Availability
Rating
Duration
1 Book
Kobo is the only real competition to Kindle. Not only do they offer a huge library of e-books and audio books, but they also develop and sell e-readers, complete with ink white paper screen technology. The Kobo e-readers also have access to the Play Store meaning they are arguably far more practical than Kindle. Kobo does not lock out all competitor apps for their own needs.
Where is Kobo available?
Almost everywhere practically and politically possible
How to cancel my Kobo subscription or free trial?
- Go to Kobo.com.
- Sign into your Kobo account.
- Select My Account at the top of the screen.
- Select My Subscriptions.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to cancel your membership.
How much does Kobo cost?
This will depend on what you have signed up for, be it audio books or ebooks.
Audiobooks
$9.99 per month after your ‘free’ audio book. Rates may vary depending on your location and currency. This gives you a free audio book each month.
UK £6.99 pm
Canada $12.99 pm
Australia $12.99 pm
New Zealand $13.99
Ebooks
Ebooks are paid for, although various discounts or joining bonuses may be offered at times. You will also earn points on the audio book subscription which you may be able to use.
What does a Kobo subscription get you?
The subscription will get you a token to buy an audio book each month regardless of price. This is the same as Audible or audiobooks.com where you own the book forever. You will also get points and occasionally a discount offer.
How does Kobo compare with competitors?
Kobo must be one of the best audio book services. It is cheaper than its closest rivals such as Audible, and what’s more it offers a fantastic library of all the must-read books.
It can also compete with Kindle in terms of library content and its technology, however Kindle offers an unlimited reading subscription which Kobo currently lacks. The fact that kobo has an ebook library feels a bit like a bolt-on as you will have to purchase the books you wish to read. This disadvantage also means people are less likely to buy the Kobo e-reader as users cannot sign up to their unlimited service.
Having said this Kobo eBooks are well priced, and If you don’t really read more than 1-2 books a month then it probably works out cheaper to buy the books than have a subscription anyway.
What devices is Kobo available on?
The app is in the Play Store and Apple Store. So this means Apple and Android devices.
eReader – The Kobo device is obviously the most ideal option, powered by Android it allows you to read your books as well as listen to them on one perfectly purpose-built device.
For Audiobooks you can then listen on Android phones or iphone. You could go beyond this and listen on PC, Mac, Roku, Chromecast, but this is not ideal as these devices are not portable.
Can you listen to more than one book a month on kobo?
Yes, of course you can listen to more, as many as you want. However, the subscription only gives you one, anymore after that you will have to pay for.
Can you return books on Kobo?
Yes, Kobo operates a 14-day return period. The process could be easier as it does not make it easy to return. To return you must call them or use a help form
Can you keep kobo audiobook after free trial?
Yes, the same as services such as Auiobooks.com and Audible you own all books you read on the service, so you keep them all. There is no rental option and you only ever purchase books or get your free one from your subscription.
Do I lose my books if I cancel my subscription?
No, what ever you get during your subscription or whatever you purchase at any time will be in your account forever and is subject to the same laws of possession as a real book.
Can you Share books in Kobo?
No, unfortunately Kobo does not offer this option of sharing eBooks or audio books. Although I do not see why you cannot lend a friend your actual Kobo device to read. So, I suppose it is like a real book in the fact you will have to physically let people borrow them.
Can I listen or read Kobo books without a subscription?
Yes, you can just signup and buy whatever books you like. For some people this would be cheaper anyway, it all depends on how many books you read a month and the cost of the books you choose. So have a browse of the books you plan to read and see if the subscription is cheaper or not.
Kobo Review
Kobo is fantastic in my opinion. It offers essentially the same audio book library as Audible, or audiobooks.com but at a cost of more than 33% cheaper (at time of writing). In my own test of classics such as JRR Tolkien and Harry Potter I found complete collections of everything.
Not only does it offer over 5 million books but hey are all available on audio and eBooks. Then even beyond this if you are wanting to read then they offer their own devices to combat the monopoly of the Kindle.
The Kobo devices are no cheap knock-off, but powerful well-made devices powered by Android. This advantage of being powered by Android and having access to the Play Store these devices are so much more adaptable and open to whatever we want to enjoy. Android after all will have pretty much any service we wish to use.
I suppose it fails against Kindle in the fact it does not have a subscription service for eBooks. However, it does offer multiple discounts and a generous refer a friend programme that will pay you around $13 (depending on location and currency) book voucher for getting a friend to sign-up.
