Perlego
London academic ebook library with more than 1.5 million books
Key data
| Company | Perlego Ltd |
|---|---|
| Category | Ebook Subscription Services |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - United Kingdom (UK) |
| Data Location | not stated on the pages we read |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | More than 1.5 million academic and professional books, topic browsing, study guides, institution licences, monthly, semester and yearly billing |
| Pricing | Monthly, semesterly (save 17%) or yearly (save 33%) plans; the amounts are not in the text we read |
| Best For | Students, teachers and researchers who read textbooks |
| Replaces | Kindle Unlimited (for study and professional reading) |
Review in detail
Perlego Ltd runs the Perlego subscription from Perlego HQ, 1 Waterhouse Sq, 138 Holborn, London, according to the site footer, which also lists a VAT number. The company describes itself as a digital library that powers learning.
Perlego states that it works with educators and publishers on a library of more than 1.5 million books available anywhere in the world.
What kind of books does Perlego cover?
Perlego groups its catalogue by topic, including Architecture, Business, Computer Science, Economics, Law, Medicine, Psychology and Study Aids. It also publishes study guides and essay writing guides.
The offer targets academic and professional reading, not bestseller fiction, which is the main difference from Kindle Unlimited.
How does Perlego billing work?
The Perlego pricing page offers monthly, semesterly and yearly billing, with savings of 17% and 33% on the longer cycles. It states that users can cancel anytime and keep reading until the end of the billing cycle.
The price amounts are not in the server-rendered text we read, so this page does not quote them.
Can institutions use Perlego?
Perlego sells to institutions and organisations and states that more than 250 institutions worldwide trust it. Institutions are asked to request a quote.
Perlego states that it is available worldwide, with the interface offered in German, English, Spanish, French and Italian.
Known limits
Perlego prices are not visible in the text we read, and the catalogue is academic, so general fiction readers will find little of what Kindle Unlimited offers. Data hosting is not stated. A UK company is outside the EU, though EP counts the UK as European.
Best suited to users of Perlego
Choose Perlego if your reading list is textbooks and professional titles. For novels, look at BookBeat or Nextory.
Advantages and drawbacks
Pros
- Catalogue of more than 1.5 million books stated
- Monthly, semester and yearly billing
- Cancel anytime, access until cycle end
- Institution licences available
- Interface in five languages
Cons
- Prices not shown in the text we read
- Academic focus, little general fiction
- Data hosting not stated
- UK entity, outside the EU
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Catalogue of more than 1.5 million books stated
- Monthly, semester and yearly billing
- Cancel anytime, access until cycle end
- Institution licences available
- Interface in five languages
Cons
- Prices not shown in the text we read
- Academic focus, little general fiction
- Data hosting not stated
- UK entity, outside the EU
Alternatives to Perlego
Alternatives from Europe in the ebook subscription services group:
See all European ebook subscription services or compare them directly against Kindle Unlimited (for study and professional reading) on our alternatives page.
Common questions
For academic and professional reading, yes. Perlego Ltd is based in London and offers an unlimited reading subscription, but it is not aimed at bestseller fiction.
The pricing page we read shows monthly, semesterly (save 17%) and yearly (save 33%) billing but no amounts in the server-rendered text.
Yes. The Perlego pricing page says users can cancel anytime and keep reading until the end of the billing cycle.