What is Kindle Unlimited? A library of books at your fingertips for just $12 a month.
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E-readers are one of our favorite topics to cover here at Mashable. Partly because we love testing them, but also because there is just so much you can do with an e-reader to maximize your experience. We've covered instructions on how to download EPUB files to a Kindle, covered the joys of Libby and Stuff Your Kindle Day, and taught you how to save when you spend with Kindle Rewards, but now we want to talk about Kindle Unlimited.
If you're a Kindle user, when you got your device, you were probably offered a free trial of Kindle Unlimited. But what exactly are you signing up for? In short, it's like Amazon's very own library service... except you have to pay for it. Here's everything you need to know about Kindle Unlimited.
What is Kindle Unlimited?
Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service offered by Amazon. But rather than streaming shows, it offers a catalogue of books and magazines that users can borrow to read on an e-reader or through the Kindle app. It offers more than, say, a membership to Book of the Month does. Instead of getting one new book a month, with Kindle Unlimited, you receive access to the Kindle Unlimited library, which is full of millions of titles.
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It works like a library where you can borrow up to 20 books at a time (magazines don't count toward your borrowing limit). To be honest, if you use Libby, you're basically getting the same service for free, but Libby often results in long wait times for popular books, which isn't the case with Kindle Unlimited — all of the books in the Unlimited library are available all of the time.
However, the Kindle Unlimited library doesn't offer every book. Its library has a regular rotation, and some books are only temporarily available through Kindle Unlimited.
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How much is Kindle Unlimited?
Kindle Unlimited costs $11.99 per month. It's a recurring payment, and no annual membership is offered. During shopping events, like Prime Day and Black Friday, Amazon typically offers a Kindle Unlimited free trial for three months.
What books are on Kindle Unlimited?
We can't go through every book offered on Kindle Unlimited because that would mean parsing through millions of titles; however, the mix of books in the Kindle Unlimited library is huge. It features books across all genres, plus bestsellers. The fantasy phenomenon Fourth Wing and the entire The Empyrean series are available on Kindle Unlimited.
Other featured titles included in Kindle Unlimited are The Housemaid by Freida McFadden and Regretting You by Colleen Hoover — both of which are getting movie adaptations soon.
Other popular titles include books that are now Amazon Video adaptations, including The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han and Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.
While browsing books, you'll know if a title is available on Kindle Unlimited if it's prompting you to "join now to read." If you're already a member, it will prompt you to add the book to your library.
Do I need a Kindle to use Kindle Unlimited?
We love e-readers, and if you're thinking of getting one, especially a Kindle, you won't regret it. We have reviews on nearly every model, including the basic Kindle, Paperwhite, Paperwhite Signature Edition, and Scribe, all of which you can use to read with Kindle Unlimited. But you don't actually need an e-reader to use Kindle Unlimited.
You can read on any device with the Kindle app, including your computer, smartphone, and tablet. You can even read on a web browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlike Kindle Unlimited, Prime Reading is included with a Prime membership. The Prime Reading library is smaller than Kindle Unlimited's, but it offers the same type of service: unlimited e-books, audiobooks, and magazines.
Boston-based Shopping Reporter, Samantha Mangino, covers all things tech at Mashable, rounding up the best products and deals. She’s covered commerce for three years, spending extensive time testing and reviewing all things home, including couches, steam irons, and washing machines. She thoroughly vets products and internet trends, finding out if those cozy gamer chairs are really as comfortable as TikTok claims.
