of Kindle Unlimited are similar to those of just about any other streaming or online borrowing service. You’re restricted to the books that are available from Kindle Unlimited, and you don’t own the books that you borrow, meaning that if you read them today and decide you want to read them again in a year or two, they may no longer be around.
Still, if you think of Kindle Unlimited as similar to a vast digital lending library, odds are there are plenty of books to keep you reading month after month after month.
Featured image: Jingda Chen / Unsplash
