Kobo Subscription Review: Is Kobo Plus Worth It?

It's been several years since the Kobo launched the subscription plan called Kobo Plus. Kobo Plus was first released in the Netherlands and Belgium, and expanded into USA last year. What is Kobo plus? Is kobo plus worth it? We'll discuss all question you may concerns about kobo plus to help you decide whether to subscribe from Kobo Plus or not.

One-Minute Review: What is Kobo Plus?

What is kobo plus? Kobo plus is a digital reading and listening subscription service that allows subscribers to access a wide range of eBooks and audiobooks  for a flat monthly fee.

You can access the kobo plus ebooks and audiobooks via kobo ereader, kobo App for Android/iOS and Kobo desktop application.

Kobo plus is only available in the selected countries.

The above is the basic information of the Kobo Plus. In the following part, I will share the frequently asked questions of Kobo plus to help you further understanding the Kobo subscription service.

FAQs about Kobo Plus Read & Listen

Questions	Answer
1. How much does kobo plus cost?	Kobo Plus has three subscription levels, each with slightly different pricing. Kobo Plus Read: $7.99 Kobo Plus Listen: $7.99 Kobo Plus Read + Listen: $9.99
2. Does Kobo Plus has the free trial?	Yes, Kobo offers the 30-day free trial. Usually, new subscribers to Kobo Plus can try the subscription service for free for 30 days. For FNAC customers, you'll have a 14-day trial period. For Taiwan and Hong Kong customers, you'll have a 14-day trial period. For other customers worldwide, you'll have a 30-day trial period.
3. How do I cancel my Rakuten Kobo free trial?	On kobo.com, click My Account, then click My Subscriptions. Scroll down to find the options to either renew or cancel your subscription.
4. Is Kobo Plus in the US?	Yes, Kobo plus is available in the US. Kobo plus is also available in U.S., UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Franc, Switzerland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Canada.
5. How many titles are in the Kobo plus?	Kobo Plus currently offers more than 1.3 million eBooks and over 100,000 audiobooks, with new titles added regularly.
6. What's the differences between Kobo plus subscription plans?	Kobo Plus Read offers unlimited access to kobo plus ebooks. Kobo Plus Listen offers unlimited access to kobo plus audiobooks. Kobo Plus Read + Listen offers unlimited access to kobo plus ebooks and audiobooks.
7. Will I lose my books when I cancel my kobo plus subscription?	Yes, if you added the kobo plus books to your kobo library, you will lose access to your kobo plus books until you renew it.
8. Can I read my kobo books offline?	Yes, you can download your kobo plus ebooks for offline reading. As for kobo audiobooks, you can only enable the offline option using the kobo for android or iOS as they can only be listened by this way. Note: You can read up to 15 Kobo Plus books offline within a 30-day period on a Kobo eReader or in the Kobo App.
9. How is the Kobo Plus catalog compared to Kindle Unlimited?	Kobo Plus offers a wide range of genres, including both fiction and non-fiction, while Kindle Unlimited offers a broad range of genres, including bestsellers and popular series. Kobo Plus includes titles from well-known publishers as well as independent authors, while Kindle Unlimited collects a large number of self-published titles through Kindle Direct Publishing, along with some traditionally published books. Kobo Plus is strong in specific genres like romance and indie books, while Kindle Unlimited has an extensive selection of self-published titles and exclusive content available only on Kindle. Kobo Plus enables you to add as many books as you want to your own library, but Kindle Unlimited only allows you to add up to 10 books at a time.
10. What happens to your highlights and notes when you pause your subscription?	If you cancel your Kobo plus subscription, the highlights and notes will disappear. But you can export your Kobo highlights and Notes to keep it safely.

Is Kobo Plus Worth It?

Kobo Plus Worth it only when...

1 You read more than 5 books a month.

If you're an avid reader who goes through several books a month, opting for a subscription service like Kobo Plus can be a real money-saver compared to purchasing individual titles. Considering that a single ebook from a major publisher can be as expensive as a month's subscription, reading two or three books within that period makes the subscription a far more economical choice.

2 You own Kobo eReader.

Kobo eReaders work perfectly with Kobo Plus. Considering Kobo Plus as a companion service, accessing the platform on an eReader is a significant benefit since these devices are specifically made for reading eBooks. If your eReader has Bluetooth support, you can also enjoy audiobooks available through a Kobo Plus subscription.

3 You read ebooks and listen to audiobooks.

Some book subscriptions offer eBooks or audiobooks individually. Kobo Plus Read & Listen allows you to access both eBooks and audiobooks with one service, which is more convenient.

4 You love romance or don't want to read.

Kobo Plus boasts a vast collection of romance novels, including some erotica. If that's your preferred genre, you'll find plenty to keep you entertained. Additionally, there's a substantial selection of crime and thriller books available as well. Or if you don’t have a specific title in mind that they want to read.

Kobo Plus doesn't worth it when...

1 You prefer reading best sellers and new releases.

Kobo Plus lacks new releases and has a significant gap in mainstream and popular authors and books. If you prefer reading the latest works or accessing titles from the top 10 most popular authors, you might find it more economical to purchase these titles from the Kobo Store rather than subscribing to Kobo Plus.

2 You have a library card and use Overdrive to borrow library books

Kobo eReader has built-in OverDrive support, which allows you to borrow eBooks from a public library that uses the application. It's free to use—all you need is a library card. Another benefit of OverDrive is that your local library might have a much larger catalog of eBooks that you prefer compared to what's available on Kobo Plus, making it a better option, especially if you prefer not to spend money to satisfy your reading needs.

3 You've already subscribed the Kindle unlimited.

Kindle Unlimited and Kobo Plus are similar ebook and audiobook subscription services. If you're already subscribed to Kindle Unlimited, there's no need to subscribe to Kobo Plus.

How to get started with Kobo Plus? Step-by-step Guide

After the above review, if you still want to dive into kobo plus, here is the step-by-step guide.

1 Sign into kobo with your account. Click Kobo Plus near the top of the screen.

2 Click "Start free trial" and input your payment information. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the purchase.

3 Go to "Kobo plus" menu, and you'll find all the ebooks and audiobooks available for kobo plus subscription.

For ebooks, you can click on "Read with kobo plus" button to add kobo ebooks to your kobo library.

For audiobooks, you should click the book to go to the detailed page. Then click on "Add to my Books" to add your audiobooks.

This book will be in your kobo books library.

4 Read and listen Kobo ebooks and audiobooks with Kindle App.

For ebooks, you can read them with kobo eReader, kindle desktop app and kobo for iOS/Android.

For audiobooks, you can only listen to them with kobo for Android/iOS App and some kobo eReaders.

Pro tip: How to convert kobo plus ebooks to epub and convert kobo plus audiobooks to mp3?

Is there anyway to convert my kobo plus ebooks and audiobooks as I don't have a kobo eReader but only a Kindle paperwhite. Sure, with the Epubor Kobo Converter, you can convert kobo plus ebooks to epub format while kobo audiobooks to mp3 format without hassle.

   

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