For me, Blinkist is definitely worth its price. It's cheaper than any other book summary service, and the library is pretty big, with new titles being added almost every day. When it comes to fiction, I still prefer to read whole books because otherwise, I can lose the story, but with non-fiction, summaries work better for me. Let's be honest, there are some books - even bestsellers - that are just bad. Blinkist helps me avoid all the unnecessary information and listen only to the main points. I also learn about more topics, because I don't have to spend weeks reading the same book, now it just takes 15 minutes for me to finish one summary and jump to the next one. And it's actually better, because before I would only remember a few things from each book I read, and now I memorize more information because summaries only focus on the most important ideas.  

What Is Blinkist?

Blinkist is a book summary subscription service. For as low as $5,99 per month, members get access to all summaries - or Blinks - in the library. At the moment, there are over 6,500 bestselling non-fiction titles available in text and audio format, and around 40 new ones are being added each month. 

Blinkist membership also includes access to Shortcasts, that provide summaries and the key insights of the most popular podcasts.

Blinkist was founded in 2012 by a group of friends. The idea behind the company was to connect readers who didn't have time to read everything they'd like to the main ideas from non-fiction books via a short - usually 10-15-minute long -  text or audio.

With Blinkist, you can learn anytime and anywhere - while commuting to work or driving, walking, working out, or doing chores, during your morning or evening routine. It is a great way to boost your knowledge in business, relationships, parenting, personal growth, and more.

Blinkist Review

Blinkist is a good book summary service for non-fiction books. It saves me a lot of time, helps me read faster, and gain more knowledge. Blinkist is very cheap, it costs $5,99 per month, and I get unlimited access to thousands of book and podcast summaries and the best prices on full-length audiobooks.  

Blinkist Library

The Blinkist library is very easy to navigate. There are over 6,500 titles divided into 27 categories:

Career & Success, Society & Culture, Health & Nutrition, Psychology, Politics, Personal Development, Mindfulness & Happiness, Education, Parenting, Communication Skills, Motivation & Inspiration, Sex & Relationships, Science, Biography & Memoir, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Productivity, Management & Leadership, Economics, Nature & the Environment, Money & Investments, Marketing & Sales, History, Entrepreneurship, Creativity, Corporate Culture, Technology & the Future.

Besides summaries (a.k.a. Blinks), there are also Bedtime Biographies, that share stories from the lives of inspiring people; Shortcasts which are the same as Blinks, but for podcasts, and Audiobooks. Yes, you can listen to full-length audiobooks on Blinkist, but you will have to pay extra. However, audiobooks are offered at a special price for all premium Blinkist members.

Blinkist FAQ

What is the point of Blinkist?

The goal of Blinkist is to summarize the non-fiction book ideas into 15-minute summaries. This way even people who normally don't have time to read, are able to enjoy books.

What is a Blink?

A Blink is basically a summary of a book that takes the most important insights and puts them into key ideas, each around 250 words. Usually, each Blink consists of 7-8 ideas, and it is packed into 15 minutes of text or audio.

Is Blinkist free? What is the Free Daily? 

Blinkist Premium subscription is not free, but if you don't want to purchase a membership, you can create an account and get one title for free every day. You don't have to choose which title you get, but it's still a good option.

Blinkist app review

Blinkist is available on Android and iOs, but not on Windows mobile devices. You can also use the service through the website but, from my experience, the app works better as it includes certain features and content that are not available on the website. For example, full-length audiobooks and Shortcasts are only available through the mobile app. You also need to have the Blinkist app to browse the curated collections, add titles as favorites, and sort titles in the library.

The app has a minimalistic interface and it is easy to use. You can download titles in both audio and text format and listen to them later offline.

Can I suggest a book that is not available in Blinkist library?

Yes, you can! To do that, go to your Account and click on Wishlist. There, type in the title that you would like to see in the Blinkist library and click on the search icon. After that, simply click on the green number to the left of the title to add your vote.

Are Blinkist summaries good?

All the titles in the library are selected by the team of experts, who then turn them into Blinks and Shortcasts. In my opinion, the quality of most summaries is good. Yes, sometimes you may come across a summary that is not as great, but it doesn't happen that often.

Who can use Blinkist?

Blinkist is a good app for anyone who loves to read but doesn't have a lot of free time - students, working professionals, stay-at-home moms - so, basically, most people nowadays. Reading has many benefits, such as reducing stress, boosting sleep quality, improving knowledge, concentration, and ability to focus, fighting depressing, and more. Even though I have a busy life, I can always find 15 minutes a day to listen to an audiobook or read a short text. And trust me, it is so worth it.

What languages does Blinkist support?

Right now, Blinkist is available in English and German.

How long does it take to listen to a Blink?

On average, it takes around 15 minutes to listen or to read to a Blink. Some audios are slightly longer, but you can control the speed of audio if you want to learn even faster.

Does Blinkist offer refunds?

Yes, if you purchase a Blinkist subscription and later decide that you don't need it, you can ask for a refund within the first 14 days. Keep in mind, that this applies only to first-time purchases, and not renewals. You also cannot get a refund for full-length audiobook purchases.

Is Blinkist available on Kindle?

Yes, you can read Blinks not only on your iOs and Android devices but also on Kindle. Just add Blinkist address in your Kindle settings to the approved list and set up your Kindle e-mail in the Blinkist app. You can send up to 100 Blinks to your Kindle every seven days. All the titles you send to Kindle will remain active even if you decide to cancel your Blinkist membership.

You cannot send Blinks to any other e-readers besides Kindle.

Does Blinkist work offline?

Yes! After you add a Blink to your library while you have Internet access, you can read it offline anytime. If you want to listen to Blinks in audio format offline, then you need to download them first.

What are Shortcasts?

Shortcasts have been recently added to the Blinkist platform. In a nutshell, those are summaries of podcats. Like Blinks, Shortcasts are usually 15-minute long and they feature the key insights from podcasts. They are often produced together with the podcats creators which makes them even more unique. Blinkist Premium subscription includes unlimited access to Shortcasts.

Does Blinkist have fiction?

No, all Blinkist titles are non-fiction. For me, this is not a big deal, because I never read summaries of fiction books anyway.

Does Blinkist have audiobooks?

Yes, Blinkist has a good selection of audiobooks, and as a premium member, you get a discount on all of them. Audiobooks are not included in your subscription and have to be purchased separately. 

Blinkist vs. Audible: Which service is better?

That depends on your needs. Audible is a better service if you are looking for full-length audiobooks because they offer a much bigger selection, but when it comes to book summaries, Blinkist is the best app for that.

Blinkist Review: Verdict 

Overall, I believe that Blinkist is a great service. Yes, reading summaries is not the same as reading books. But there are so many books I want to read, and if I chose to read full-length books, I could never do that. With Blinkist, however, I already read so many titles that I was finally able to declutter my to-read-list (well, almost). And if I really like any summary on Blinkist, then after I finish it I go and buy the book and read it. But if the summary is just okay, then I get to the next one. This way, I don't waste time on bad books, and still learn a lot. However, I don't recommend completely replacing reading with Blinkist. After all, nothing can replace reading an actual book. Think of Blinkist as a quick way to enrich your knowledge and gain inspiration. And if it's something that you need in your life, then Blinkiist is a good choice for you.