Over 76 million subscribers around the world enjoy Kindle Unlimited. This in-depth guide will teach you how the service works, when you may want to cancel it, and step-by-step instructions for guaranteed success.
Understanding Kindle Unlimited
First, let‘s review what exactly Kindle Unlimited offers and who it might appeal to.
Launched in 2014, Kindle Unlimited grants access to over 1.5 million Kindle eBooks, audiobooks, and more for a flat monthly fee of $9.99. You can read as much as you want across devices without worrying about return dates or holds.
Here‘s a deeper dive into the details:
As you can see, it‘s a fantastic value if you read over 10 titles per month. Active users can quickly "pay back" the $9.99 subscription cost.
Occasional users may prefer an individual ebook purchasing model instead, with average prices around $10. Let‘s compare the two approaches:
Kindle Unlimited vs. Pay-Per-Ebook
| Factor | Kindle Unlimited | Buying Individual eBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $9.99 per month | $8 to $15 per ebook |
| Number of books | Unlimited during active subscription | Varies per individual purchase |
| Ownership | Rented access only during subscription period | Lifetime ownership |
| Availability | 1.5+ million KU eligible titles | Over 6 million total Kindle titles |
| Platform access | Read on any device with active subscription | Download to unlimited devices |
As you can see, Kindle Unlimited saves money with heavy monthly reading but lacks true ownership outside of the subscription. Paying individually costs more in aggregate but you keep access forever.
Understanding these key differences leads to an informed decision around the best route for your needs.
Next let‘s get into how to actually cancel Kindle Unlimited smoothly when the time comes.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Cancel Kindle Unlimited on Desktop
Ready to cancel your Kindle Unlimited subscription? Simply follow these steps:
Before Cancellation
- Visit www.amazon.com and log into your account
- Note billing date visible under Kindle Unlimited membership
Cancellation will take place after this billing date to give you remaining access.
Cancellation Steps
- Hover over “Accounts & Lists” and click “Memberships & Subscriptions”
- Under "Digital & Device Content", find Kindle Unlimited
- Click Cancel Kindle Unlimited Membership
- Confirm cancellation by clicking Cancel Membership
It‘s quick, painless, and you can resubscribe anytime!
Expert Tips
- Check Amazon Subscription Manager to view all your Amazon subscriptions in one place
- Cancelling Kindle Unlimited does NOT impact any other subscriptions like Prime or Audible
- You can "Subscribe & Save" with the cancel button easily accessible anytime
Using a web browser offers the simplest Kindle Unlimited cancellation process with helpful visible cues. But millions also rely on accessing Amazon via smartphone which works just as seamlessly.
Cancel Kindle Unlimited via Mobile App
To cancel your Kindle Unlimited subscription on your iPhone, Android device, or tablet app:
- Launch Amazon Shopping app
- Tap ≡ icon in bottom right corner
- Select Your Account
- Choose Memberships & Subscriptions
- Scroll down and select Kindle Unlimited subscription > Kindle Unlimited Settings
- Tap yellow Cancel Kindle Unlimited Membership button
- Confirm cancellation in popup
And with 7 quick taps, you‘ve cancelled Kindle Unlimited on mobile. Easy!
Mobile Perks
- Receive notifications about future renewals via push alert
- Scan ISBN barcodes to check KU eligibility while browsing bookstores
- Shared family plans have one-click individual cancellation
With ubiquitous smartphones now preferred for tasks like these, the mobile process offers unique conveniences unavailable on desktop.
We just covered two easy paths to cancellation. But when should you actually cancel your Kindle Unlimited subscription in the first place?
When to Cancel Your Kindle Unlimited Membership
Despite its popularity with over 76 million global subscribers, you may reach a point where cancelling your Kindle Unlimited membership makes sense.
Here are the top 5 reasons readers choose to say goodbye according to recent reader surveys:
- Amazon Prime subscription includes enough titles now
- Switching to a competing ebook service like Scribd
- No longer reading enough monthly to justify $9.99 fee
- Prefer audiobooks over ebooks
- Want to own books permanently vs. “renting” access
Let‘s analyze each circumstance further:
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Amazon Prime Reading: For Prime members, upgrading to Kindle Unlimited offers minimal extra value now with Prime Reading’s rotating collection of over a thousand free ebooks included
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Competing subscription services: Alternatives like Scribd offer unique advantages to Kindle Unlimited for some reading habits – learn more below
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Read less than ~10 ebooks monthly: As the earlier table showed, you need to average reading over 10+ titles per month to justify the $9.99 recurring charge
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Prefer audiobooks: Audiobook selection still trails dedicated services like Audible with ~50k audiobooks vs 200k+
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Prefer ownership model: If you don‘t like the impermanence of borrowed ebooks or short-term access, buying titles outright lets you keep forever
As we can see, Kindle Unlimited creates immense value if your reading behavior aligns. If needs evolve, cancelling is simple. Now let‘s explore popular alternatives.
Top Kindle Unlimited Alternatives and Competitors
If aspects of Kindle Unlimited no longer suit your preferences, where else can you turn? Here are the top subscription ebook services competing with Kindle Unlimited:
Scribd stands out as the closest competitor matching Kindle Unlimited‘s extensive book catalog with a similar $9.99 monthly fee. They also offer sheet music and popular magazine access. But the 3 ebook checkout limit is prohibitive for some heavy readers.
Oyster offers an aesthetically pleasing and editorial-focused reading experience albeit with the smallest catalog. Their app‘s customization and curation around bestsellers resonates with some.
And don‘t forget about public libraries! Overdrive and Libby provide free access to ebooks and audiobooks through your library card. Selection varies greatly by region but it‘s a free supplementary option for light readers.
Digging deeper, here are the key pros and cons of the major services:
Kindle Unlimited
✅ Huge catalog of 1.5 million titles and growing
✅ Keep up to 20 books simultaneously
✅ Seamless reading experience across devices
❌ Mixed audiobook selection quality
❌ Rotating catalog loses some titles monthly
Scribd
✅ Matched monthly price of $9.99
✅ New bestsellers often available first
❌ Only 1 audiobook and 3 ebooks at once
❌ Reportedly rescinds accounts for “overusage”
Oyster
✅ Beautiful mobile reading experience
✅ Hand-curated collections by editors
❌ Much smaller catalog than alternatives
❌ Web access lacks iOS app polish
Libby by OverDrive
✅ Completely free with library card
✅ Help libraries fund more digital content
❌ Selection varies greatly by region
❌ Often lengthy hold waits for popular titles
As we can see, Kindle Unlimited holds its own against competitors with a formidable (and growing) catalog at the same affordable price point preferred by subscribers.
Next let‘s demystify what happens after cancelling your membership.
Post-Cancellation: What Happens When You Cancel Kindle Unlimited
Rest assured Kindle Unlimited makes cancellation smooth while retaining full access until your membership term concludes. Here‘s the impact of cancellation step-by-step:
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Upon cancelling, no new charges are made but benefits continue until current membership expires
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At term expiration, access changes to "Kindle Unlimited Eligible" Buy Now buttons for previously available titles
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Any already downloaded borrowed titles get automatically returned across devices
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You keep any ebooks purchased even after membership ends
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Your greater Amazon account like Prime membership stays completely unaffected
Most notably, cancellation is not retroactive so you retain full benefits until expiration. And purchased books stay forever in your library just losing privileged Kindle Unlimited access.
As you can see, the process is quick, decisive, and reader-friendly. Now let‘s examine the history that shaped this model.
The Evolution Behind Kindle Unlimited‘s Cancellation Policies
When originally unveiled in 2014, early Kindle Unlimited faced growing pains around author compensation.
The initial approach paid a shared royalty pool based on how often books got borrowed. A $1.8 million monthly fund got divvied up based on each author‘s percentage of total downloads.
This led to two pain points:
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Short story writers earned over 200 times more per page than longer-form authors
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Scammers took advantage with automatically-generated book "proxies" flooding the catalog
Bestselling authors lashed out publicly at the model while romance writers benefited greatly from ravenous readers.
In 2015, Amazon Senior Vice President Russell Grandinetti announced a new pay-per-page model – authors would earn based on pages actually read rather than downloads alone.
This better aligned incentives while also limiting scams. Soon authors made 50% or more compared to the prior approach. Grandinetti explained the impetus simply:
"Self-publishing has enabled hundreds of thousands of authors to fulfill their dream and publish books for readers. We want to help authors make more money…"
Today Kindle Unlimited empowers millions of authors across 89 countries with a foundation of trust and transparency via public page rate tracking.
Readers subscribe enthusiastically thanks to the ever-expanding on-demand library spanning countries worldwide.
When needs change, cancellation takes just minutes while retaining already-downloaded content until term expiration. And Kindle Unlimited pledges to continually evolve based on user feedback to retention subscription value.
Now let‘s recap everything we covered around cancellation specifics.
Kindle Unlimited Cancellation: Key Takeaways
Here are the critical points around cancelling Kindle Unlimited smoothly:
- Takes less than a minute via web or mobile app
- Enjoy full benefits until current billing term completes
- Auto-return borrowed books across devices after term conclusion
- Your broader Amazon account works just like before cancellation
- Can restart membership anytime with same library access
We also covered why you might cancel along with alternatives and reader-friendly history around policy formation.
Any remaining questions? Let us know below!
