Best For | Best for busy readers who want quick, 15-minute summaries of nonfiction books across various topics. | Best for professionals and learners looking for detailed book summaries and insights from top nonfiction books. |
Pricing | Starts at $8.34/month (Billed annually) | Starts at $8.99/month (Billed annually) |
Features | 15-minute text & audio summaries | In-depth book summaries & analysis |
Pros | Short, easy-to-digest summaries | More detailed summaries than Blinkist |
Cons | Less in-depth than reading the full book | Smaller library than Blinkist |
Are you someone who enjoys books but finds it hard to keep up with all the reading? It’s tough with so many good books out there.
That’s where Blinkist and Instaread come in. These apps offer quick summaries of books, letting you catch the key ideas without reading the entire book. But which one works better for you?
In this Blinkist Vs Instaread comparison, I’ll share what makes Blinkist and Instaread different, so you can choose the one that fits your reading style. Let’s take a look!
🚀BottomLine: Blinkist offers a larger library and more audio options, making it the better choice for variety and convenience. Instareads is great for concise summaries with visuals, but Blinkist provides a more well-rounded experience overall.
Blinkist Vs Instaread Overview
Quick Look at Blinkist
Blinkist is an app that provides quick summaries of popular non-fiction books. It takes the main ideas and condenses them into short texts or audio, usually taking just 15-20 minutes to finish.
It’s perfect for busy people who want to learn about topics like self-improvement, business, productivity, and personal growth without reading entire books.
You can read or listen to the summaries whenever you have free time, making it easy to learn on the go.
Quick Look at Instaread
Instareads is an app that offers clear and concise summaries of popular non-fiction books. It provides summaries in text, audio, and visual formats, so users can choose how they prefer to learn.
Instareads focuses on bestselling books in areas like business, self-help, and personal development. The app delivers the key ideas in a simple and straightforward way, allowing you to get valuable insights quickly.
The visual summaries are great for those who prefer seeing information in a graphic form. Instareads is a good tool for people who want to absorb knowledge fast without getting bogged down by lengthy books.
Blinkist Vs Instaread: Key Features Comparison
Content Library
Blinkist:
- Size: Blinkist boasts an extensive library of over 7,500 titles. This vast collection spans across more than 27 categories, including popular topics like self-improvement, psychology, business, leadership, science, and technology.
- Depth & Variety: Blinkist offers summaries of classic and contemporary non-fiction books, ensuring you can dive into both timeless works and the latest bestsellers. The wide variety of genres ensures that every learner can find something that suits their interests.
- Frequent Updates: Blinkist regularly updates its collection, ensuring that you have access to the newest books and ideas in various fields of knowledge.
Instareads:
- Size: Instareads has a more focused library with about 1,000 titles, mainly concentrated on bestsellers in business, self-help, and personal development. While smaller in size, Instareads focuses on curating high-quality, popular books that are in demand.
- Content Quality: The platform focuses on delivering high-impact books that provide practical insights and value. The collection is not as vast as Blinkist’s, but it ensures that users get a solid mix of well-known titles, particularly in the fields of business and self-growth.
- Curated Selection: Instareads offers a more handpicked selection of books, so you can be sure the content is top-tier and relevant to personal and professional development.
Learning Formats
Blinkist:
- Text Summaries: Blinkist presents its book summaries in a concise format, typically lasting between 15-20 minutes, making it easy to get the essential ideas quickly. These are perfect for people who prefer reading.
- Audio Summaries: For those who prefer audio, Blinkist provides high-quality, professionally narrated audio versions of their summaries. This option is ideal for learning while on the go, whether you’re commuting or exercising.
- Offline Access: Blinkist allows users to download summaries for offline reading or listening. This feature is useful when you don’t have access to an internet connection, like during travel.
- Customizable Playbacks: The audio player allows you to adjust the playback speed, enabling users to listen at a pace they are comfortable with.
- Blinkist Originals: Blinkist also creates unique content in the form of guides, in-depth audio summaries, and specialized content called Blinkist Originals, designed to take a deeper dive into certain themes and topics.
Instareads:
- Text Summaries: Similar to Blinkist, Instareads provides brief text summaries that condense key ideas from each book into a digestible format. The summaries are known for being clear and to the point.
- Audio Summaries: Instareads offers audio summaries, though the selection is not as large as Blinkist’s. The summaries are narrated well, but the platform does not have as extensive an audio catalog as Blinkist.
- Visual Summaries: One standout feature of Instareads is its visual summaries. These graphic-based summaries are perfect for people who prefer to learn through visuals like infographics or charts. The visual summaries make key ideas easy to grasp at a glance.
- Offline Mode: Like Blinkist, Instareads allows users to download audio or text summaries for offline use, making it easier to learn without needing a constant internet connection.
User Interface & Experience
Blinkist:
- Modern & Polished Design: Blinkist’s app and website have a sleek, modern interface. The platform is user-friendly and intuitive, with easy navigation through the large library. The app allows for seamless switching between reading and listening modes.
- Book Recommendations: Blinkist uses machine learning to recommend books based on your reading history and preferences. This personalized recommendation system makes it easier to discover books that align with your interests.
- Spaces: Blinkist offers a feature called Spaces, which allows users to create or join groups to discuss books and ideas. This fosters a community-based learning environment and enhances your experience by connecting you with like-minded individuals.
- Cross-Device Synchronization: The app syncs across devices, meaning you can start reading on your phone and continue on your tablet or desktop without losing your progress.
Instareads:
- Highlight & Annotate: Instareads lets users highlight and annotate key sections of summaries, a feature perfect for those who want to take notes and reflect on key takeaways.
- Simple & Clean Interface: Instareads has a minimalist design that focuses on ease of use. The app is straightforward and simple, making it quick to find the summaries you need.
- User-Centered Navigation: The platform allows you to filter summaries by categories like “Most Popular,” “Best Sellers,” or “New Releases,” making it easy to explore topics of interest.
- Active Learning Features: Instareads includes interactive features like swipeable “Cards,” which present key takeaways from summaries in a format that resembles social media apps. This feature makes the learning experience more engaging and social.
Advanced Learning Tools & Features
Blinkist:
Blinkist Originals
Blinkist has a feature called Blinkist Originals that delivers unique content not found in traditional books. These are original guides, deep dives, and special learning materials created by Blinkist experts. These pieces go deeper into specific topics and provide actionable insights that you can apply in real life.
Multi-Device Sync
One of the standout features of Blinkist is its ability to sync across multiple devices. If you’re reading a summary on your phone during your commute, you can pick up right where you left off on your tablet or desktop once you get home. This cross-device functionality ensures that you never lose your place, no matter what device you’re using.
Daily Blinks
Blinkist offers a “Daily Blink,” which is a feature that provides users with a new, short summary each day. This feature allows users to discover new books and learn something fresh every day. It’s like a daily dose of knowledge that can be easily consumed in just a few minutes.
Personalized Book Recommendations
Blinkist’s recommendation system is highly personalized. It learns from your reading preferences and suggests books based on your previous selections. Over time, this makes it easier to discover books that align with your interests or current learning goals.
Bookmarks & Notes
Blinkist allows you to bookmark and take notes on summaries. If you want to revisit certain ideas or keep track of important sections, this feature makes it easy to save and reference them later. It’s a simple way to retain key insights for future use.
Learning Paths
Blinkist also offers Learning Paths, which are pre-curated collections of books that revolve around a specific theme or subject. These curated lists help guide users through a learning journey, whether it’s about leadership, mindfulness, or entrepreneurship. This structured approach makes it easier to build on knowledge progressively.
Instareads
Swipeable “Cards” for Key Insights
Instareads introduces a unique feature called Cards, short, swipeable pieces of information that summarize the key insights of a book in a quick, easy-to-digest format. This is especially helpful for users who want to quickly review the most important points without diving into a full summary.
Interactive Learning via Annotations & Highlights
Unlike Blinkist, Instareads offers users the ability to highlight and annotate summaries. This feature allows you to mark key takeaways, jot down thoughts, and keep track of concepts that resonate with you. It’s particularly useful for those who prefer active engagement with the material.
Visual Summaries (Infographics & Diagrams)
One of Instareads’ defining features is its visual summaries, which provide graphical representations of key ideas from books. For visual learners, these summaries can make it easier to grasp complex concepts and remember information. Diagrams, charts, and infographics are used to break down ideas into digestible, easy-to-understand visuals.
Bookshelves for Organization
Instareads lets you create your own bookshelf to organize the books and summaries that interest you. You can categorize books by topics like “Business,” “Self-Improvement,” or “Leadership,” so you can always find and revisit your favorite summaries quickly.
Offline Access for All Formats
Like Blinkist, Instareads offers offline access, but with a twist all formats, including audio, text, and visual summaries, can be downloaded for offline viewing. This gives users the flexibility to access the content regardless of their internet connection.
Daily Summaries & Curated Lists
Instareads offers daily curated summaries that highlight the latest bestsellers or trending books. This allows users to stay up-to-date with what’s new in the world of non-fiction literature. The curated lists make it easy to discover books based on specific categories, such as “New Releases” or “Most Popular.”
Progress Tracking
Instareads includes progress tracking, which helps you monitor how many books or summaries you’ve read and how much more you have left in a series or list. This feature is handy for users who like to track their learning progress or set reading goals.
How Much Does Blinkist Vs Instaread Cost?
Blinkist Pricing
Monthly (Platinum) Subscription
- Cost: $62.95 per month
- Includes:
- Access to live events.
- Blinkist AI for summarizing articles, podcasts, videos, and more.
Yearly (Pro) Subscription
- Cost: $146.88 per year (equivalent to $12.23 per month)
- Includes:
- All the features of the Premium plan.
- Access to Blinkist AI Assistant and more advanced tools.
Yearly (Premium) Subscription
- Cost: $83.93 per year (equivalent to $6.99 per month)
- Includes:
- Unlimited access to 7,500+ book and podcast summaries.
- Audio and text formats for quick learning.
- Offline access to your content.
- Personalized daily recommendations and more.
Exclusive Discount:
You can get 40% off Blinkist’s Premium or Pro plans using our exclusive link, making it an even better deal!
Note: Blinkist offers a 14-day money-back guarantee for first-time purchases, so you can try it risk-free.
Instaread Pricing
Free Plan:
- Limited Access: Access to a selection of summaries.
Premium Plan:
- Monthly: $11.49 per month.
- Yearly: $69.99 per year (approximately $5.83/month).
Features:
- Unlimited access to 1,000+ book summaries.
- Audio and text formats available.
- Offline access.
- Visual summaries (infographics).
- Highlighting and annotation tools.
- Personalized recommendations.
Note: Instareads does not currently offer a free trial or money-back guarantee
Let’s look at the pros and cons of each app individually to get a clearer picture of what it is you’ll be getting and what it is you might miss.
Pros & Cons: Blinkist Vs Instaread
Blinkist
Pros:
- Large Library: Access to 7,500+ book summaries across a wide range of topics.
- Audio & Text Formats: Listen to or read summaries, making it easy to learn in different ways.
- Offline Access: Download summaries to listen or read without an internet connection.
- Personalized Recommendations: Suggests books based on your preferences.
- Daily Blinks: Receive a new, curated summary every day.
- Exclusive Discount: Get 40% off with our special link.
Cons:
- Expensive: The premium plan is higher compared to some other platforms.
- Limited Visuals: Fewer visual summaries compared to Instareads.
- Overwhelming Library: With so many books, it can be hard to choose where to start.
Instaread
Pros:
- Affordable: The premium plan is cheaper than Blinkist’s.
- Visual Summaries: Includes infographics and diagrams for easy learning.
- Interactive: Features like swipeable “Cards” and highlighting tools to engage with the material.
- Simple Interface: Clean, easy-to-use design without unnecessary complexity.
- Focused Selection: Curated library with high-quality bestsellers.
Cons:
- Smaller Library: Only around 1,000 summaries compared to Blinkist’s 7,500+.
- Fewer Audio Summaries: Less audio content than Blinkist, limiting learning options.
- No Free Trial: You don’t get a trial period to test it out.
My Honest Verdict: Which One Is Best?
After looking closely at both Blinkist and Instaread, here’s my take on which platform might be best for you.
Blinkist Might Be Best If:
- You want a huge library of books, with over 7,500 summaries.
- You like the option to listen to summaries while on the go.
- You need offline access for when you’re traveling or don’t have an internet connection.
- You prefer personalized book recommendations to help you discover new content easily.
- You’re willing to spend a little more for extra features like AI-powered summaries (Blinkist Pro).
Instareads Might Be Best If:
- You want a more affordable option with a great mix of features.
- You like visual learning with diagrams and infographics to help explain key ideas.
- You prefer a simpler, clean interface without too many distractions.
- You enjoy interactive features like swipeable “Cards” and note-taking.
FAQs On Blinkist vs Instaread
🤔Does Blinkist have a free trial?
Yes, Blinkist offers a 14-day free trial for premium features.
👀What formats do they offer?
- Blinkist offers text and audio summaries.
- Instareads offers text, audio, and visual summaries.
👉Which one is better for visual learners?
Instareads is better for visual learners because it includes infographics and diagrams.
📚Which one has more books?
Blinkist has a bigger library with 7,500+ summaries. Instareads has around 1,000.
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Conclusion
At the end of the day, it really depends on what you’re looking for. If you value a huge selection of books, audio options, and extra features like recommendations, Blinkist is a solid choice. It’s perfect if you want variety and the convenience of listening on the go.
But if you’re after something more affordable with a focus on visuals and interactive learning, Instareads might be the better fit. It’s simple, easy to navigate, and offers a more hands-on experience with visuals and highlights.
Both platforms offer great value. It’s all about finding what works best for you, whether that’s a bigger library or a more budget-friendly, engaging option.
