FAQ About Kindle Unlimited from Amazon
After seeing Kindle Unlimited mentioned on bookstagram for some time, I finally decided to try out their free trial when I purchased my original Kindle Paperwhite. I had been hesitant to sign up for it, because I didn’t want another monthly subscription to pay for. However, I quickly realized that the Kindle Unlimited subscription is absolutely worth it. Here, I’m sharing details on how Kindle Unlimited works, what a subscription entails, and why it is absolutely worth the money:
Photo by Shayna Douglas on Unsplash // Read my full reader’s guide to the Bridgerton book series here!
KU and Kindles are a match made in heaven.
Read my review of the latest Kindle Colorsoft model here
(spoiler alert: I love it)!
What this Kindle Unlimited Review Covers:
- What is Kindle Unlimited?
- What Are the Benefits of a Kindle Unlimited Subscription?
- What Are the Drawbacks of a Kindle Unlimited Subscription?
- Top Features from Kindle Unlimited
- How Much Does a Kindle Unlimited Subscription Cost?
- Quick FAQ About Kindle Unlimited
- Closing Thoughts: Is a Kindle Unlimited Subscription Worth It?
- Great Books to Read on Kindle Unlimited
- Books, Reviews & Little Luxuries to Explore Next
Bookish Essentials for Readers
What is Kindle Unlimited?
Kindle Unlimited (also known as KU) is a subscription service from Amazon for ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. The KU catalogue is vast, and it is updated regularly with new releases. With the subscription, you can seamlessly download a whole host of ebooks right to your Kindle (or Kindle app, if you prefer using an iPad).
What Are the Benefits of a Kindle Unlimited Subscription?
With a Kindle Unlimited subscription, you can read as many books included in the KU library as you want. There is no cap on the number of ebooks you can download a month; the same goes for magazines, audiobooks, and so on.
However, you can only keep 20 KU books downloaded at a time. If you have 20 books downloaded and try to download another, you’ll be prompted to “return” another book.
This is an example of how KU is different from Audible, another Amazon reading app dedicated to audiobooks. Audible subscriptions give you a set number of credits a month, with which you can purchase audiobooks. With KU, you can download as many books or audiobooks included in the KU library as you want.
Furthermore, with a KU subscription, you can download content across devices at the same time. By using the Kindle app, you can seamlessly sync your current reads, whether you are using your Kindle, your phone, or another tablet.
What Are the Drawbacks of a Kindle Unlimited Subscription?
While KU is a great option for readers, it isn’t perfect.
First, unlike the Audible example I described above, you do not “own” a book you read through KU. If Amazon decides to take a book out of the KU subscription, subscribers lose access to that book.
Second, not all publishing houses like to put their books on KU. It can be hard to find new releases or bestsellers from big publishing houses like Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. However, that being said, I have been impressed by the quality and quantity of new (or relatively new) releases — especially of popular indie titles that are all over bookstagram right now.
Third, with some bigger book releases (especially duologies from larger publishing houses, like Harper Voyager), only the first book will be available with KU. That is…pretty annoying.
However, for smaller publishing houses or for indie/self-published authors, I have found that most complete series are available in the KU catalogue.
Supporting Your Favorite KU Authors:
Authors whose books are available through Kindle Unlimited are paid based on how many pages of the book are read. So, be sure to always flip to the very last page of the e-book to support your favorite authors!
Similarly, adding reviews after you read a book helps authors out immensely!
Top Features from Kindle Unlimited
Beyond the vast library of books included in the KU system, there are many Amazon Originals, magazines, audiobooks, and even comics that KU subscribers can access. Furthermore, around 500 public domain titles are included with KU as both ebooks and audiobooks.
Amazon Originals is an imprint of Amazon Publishing, the platform’s proprietary publication house. Amazon Originals is dedicated to bringing “unforgettable short fiction and nonfiction to Kindle,” with big name authors like Dean Koontz, Rebecca Yarros, Margaret Atwood, and Mindy Kaling, among others.
As an audiobook lover, I have been pretty excited to get into the audiobooks included in my KU membership. The books included as audiobooks in the membership can be found here. The button you press on the book’s listing page to download will also give the option of “listen for free,” which tells you it is included in the KU subscription.
Here is an example of what to look for (note the “read now” button on the right hand side):
You can explore the Kindle Unlimited library, including the different categories described above, here. For more information on the KU program, check out this KU user guide page from Amazon.
How Much Does a Kindle Unlimited Subscription Cost?
A Kindle Unlimited subscription costs $11.99 a month, plus tax. Amazon offers a thirty day trial of the subscription, which can be activated here.
Something to note: When I purchased my Kindle Paperwhite in February 2024, I was given the option to add 3 months free of Kindle Unlimited when I set up the e-reader.
When I purchased my Kindle Paperwhite, I was unable to select the option “with 3 months free Kindle Unlimited,” but the option came up, nonetheless, once I got the device and set it up.
For reference, these are the specs I chose for my Kindle Paperwhite:
Since I bought my Paperwhite in February 2024, I have upgraded to the Kindle Colorsoft. You can get the introductory KU offer with either model. Read my full review of the color Kindle here, along with a detailed comparison of the two e-reader models, here!
Quick FAQ About Kindle Unlimited
- How do I sign up for Kindle Unlimited? — You can sign up for a free trial of Kindle Unlimited here!
- What are the restrictions of Kindle Unlimited? — You can borrow up to 20 books at a time from the KU library. If you have more 20 KU books in your library and try to borrow another, you’ll be prompted to return one from your account. Any highlights or notes you have made will be saved in case you want to download the returned e-book again. Magazine subscriptions do not count towards this cap.
- Is Kindle Unlimited free for Amazon Prime members? — No. Unfortunately, Kindle Unlimited is not included with an Amazon Prime membership (you can learn more about the benefits with that subscription here). It is an additional subscription service offered through the Amazon platform. Click here to try Kindle Unlimited for free for a month!
- Are all Kindle books included in Kindle Unlimited? — No. While the Kindle Unlimited library is large and robust, it does not include all Kindle books. To determine whether an e-book is included in your KU subscription, look for “included with Kindle Unlimited” on the right hand panel of the book’s page on Amazon (where you select kindle vs. hardcover vs. audiobook vs. paperback). You can also peruse the KU library here.
- Can I read the books I downloaded from KU if I cancel my subscription? — Unfortunately, no. If you cancel your subscreiption, you will lose access to any downloaded KU books. However, highlights and notes are saved, so you’ll have access to those if you subscribe to KU again or if you buy the e-book from Amazon.
Closing Thoughts: Is a Kindle Unlimited Subscription Worth It?
Like I said before, the last thing I wanted to do was add another monthly subscription to my plate. However, for me, Kindle Unlimited is well worth the subscription cost. In the first month of my subscription alone, I read eight books, which, if purchased separately, would have come out to $41.92. So, right off the bat, my KU subscription has saved me just under $30.
While I always have and will continue to support local and independent booksellers where I can, I have found that the quantity and quality of indie authors on KU, alongside the big releases that we all want to read, is really impressive.
Long story short, for any fast readers who go through multiple books a month, a KU subscription is definitely worth it!
Click here to sign up for a Kindle Unlimited free trial
and see what you want to read first!
Great Books to Read on Kindle Unlimited
Books, Reviews & Little Luxuries to Explore Next:
- Everything I Read This Month: May 2026
- Great Books to Read in the Summer
- Everything I Read This Month: April 2026
- Scottish Reading List: Fascinating Books about Scotland
- Historical Fiction About Medieval & Renaissance England
This post is a part of my What to Read series, where I share themed reading lists and book guides based on genre, time period, theme, or author.
You can peruse my What to Read reading guides here!
*This post was originally published in March 2024. It was most recently updated on April 9, 2026.
I love reading and I have a room dedicated for books, but these days it’s getting hard for me to see the texts. Maybe signs of aging. Thanks for sharing about Kindle Unlimited I can continue reading.
Some printing styles are tough to read! I like being able to adjust the font size and brightness on my Kindle. Hope you enjoy KU!!
I love to read and probably read 15 to 18 books a month and yes I’m retired so I have the time. A lot of time I prefer to read verse watching TV.
I used to buy a lot of books and then had an issue with what to do with them when finished
Anyway I love my kindle unlimited subscription
I totally agree! The Kindle is great for reducing the number of books you have to house, and the KU subscription makes it super affordable when you read that many books a month. Glad you’re loving it, too!
This was such a thoughtful take. I really like how you broke it down with actual numbers instead of just opinions, makes it so much more relatable. And it’s nice to see someone appreciate both sides… supporting local bookstores while also recognizing the value KU brings. It feels like a balanced, real perspective.
Thank you so much! That is exactly what I was trying to create here. I wanted to share my actual experience, along with the practicalities of the subscription.