Reading shelf price cards, Q4 2026
How much do reading apps cost in late 2026?
For the reading shelf, the free cards are the library (Libby, Hoopla), Goodreads and every tracker's free tier, and Kindle's recaps inside Kindle ebooks. The cheapest paid cards are Bookmory Premium ($3.49 a month), Magic Bookmark ($1.40 to $4.99 per book, first book free) and Kobo Plus ($7.99 a month). None of these prices rose since our network's earlier checks (August to early November 2026). Prices checked 2026-11-04, US, before tax.
Checked 2026-11-04
Full study, dataset and method: https://bestbookapps.com/research/reading-app-price-index-q4-2026
Monthly price of ebook and audiobook subscriptions
USD per month, web price, US, checked 2026-11-04
USD per month
| Monthly price of ebook and audiobook subscriptions | USD per month |
|---|---|
| Kobo Plus Read | 7.99 |
| Kobo Plus Listen | 7.99 |
| Kobo Plus Read & Listen | 9.99 |
| Spotify Audiobooks Access | 9.99 |
| Kindle+ | 11.99 |
| Everand Standard | 11.99 |
| Spotify Premium Individual | 12.99 |
| Audible Premium, 1 credit | 14.95 |
| Libro.fm, 1 credit | 14.99 |
| Everand Plus | 16.99 |
| Audible Premium, 2 credits | 22.95 |
| Libro.fm, 2 credits | 23.99 |
| Everand Deluxe | 28.99 |
The price cards
- Borrow, don't buy: Libby and Hoopla. $0 with a participating library card. No subscription. Limits set by your library.
- Pick up where you left off: Magic Bookmark. First book free, then $4.99 a book, or $4.00, $3.50 or $1.40 a book in packs of 5, 10 or 50. Credits never expire. No subscription. iPhone. Works with your own print, ebook or audiobook copy of a supported title.
- Recap inside Kindle: Kindle Recaps and Story So Far. No separate fee. Eligible Kindle ebooks only, US.
- Listen by the hour: Spotify Audiobooks Access, $9.99 a month for 15 hours. Spotify Premium, $12.99 a month for music plus 15 hours. Hours do not carry over.
- Keep the audiobook: Audible Premium $14.95 a month or Libro.fm $14.99 a month, one credit each. Cheaper per credit on bigger plans: Audible's 24 credits a year for $229.50 ($9.56 each).
- Read a catalog: Kobo Plus Read or Listen $7.99 a month, Read & Listen $9.99. Kindle+ (formerly Kindle Unlimited) $11.99.
- Log it: Goodreads free. Bookmory $3.49 a month or $30.99 a year. Bookly $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year. The StoryGraph and Hardcover $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. BookBuddy Pro $9.99 once.
Shortlist by budget
- $0 a month: library card, Goodreads, Kindle recaps if you read on Kindle.
- Under $5 a month: Bookmory Premium; or Magic Bookmark for one supported book a month ($3.50 on a 10-pack).
- Under $10 a month: Kobo Plus, Spotify Audiobooks Access, Audible Standard ($8.99, titles playable while subscribed).
- About $15 a month: one audiobook credit you keep (Audible, Libro.fm, Audiobooks.com).
A tip for the forgetful
If a plan auto-renews, the cheapest version is the one you cancel on time. Free trials in the index: Audible 30 days, Kindle+ 30 days, Kobo Plus 14 days. Put the cancel-by date in your calendar the day you start, and run our subscription audit checklist every three months.
For tools that cost $5 a month or less, see ADHD-friendly reading apps under $5 a month. Our own reading shelf price index lists every tool carded on the shelf.
Questions
- Q. Which reading card is cheapest to keep running?
- A. The library card, at $0. Libby and Hoopla lend ebooks and audiobooks free through participating libraries.
- Q. Does Magic Bookmark have a monthly fee?
- A. No. It charges one credit per book, and credits never expire.
- Q. Did reading app prices go up in 2026?
- A. Not for the headline prices in the index. Of 44 prices already published on our network's sites, 38 were unchanged on 2026-11-04, and none of the six that moved was a straightforward increase.