Amazon's Kindle devices are more popular than ever, and its Kindle Unlimited service grows in popularity to match. The KU membership provides access to numerous books free to rent and for a fraction of the cost of a physical copy to own.

You don't even need a Kindle device to enjoy a Kindle Unlimited membership. As long as you download the Kindle app, you can take advantage of the service on your tablet or phone. But despite some undeniable benefits, is a Kindle Unlimited subscription truly worth it? Here are some reasons why it's not worth the investment.

1. Kindle Unlimited Has Limitations

KU - access to unlimited reading

Many classics, like the Harry Potter books, The Hobbit, Jane Eyre, and Frankenstein, are available to rent and read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. Other more contemporary hits, like Jeneane O'Riley's How Does It Feel? that took TikTok by storm, are also available for free with a KU membership.

Though the selection of choices Kindle Unlimited offers its subscribers is extensive, it comes with caveats. When you subscribe to KU, you can access a vast digital library of books, audiobooks, magazines, and comics. However, of those millions of titles, you can only borrow up to 20 at a time.

Of course, you can buy as many Kindle titles as you wish, but the point of a Kindle Unlimited membership is to pay a set price for access to countless free books. Instead, you get 20.

And that number applies to all available to rent titles, including digital books, audiobooks, and comics. Maybe some readers find 20 a sufficient number, but others (like myself) often face the pop-up saying that they've reached the limit of borrowed books. And for a service called Kindle Unlimited, why must its users face limitations at all?

2. Kindle Unlimited Is Expensive

cheap books to buy on kindle

Although $9.99/month may sound pretty reasonable for all-you-can-read ebooks, it's actually quite expensive when you consider the price of the titles available.

Many books on Amazon sell for less than $5, others are less than $3, and some are even $1 or less. This means that to make the $10 subscription price worth it, you will need to read quite a few books a month.

If you only read the most expensive titles you can find, reading two books a month will see you saving some money, but you'll most likely have to read three or four to make a saving. While plenty of readers can get through a book a week without any hassle, the temptation to read non-Unlimited books is going to be high.

Looking at the selection and the prices, it's hard to see many people being well-served by a Kindle Unlimited subscription. And don't forget, there are lots of places to find Amazon Kindle books for free if you know where to look.

3. Kindle Unlimited Requires an Internet Connection

KU - read wherever you are

Many readers get a Kindle Unlimited subscription to access books to read at any given point. You're on the bus—read your latest Kindle title. Flying somewhere—read away. It's a great way to pass the time, and to many, it's worth the price.

But there is one detail you must always remember with these scenarios: before you go to a place with no Wi-Fi, you need internet access for your Kindle device or app.

Unfortunately, Kindle Unlimited needs Wi-Fi to download the chosen titles on your device. If you don't have internet, you can't download and read your picks. It's a nuisance that, if you're unprepared for it, can cost you. For example, you might get stuck on an hours-long flight with nothing to read. While you might be able to hop onto a plane's Wi-Fi connection to download a book or two, that privilege will also cost you dearly.

Once you've downloaded the books, you can read them offline, but you cannot skip over that one step.

4. Amazon Prime Is a Better Deal

Prime reading homepage on Amazon

If you're an Amazon Prime subscriber, you have access to Prime Reading. You can only take out one book a month, and the catalog available to borrow from is smaller than the Kindle Unlimited one, but if there are a few titles you want to check out without paying for them, it's a decent way to do it.

Amazon Prime has many benefits, and it can be useful to sign up even without the free ebooks. Unless you're ripping through Kindle Unlimited titles like there's no tomorrow, an Amazon Prime subscription costs less and offers countless other benefits like free shipping and great Amazon Prime Video TV shows. Even if you think a Kindle Unlimited subscription is for you, you can always try out Prime Reading first before taking out yet another subscription.

5. There Are So Many Other Options

scribd homepage

If you're looking for other options to give you access to an array of titles to enjoy, there are plenty to explore. Of them, Scribd takes first place.

Like Kindle Unlimited, Scribd offers its subscribers access to e-books, audiobooks, and magazines, but also documents. A subscription costs $9.99 monthly, and you get a 30-day trial period. So you can see if it's worth the monthly price.

If you're more of a listener than a reader, you can turn to Audible. It starts at $7.95 and also has a 30-day free trial. But the choices don't stop there. There's also Kobo Plus, Google Play Books, and Apple Books—the options are endless.

Kindle Unlimited is hardly the only or the best option available.

Kindle Unlimited Is Good, but Not Great

Kindles are amazing, and ebooks are the future. And while Kindle Unlimited is a good option, it's not the best option. If you're an avid reader, the 20-book limit is a great nuisance. If you're a casual reader, you might not get your money's worth. And if you're somewhere in the middle, you have many other options with which to enjoy your eReader.

On paper, Kindle Unlimited is a great idea. But suffice it to say it's probably not worth it for most people.