Best Alternatives to Amazon for Books

Amazon sells more books than anyone. It's also the reason thousands of independent bookstores have closed. The good news: the alternatives are genuinely excellent, often cheaper, and in some cases better than Amazon for discovering what to read next.

Bookshop.org

Best for: Supporting independent bookstores

Price vs Amazon: Same list price as Amazon for new books

Shipping: Free shipping over $35; otherwise $4.99

• 10% of every purchase goes to independent bookstores
• Same prices as Amazon for most new titles
• Good discovery features (staff picks, lists)

Tradeoffs:

• No used books
• Slower shipping than Prime

ThriftBooks

Best for: Used books at steep discounts

Price vs Amazon: Often 50–80% cheaper than Amazon for used

Shipping: Free shipping on orders over $15

• Dramatically cheaper than Amazon for used books
• Good condition grading system
• Loyalty program earns free books

Tradeoffs:

• Used only (no new books)
• Slower shipping

Libby / OverDrive

Best for: Free ebooks and audiobooks

Price vs Amazon: Free

Shipping: Instant digital delivery

• Completely free with library card
• Works on Kindle, phones, tablets
• Audiobooks included

Tradeoffs:

• Wait times on popular titles
• Limited to library catalog

Hoopla

Best for: Instant library books with no wait times

Price vs Amazon: Free

Shipping: Instant digital delivery

• No wait times (unlike Libby)
• Strong comics/graphic novel selection
• Free with library card

Tradeoffs:

• Smaller catalog than Libby
• Monthly checkout limit

Kobo

Best for: Ebook purchases without Amazon DRM

Price vs Amazon: Comparable to Kindle prices

Shipping: Instant digital delivery

• Open epub format (you actually own the file)
• Excellent hardware (Kobo e-readers rival Kindle)
• Integrates with Libby for library books

Tradeoffs:

• Smaller catalog than Kindle for some niche titles