A Kindle Unlimited subscription costs $11.99 a month in the US, plus any state sales tax. That is $143.88 a year before tax. For that fee, the Kindle Unlimited membership gives you access to over 5 million digital titles, according to Amazon's own page. New members get a 30-day free trial, and Amazon sometimes offers longer trials or discounted prepaid plans around Prime Day and Black Friday.
This page covers the cost, what the subscription includes, how the rate has changed, the first month, prepaid plans, how to cancel and how the cost compares to Audible and other services. It is written for the avid reader who wants the number first and the maths second. If you want to know whether the subscription pays off for you, read Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It? next.
Amazon's help pages block automated access, so the figures below come from reviewers and comparison sites that were updated in 2026, and the description of what is included comes from Amazon's Kindle Unlimited page, which I read on 18 October 2026. They are linked at the bottom. Check the checkout page in your Amazon account for the current price before you subscribe.
Key takeaways
- The monthly fee is $11.99 plus tax, which is $143.88 a year before tax.
- Amazon says the catalog has over 5 million digital titles, including thousands of audio titles. You can borrow up to 20 titles at once.
- The free trial lasts 30 days. Longer trials of two or three months sometimes appear during sales or with a Prime or Prime Student account.
- The rate went up from $9.99 on 11 May 2023, the first rise since 2014. I found no change in 2026.
- Prepaid plans for 6, 12 or 24 months are sometimes discounted, but the exact amounts change, so check them before you buy.
- New Kindle e-readers often come with a few months of Kindle Unlimited included.
- You can cancel at any time. Access runs to the end of the billing period.
Affiliate disclosure: if you sign up through the buttons or links on this page, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
How Kindle Unlimited works
Kindle Unlimited is a subscription to a rotating library of digital content. Kindle Unlimited lets you borrow ebooks and listen to audio titles without buying each one. Kindle Unlimited books open in the Kindle app on your phone or tablet as well as on a Kindle device. A KU subscription is separate from buying a book: you do not own what you borrow, and the book disappears from your device when you return it or cancel. Reading material you highlight keeps its notes in your account.
Whether it makes sense depends on how you read. It suits readers who finish several e books a month, follow a long series or like trying a new author without paying for every one. It suits you less if you reread a handful of favorite books.
What you get for the money
Amazon's page lists four things in the membership:
- Unlimited reading. Access to over 5 million digital titles featuring bestsellers, popular series, classics and more. These are mostly ebooks, and Amazon does not say how many of the million books are ebooks and how many are audiobooks.
- Unlimited listening. Thousands of audio titles, so some KU books come with Audible narration. The audio selection is much smaller than the ebook selection.
- Magazines. A selection of magazines included in the membership.
- Great on Kindle books. Thousands of Great on Kindle ebooks to borrow.
You can read on a Kindle device, or in the free Kindle app on your phone or tablet, so there is no need to own an e-reader. Amazon describes the service as access to unlimited reading on any device. A borrowed book is not a purchase, so the 20-title limit matters. Return one to borrow another.
How to find Kindle Unlimited books
Search in your Amazon account to find great books and look for the Kindle Unlimited label on the book page. Use the search bar on the main page of the Kindle Store to find books, or browse titles by genre. Amazon's page talks about new worlds and genres, so it is worth looking at categories you would not normally buy and to discover an author you have not read. If a book is not in the program, you can still buy it at the normal ebook price. Catalogs change over time, so check that the three or four books you want are in it before you pay. Do not assume the series you love is there. This is the main reason the free trial exists.
Kindle Unlimited price per month
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Monthly plan | $11.99 plus state tax |
| Per year before tax | $143.88 |
| Free trial | 30 days |
| Before May 2023 | $9.99 a month |
| Typical final charge with tax | About $12.75 to $13.10, depending on the state |
The final charge with tax is a sample from a comparison site and varies by state. Amazon shows the exact amount at checkout.
Is Kindle Unlimited worth the money?
The main advantage of the subscription is breadth: you can try many authors for one fee. The main limit is the 20-title cap and the fact that you do not keep what you borrow.
The fee is $11.99, so the maths is simple. If the ebooks you would otherwise buy cost $5 to $10 each, finishing two a month roughly covers the fee, and finishing three or more saves money. That is an example of the break-even, not a statistic from Amazon. If you read one or two books a month and prefer buying books you keep, the subscription costs more than buying. If you are a book lover who reads a book a week, it can pay for itself in the first fortnight.
Prime Reading is a different thing. It comes with a Prime membership and has a smaller selection, so Prime members who read a few books a month may find it enough. I go through the full decision in Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It?.
If you read mostly new releases, check whether the books are in KU first. If you read mostly older series and genres such as romance, fantasy or thrillers, the catalog is more likely to have what you want. A local library app is the free alternative, though popular titles can have a waiting list.
Kindle Unlimited price history
For its first nine years Kindle Unlimited cost $9.99 a month. Amazon raised the rate to $11.99 on 11 May 2023, and subscribers could lock in the old rate by prepaying before 31 July 2023. That increase works out to $24 more per year.
A September 2026 review and a May 2026 cost guide both still list $11.99, so the rate had held for more than three years when I wrote this.
The free trial
New members get 30 days free. You need an Amazon account and a valid payment method, and the trial converts to the paid monthly plan unless you cancel. Set a reminder for day 28.
Amazon sometimes advertises two or three months for less during Prime Day, Black Friday or for Prime Student members. These offers come and go, so they are worth checking before you start the standard trial.
Prepaid and gift plans
Amazon sometimes discounts six, 12 and 24-month prepaid plans. A cost guide estimated about $65.95 for six months, $119 to $132 for 12 months and about $263.78 for 24 months. Another site listed lower figures that match the old $9.99 pricing, so I do not trust any of them as current. Look at the live page before you buy.
If you are a heavy reader, a 12-month prepaid plan at the low end of that range saves roughly $12 to $25 over paying monthly. It also commits you for a year.
How to pay less for Kindle Unlimited
Kindle Unlimited deals are usually longer trials, not a lower rate.
- Use the trial first. Thirty days is enough to test your reading list. My checklist is in Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It?.
- Wait for a sale. Prime Day and Black Friday have historically brought trials of two to three months, sometimes for $0.99.
- Buy a new Kindle. New e-readers often include three to four months.
- Try the cancel flow. Amazon may offer a discount when you cancel. This is not guaranteed.
- Use a library app. It costs nothing if your library supports it, and it is a good way to discover new authors before you subscribe.
- Check your Amazon account. Sign in and look at the offers on the subscription page before you start the standard trial.
How to cancel Kindle Unlimited
Go to Your Account, then Your Kindle Unlimited, and select Cancel. You keep access until the end of the billing period. Borrowed books are removed after that, while highlights and notes stay in your account. Payments are generally non-refundable. I did not find a source describing a pause option, so assume it is cancel or continue.
Kindle Unlimited vs Audible and other services
| Service | Monthly price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Kindle Unlimited | $11.99 | Ebooks first, selected audiobooks with narration, 20 titles at once |
| Audible Standard | $8.99 | One audiobook a month while you are a member |
| Audible Premium | $14.95 | One audiobook credit a month that you keep, plus the Plus Catalog |
| Everand Standard | $11.99 | Ebooks, audiobooks and magazines with one premium audiobook unlock a month |
On a per-year basis Audible Standard is $107.88 and Audible Premium is $179.40 on monthly billing, or $149.50 for 12 credits on the annual plan, according to Audible's own pages. Kindle Unlimited at $143.88 sits in the middle. The choice is about format. If you want to read, Kindle Unlimited wins. If you want to listen, see the best Audible books and the Audible discounts guide. My Audible review goes through the membership in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kindle Unlimited free with Amazon Prime?
No. Prime Reading is included with Prime and has a smaller selection. Kindle Unlimited is a separate paid subscription, though Prime members sometimes get trial offers.
How much is Kindle Unlimited per year?
$143.88 before tax on monthly billing.
Is there a student price for Kindle Unlimited?
Prime Student members have sometimes received free months, but I could not confirm a standing student price.
Are audiobooks included in Kindle Unlimited?
Amazon says the membership includes thousands of audio titles. Audible narration is not available on every book, and the audio selection is smaller than the ebook selection.
How many books are in Kindle Unlimited?
Amazon says over 5 million titles. That is a count of digital titles in the program, not a promise that any given book is in it.
How many books can I borrow at once?
Up to 20 at a time. Return a title to borrow another.
Is Kindle Unlimited worth it for one or two books a month?
Usually not. At $11.99 a month it only beats buying if you read more than two or three ebooks a month or you rely on the audio titles.
Can I get a refund?
Payments are generally non-refundable. Cancel before the renewal date.
