How to Get Free Kindle Unlimited in 2024

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 17:03:23 -0400

If you're an avid reader, you're likely familiar with the existence of Kindle eBook readers and may even be somewhat aware of the service known as Kindle Unlimited. But what you might not know is that under the right circumstances, you can get Kindle Unlimited for free — at least for a few months.

Read on for all the details on how to get Kindle Unlimited for free in 2024 and how much you can expect to pay otherwise.

How to Get Kindle Unlimited for Free in 2024

Sign Up for a Kindle Unlimited Free Trial

If you're a new user, then you can indulge in a 30-day free trial of Kindle Unlimited. After the trial is up, you'll be charged $11.99 per month for the digital-reading service until you cancel. If you're already sold on the idea, you may be able to take advantage of discounted offers for a limited time. For instance, at the time of publication, new users could get two months of the service for just $4.99; after that, normal monthly charges applied.

Take Advantage of Prime Deals

Occasionally, Amazon Prime members may be able to take advantage of special promotions for other Amazon services, including Kindle Unlimited. For instance, around shopping event like Prime Day, new members may be able to get a Kindle Unlimited free trial that lasts for three months instead of just 30 days. (Learn more about Prime Day Kindle deals here.)

New Kindle Unlimited users can expect to get at least a free 30-day trial of the service.

If you're a Prime member, it's a good idea to periodically check for these kinds of offers to see if there's one that catches your eye. Sign up for promotional emails from Amazon so you never miss out on one of these offers, and be sure to read the fine print — often these kinds of promotions may only be valid for new users of the service in question.

Buy a Kindle Bundle

While not outright free, you may be able to still get free Kindle Unlimited by purchasing a new Amazon Kindle model. The most affordable iteration is the standard Kindle, which starts at $99.99 with lockscreen ads. When choosing which color and model you want, simply look for the option "with 3 months free Kindle Unlimited" and choose that for whichever Kindle you're eyeing. The price shouldn't change based on that selection, but it will if you opt for no ads.

SEE ALSO: What Deal Seekers Should Know About Amazon's 2024 Membership Cost

Note that if you opt for the more expensive Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition or Kindle Scribe models, those automatically have lockscreen ads removed.

Check Out Free Alternatives to Kindle Unlimited

If all else fails, you can look into free alternatives to Kindle Unlimited. These may require extra steps and could offer a limited selection, but they're still worth checking out.

For instance, Libby and Hoopla are two free options that most people should be able to access through local libraries. You'll need a library card, but once you get one you can easily sign up for these services and start borrowing eBooks, audiobooks, and other items. With Libby, expect a more traditional library borrowing process, where you may have to wait for titles to become available and then have roughly two weeks or so to consume your media. However, with Hoopla, you can receive a certain number of borrows per month and get to keep the items for 21 days. Titles can vary but sometimes there may be overlap, so it's worth checking both apps before borrowing.

Don't want to pay for Kindle Unlimited after the promotional period runs out? Check with your local library about access to Libby and Hoopla.

Other digital-reading options include Project Gutenberg, which is a free archive of mostly classic literature. It tends to focus on older works for which the U.S. copyright has expired and that are public domain now. (Enjoy solving ciphers? Want to support the efforts of Project Gutenberg? Consider adding Prose & Codes and Poems & Codes to your game library. Ten percent of every sale is donated to Project Gutenberg.)

Finally, there's Open Library. This is another site that has a limited selection overall, but millions of titles are available due to controlled digital lending. While some items may be available for preview only, others you can borrow in their entirety, and they include titles from well-known authors such as Stephen King, as well as classics you probably recognize from school reading lists. Note that Open Library is another organization that accepts donations to stay up and running, so if you're able, consider giving what you can.

Kindle Unlimited FAQs

How to Get Kindle Unlimited

Signing up for Kindle Unlimited is a relatively easy process. Here's what you need to do:

Navigate to the Kindle Unlimited page
Sign into your Amazon account
If you have multiple options, choose the one you want, whether it's a free trial or a discounted rate for a certain amount of time
Click "Join Kindle Unlimited"

That should be it! You'll be enrolled in the service for whatever option you chose. Just remember that if you aren't planning to keep the service indefinitely that you cancel before your trial or discount period is up.

What Kindle Unlimited Deals Does Amazon Offer?

While Amazon doesn't always have deals on Kindle Unlimited, often there's at least some kind of incentive to sign up. Usually there's a free trial for 30 days, but as mentioned above, there may also be discounted rates sometimes. Watch for offers like the two months at a cheaper rate or even three months for just 99 cents per month.

SEE ALSO: Here's Why Amazon's Return Policy May Surprise You

What Does Kindle Unlimited Cost?

However you start out with the service, you may be wondering what the normal Kindle Unlimited price is. At the time of publication, the monthly price for Kindle Unlimited was $11.99 per month. If you're concerned about gifting the service to someone else, though, you can do so at the following discounted rates:

Six months for $65.95
Twelve months for $131.89
Twenty-four months for $263.78

In each of these instances, you're saving 8% over the standard monthly rate. That said, don't try to gift yourself a membership to the service; anecdotal reports from the last year have included users stating they've had their Amazon accounts locked and flagged for fraud due to this.

Do You Need a Kindle to Use Kindle Unlimited?

The good news is that you can still use Kindle Unlimited if you don't have a Kindle device and don't want to buy one. Thanks to the versatile Kindle app, which is free itself across multiple devices, you can take advantage of all the perks of Kindle Unlimited without having to add another piece of tech to your collection.

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Staff Picks: The Best of the Best

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 11:24:54 -0400

When you see a Staff Pick deal, you know someone at Castle DealNews has declared it a particularly noteworthy bargain. So allow us to quickly highlight some of the... um... highlights. (Of what are already highlights. It recurs.)

Pro Deal Tip: There's many more Staff Pick deals beyond the ones we've highlighted here. Keep scrollin' to see them all.

Toshiba 50" C350 50C350LU LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (2023)
Store: Amazon
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Lenovo IdeaPad 1i 12th-Gen. i3 15.6" Touch Laptop
Store: Best Buy
Price: $249.99
Shipping: Free shipping
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Polo Ralph Lauren Men's Packable Walking Coat
Store: Macy's
Price: $99.13
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Three things:

This Polo Ralph Lauren Men's Packable Walking Coat is $99 at Macy's. It's $200 elsewhere.
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Duracell Powerboost Coppertop AA Batteries 20-Pack
Store: Amazon
Price: $12.92
Shipping: Free shipping w/ Prime
Lowest By: $6

Everyone needs batteries. Everyone likes savings money. The two notions shall meet in the form of the Duracell Powerboost Coppertop AA Batteries 20-Pack at Amazon, where 20 AA batteries will be yours for $6 off and at price that's the best we've seen in a year. You'll need to complete your order using Subscribe & Save to get this price but you can quickly cancel that should you only desire the one off 20-pack. I was about to mention the Duracell bunny mascot in some capacity before realizing that it's the Energizer bunny and that Duracell and Energizer are two separate brands. All I've know has been a lie. Help.

Nike Men's Tanjun EasyOn Shoes
Store: Nike
Price: $44.98 via "SPORT25"
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Samsung Black Friday in July Sale
Store: Samsung
Discount: Deals on phones, appliances, TVs, more
Shipping: Free shipping
Expiration: August 4

Between Prime Tuesday and Prime Wednesday, and Black Friday in July, you really can't move for enormous savings events these days. But why would you want to? Savings are good, like when you save up to $1,500 on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6, up to $1,000 on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, up to $430 on the Galaxy Watch Ultra, up to $1,500 on a Samsung Bespoke AI Family Hub Refrigerator, or up to $900 on Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry Sets. Reliable sources indicate these are the kinds of discounts you'll find in this here Samsung sale.

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