Fans of digital reading in eBook format are well acquainted with Kindle Unlimited, Amazon’s market-leading service. But now its first real rival has arrived in Spain, a platform that, with 1.5 million eBooks, threatens to put pressure on the e-commerce giant to continue to outdo itself.
Kobo Plus, the new digital reading service with which Rakuten offers users an alternative to Kindle Unlimited, is now available on the Spanish market today. It does so with more than 1.5 million eBooks, as well as a selection of more than 200,000 audiobooks.
How much does it cost?
First of all, there is a 30-day free trial so you can see if the service interests you or not. It is exactly the same philosophy that Amazon Kindle Unlimited offers in its 30-day free trial that you can access at this link. You should know, however, that while with Kindle Unlimited you can access more than 4 million eBooks and content, at Kobo, for now, the figure is set at less than 2 million.
Once the free trial is over, Kobo Plus will allow you to subscribe to three different plans: one for reading only, another for listening only, and a third that combines both actions. It’s a curious approach, but considering that you’ll pay €8.99 for reading, another €8.99 for listening, and €11.99 for the two catalogues, eBooks and audiobooks, it feels like the offer could be improved. After all, for a saving of three euros, the combined pack is more recommendable, and in the case of Kindle Unlimited, access to the entire catalogue is provided for only €9.99 per month. In addition, Amazon’s platform often has offers, such as the one currently available for 3 months for only €9.99.
Kindle vs Kobo Reader
The arrival of Kobo Plus, although it may seem that it could be improved, is still good news. It will be something that will activate Amazon’s desire to improve and to ensure that both its Kindle devices and its Kindle Unlimited service continue to improve to reach a new level of quality. What we have asked ourselves, taking into account this budding rivalry that will become more and more important, is whether a Kindle or a Kobo is more recommendable.
In these times when we have a great time reading on a device of this type, and especially knowing that in summer they are the salvation of our moments of leisure, it is worth knowing which one is more interesting.
If you look at the different e-reader models available in the Kobo family and the Kindle, you’ll notice that there’s a wide variety of options to choose from in both cases. There’s no denying that Kobo is firmly on Amazon’s trail and is slowly offering devices that are competitive. However, Amazon’s long history with its Kindles results in certain benefits that can’t be found in Kobo models. For example, they tend to have higher-capacity technical components, they include the much-needed night mode that’s not available in some Kobo models, and their design is very well-tuned to be lightweight and ergonomic. Take, for example, the 2022 Kindle, which has become a best-seller.
You can get it for 109 euros, a really reasonable price, and Amazon also includes a free three-month subscription to Kindle Unlimited. This means that you can start reading unlimited eBooks, read comics, listen to audiobooks and enjoy all kinds of magazines. The amount of content is enormous. There are other Kindles that provide additional features and there is even a Kindle Scribe model on sale, which is very advanced, since it is not only used for reading, but also for writing.
Kobo is following the Amazon brand with devices in the same line. The Kobo Elipsa 2E is similar to the Scribe, while in the entry-level range you have several versions of the Kobo Clara, such as an HD one or one with a black and white screen only. This variety of devices has led the brand to position itself as a rival to the Kindle and the launch of the Kobo Plus service is good news to see that this rivalry is going to move to a new level.
However, there is one feature that, today, drives both Kindle Unlimited as a service and Kindle devices above Kobo: Amazon. Because the ease and the huge catalog of eBooks that the online store itself has gives enormous value to the company’s devices, not to mention the guarantee and security that its technology provides. To that we must also add that format compatibility is something where Kindles have always stood out, so it can be a weighty factor in choosing one of them.
In any case, the launch of Kobo Plus in Spain is worth celebrating because it means the expansion of the possibilities in the hands of reading lovers. And, as we said, it has a 30-day trial, so if you have already benefited from the free trial of Kindle Unlimited or want an add-on, it may be an interesting option.
