Unless you're a luddite, you've probably tried out at least one monthly subscription service. And with all the video and music streaming services making news as of late, e-book subscriptions often get overshadowed. But if you're an avid book reader, these unlimited e-book subscriptions are worth looking into. We've compared the three biggest e-book subscription services on the market so you can decide which one is best for you.
Price
The three services are priced very similarly, with Scribd being the cheapest. Scribd's monthly service is $8.99 and offers a free month trial. Oyster's monthly service is $9.95 a month and offers a 14-day trial. Kindle Unlimited is the most expensive at $9.99 and also offers a free 30-day trial.
Selection of Books
Now that both Scribd and Oyster have signed three out of the five major book publishers to their service (Macmillian, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster) they are both slightly ahead of Kindle Unlimited when it comes to offering the newest titles. Oyster carries 1 million titles from over 1,600 publishers, including several smaller independent publishers like McSweeney's and Rodale. Kindle Unlimited offers over 700,000 book titles as well as thousands of audio books. Scribd also offers audio books and has recently acquired more than 10,000 comic books, bringing its combined book and audio book count to 1 million.
Interface
When it comes to aesthetics, Oyster is hands down the most visually appealing. The app and site are formatted very similar to Netflix, which makes browsing easy. On Oyster, you can also change the font style, text accent color and background of each book. The themes range from minimalist to ornately decorated. And if you need book suggestions, you can always email hello@oysterbooks.com and outlinine your taste in books for some personalized recommendations.
Device Compatibility
Oyster is compatible with all devices running Android 4+ and iOS 7+. This includes Kindle Fire, iPhones, iPads, Nook HD and Samsung devices. Scribd similarly has apps available for the iPad, iPhone, Android and Kindle Fire. Kindle Unlimited obviously works with all Kindle devices as well as most tablets and smartphones via the Kindle app.
Overall Verdict
When it comes to choosing between the three services, it really depends on what you're looking for. If you're most interested in getting access to as many books as possible, Oyster is the way to go. If you want a healthy mix of audio books, graphic novels, self-published titles and books, Scribd is probably the most appealing And if you already have a Kindle, Kindle Unlimited makes the most sense.
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