Does Kindle Unlimited Offer Reading Medium Articles For Free?

Kindle Unlimited is my go-to for binge-reading, but I was disappointed to find out it doesn’t cover Medium articles. KU’s library is massive—over a million titles—but it’s strictly ebooks, audiobooks, and select magazines. Medium’s paywall is separate, and their partnership with Amazon doesn’t extend to KU. If you’re into essays or think pieces, KU’s nonfiction section has alternatives, like self-published deep dives on productivity or memoirs, but the tone is different. Medium’s strength is its immediacy and variety of voices, while KU excels in long-form storytelling.

That said, I’ve found workarounds. Some Medium writers publish expanded versions of their articles as ebooks on KU. For example, a popular tech blogger I follow released a compilation of his Medium posts as a KU-exclusive book. It’s not the same as real-time access, but it’s something. Also, Amazon occasionally offers free trials for Medium through Prime, so keep an eye out for those.

If you’re debating between subscriptions, consider your reading habits. KU is better for novels and deep reads, while Medium suits quick, topical content. Neither replaces the other, but both have unique perks.

I’ve been a Kindle Unlimited subscriber for years, and while it’s great for books, it doesn’t include free access to Medium articles. Kindle Unlimited focuses mostly on ebooks, audiobooks, and some magazines. Medium operates on a separate subscription model, so even if you’re a KU member, you’d still need a Medium membership to read their premium articles. That said, KU does have a ton of indie authors and niche genres that make it worth the price. If you’re looking for long-form content similar to Medium, KU’s nonfiction selection might scratch that itch, but it’s not the same.

I’ve tried cross-referencing topics I like on both platforms, and KU usually has deeper dives in book form, while Medium offers quicker, blog-style reads. It’s a bummer they don’t overlap, but each has its strengths.