Kobo Plus is now available in the United States, offering unlimited eBooks and audiobooks through its three-tier subscription plan. With over 1.3 million eBooks and over 100,000 audiobooks, users can read on any Kobo eReader and the Kobo app or listen. Users can add as many Kobo Plus titles as they’d like to their library, with more titles being added to the collection each month.
The Rakuten Kobo Plus program has existed for several years and is available in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, France, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The expansion into the United States pushes it into competition with other unlimited services, such as Amazon Prime Reading, Amazon Kindle Unlimited, Audible and Scribd.
If you want to test drive Plus and there is a 30-day trial subscription to see if it is the right fit for you. Users have to have a Kobo account with a valid credit card. If the free trial is not cancelled, the billing will occur. Digital books downloaded to the e-reader or app can be read offline without needing a WIFI connection, which is handy if you want to download 10 or 20 books and read while on vacation. A Kobo FAQ says, “You can read a maximum of 15 Kobo Plus books offline over 30 days.”
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- Kobo Plus Read: Offering access to over 1.3 million eBooks, readers can use any Kobo eReader or the free Kobo app for just USD 7.99 monthly.
- Kobo Plus Listen: Offering access to over 100,000 audiobooks, listeners can listen on select Kobo eReaders and the free Kobo app for just USD 7.99 monthly.
- Kobo Plus Read & Listen: Offering access to 1.3 million eBooks and over 100,00 audiobooks, readers can use any eReader for reading, listen with select eReaders and read or listen on the free Kobo app for just USD 9.99 per month.
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“At Kobo, we’re always working to make the reading experience better and more accessible. Our goal is to be delighting readers – with our best-in-class eReaders, top-rated Kobo app, unmatched digital catalogue or curated book recommendations – but there’s nothing as gratifying as saying ‘read as much as you want for a set monthly fee,’ which is exactly what our Kobo Plus subscription offers,” said Bart Robers, Director, Audiobooks and Global Subscriptions, Rakuten Kobo.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
