Is Kindle Unlimited worth it?

Kindle Unlimited is a library, not a bookstore. Its value depends entirely on whether the books you want are in it.

The catalogue is the whole question

Kindle Unlimited includes a large catalogue, but it is not every Kindle book. Many new releases and bestsellers from major publishers are not included, while genre fiction and independently published titles are heavily represented.

Before subscribing, search the last ten books you read. If most are included, the subscription is likely worth it. If few are, you will end up buying books anyway.

The break-even

Compare the subscription with what you spend on ebooks in a typical month. Readers of several genre novels a month usually come out ahead. Readers of one book a month usually do not.

Prime Reading is not the same thing

Prime members already receive Prime Reading, a smaller rotating selection. If what you read is in Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited adds little. It is worth checking before paying for both.

Borrowing limits and audiobooks

Kindle Unlimited limits how many titles you can hold at once, which matters only for very fast readers. Some titles include narration, which can make it a partial substitute for an audiobook service — check whether it covers what you listen to before cancelling one or the other.

Signals it is worth it

You read several books a month, most of them are in the catalogue, and Prime Reading does not already cover them.

Signals it is not

You mainly read new releases from major publishers, you read one book a month, or you forgot it was renewing after a free trial.

For audiobooks, see is Audible worth it; to stop, see how to cancel Kindle Unlimited.