getAbstract vs Blinkist : The Best Value For Money in 2023?

What’s covered:

• What is Book Summary Service?
• How getAbstract & Blinkist Work?
• getAbstract vs Blinkist: Titles collection
• getAbstract vs Blinkist – Plans & Pricing
• getAbstract vs Blinkist – What Should I buy?
• The Ultimate Winner

There are a lot of book summary services on the market, but two of the most popular are getAbstract and Blinkist. Both products offer book summaries that can help you save time and learn new things, but they each have their own unique strengths.

Let’s go into a detailed review of getAbstract vs Blinkist to help you decide which one is the best fit for you.

Happy reading/listening!

Summary : GetAbstract Vs Blinkist Comparison

If you are short on time, here is an executive summary.

A complete review of Blinkist here & getAbstract here

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can help me buy a coffee or two at no extra cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. These are products I’ve personally used and stand behind.

Book Summary Services – What is that?

If you’re someone who likes to read, then chances are you’re always on the lookout for new and interesting books to add to your to-be-read list.

With an ever-growing number of new books published every year, it becomes increasingly difficult to decide which book to read next. With so many choices, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and paralyzed, unable to make a decision. This is known as the paradox of choice.

That’s where apps like Blinkist and GetAbstract come in. They are two of the most popular book summary apps in the market today. Both Blinkist and GetAbstract offer users access to summaries of thousands of popular books (non fiction), making it easy to get the gist of a book before committing to reading the whole thing.

The summaries are typically around 15 minutes long, and are divided into key takeaways that make them easy to digest. Users can also create personalized reading lists, and save summaries for offline reading.

How do book summaries help you?

1. Time-Saving

One of the primary benefits of using a summary app is that it can save you a great deal of time. If you’re someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to read, or if you simply want to get the key ideas from a book without reading the entire thing, a book summary app can be extremely helpful. With a book summary app, you can usually read or listen to the main ideas from a book in just 15-20 minutes.

2. Cost-Effective

It can be more cost-effective than buying the actual book. If you’re on a budget and you’re looking for a way to save money, using a summary app can be a great option. You can usually get unlimited access to summaries for a monthly fee that is much lower than the cost of buying even one physical book.

3. Convenient

It is extremely convenient. You can access summaries anytime, anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection. This means that you can listen to or read summaries while you’re commuting, working out, doing chores, or even just taking a break.

4. Helps You Prioritize What You Read

It can help you prioritize what you read. With so many books available, it can be difficult to know which ones are worth your time. By reading summaries, you can quickly get an idea of what each book is about and whether or not it’s something that interests you. This can help you save time by only reading books that are truly worth your while.

5. Gives You A Deeper Understanding Of The Book

Finally, using an app can also give you a deeper understanding of the book than if you were to just read the surface level details. When you read or listen to a summary, you’re getting the main ideas and key takeaways from the author. This can help you understand the author’s point of view and better grasp the overall message of the book.

Summary : getAbstract vs Blinkist comparison

Feature	getAbstract	Blinkist
Titles	25000+	5500+
Quality of Summaries(my view)	4.8/5	4.7/5
Free Version	Only for verified students	No Free version
Trial Version	3 days trial	7 Day trial
Pricing starts at – Paid Monthly	$15/month	$29.9
Pricing starts at – Paid Annually	$7.5/month	$25
Audio Summaries	Yes	Yes
Integration to Amazon Kindle	Yes	Yes

getAbstract vs Blinkist – Title Collection

While both are good options, let’s take a closer look at which is better for you.

Blinkist: Title Collection

Although both apps offer summarizations of a wide variety of titles (non fiction books), the selection is not identical. There are over 5500+ Blinkist summaries and around 30-40 titles are added each week. The Blinkist business model doesn’t compete with getAbstract on just title numbers, but rather on quality, covering main focus areas and pricing.

A typical Blinkist summary is about 15 mins long to read. The Audios summaries can be listened at an higher speed. I usually use 1.25X.

The topics covered include business, self-improvement, psychology, health & fitness, economics, biographies & memoirs, history, and more.

Some of the most popular titles on Blinkist include The Lean Startup, The Millionaire Fastlane, and The Power of Habit.

getAbstract: Title Collection

GetAbstract currently has summaries of over 25,000+ book titles. The most popular genres on GetAbstract are business, self-improvement, and economics.

GetAbstract offers more international titles than Blinkist.

Some of the most popular titles on GetAbstract include Ego Is the Enemy, Deep Work, and Creativity, Inc.

How does the summary look on getAbstract vs Blinkist

Let’s take one book and see it is presented on each platform. On first look, getAbstract seems to be provide a lot more information about the book than Blinkist does.

getAbstract vs Blinkist – Plans & Pricing

Blinkist

Blinkist subscription costs $15/month, or $90/year if you sign up for an annual subscription. You can also try Blinkist free for 7 days.

getAbstract

GetAbstract offers more diverse plans than Blinkist.

Students starter:

Students starter: 5000 summaries are available for free. This is a great option for students who are on a tight budget.

Student Pro:

If you save some money, you could get 25000+ summaries for $99/year. There is no monthly subscription for students.

Personal Use:

Subscription costs around 30 USD/month, depending on the length of your subscription, or $300/year if you sign up for an annual subscription.

Enterprise use

You can also subscribe GetAbstract for your company as discounted prices. The prices for teams between 5-10 members is fixed. If you have a larger team, the pricing can be more flexible.

Who’s using getAbstract?

getAbstract has a wide claim. I’m not really sure if all these corporates have a subscription or it if is their employees who have subscribed the personal plans.

Blinkist doesn’t make such claims. It still focuses only on individual users.

getAbstract vs Blinkist – What Should I Buy?

It depends on your personal situation.

Are you a student?

Go for the Student Starter plan with GetAbstract. Blinkist library offers over 5000 titles for free (Only for verified students).

It is unlikely that you’ll burn the 5000 titles in the next 2-3 years as student, so this might be what you need. If you have a little more money, then you can upgrade to Student Pro version at $99 a year.

Personal Use: Lite Reader

Try the Blinkist Premium Yearly at approximately $80 per year. You get access to all 5500 book summaries and should cover most of your needs. Blinkist premium subscription (paid annually) is 50% cheaper than the Premium Monthly plan priced at $14/month.

Try the Blinkist Premium Monthly (at $14/month) for 1 month to decide either to switch to the Blinkist Yearly subscription or try GetAbstract.

It is the cheapest to start! However, the annual plan is around 50% cheaper than the monthly plan, so it doesn’t make financial sense to stick to the monthly plan.

Personal Use: Voracious Reader

Try GetAbstract Pro Yearly at approximately $25/month billed annually at $300.

This subscription gives you access to the completely library of 25000+ titles + downloads + send to kindle.

Try GetAbstract Pro Monthly for a month if you are unsure about the annual plan. The annual plan is over 15% cheaper than the monthly plan, so it doesn’t make financial sense to stick to the monthly plan.

Corporate/Enterprise Use

Blinkist does not have a published pricing plan for enterprise/corporate group use. Get in touch with them for customized pricing.

GetAbstract has plans for small teams

Team of 5 at 1.295 € / 259 € per user. Billed annually.

Team of 10 at 2.290 € / 229 € per user. Billed annually.

It comes with benefits below

• Centralized billing
• User management tools
• Basic usage statistics

Bigger teams can directly negotiate with getAbstract and agree on pricing.

The Ultimate Winner

getAbstract vs Blinkist	Price	Who is it for?
Blinkist cost: Premium Yearly	$7.5/month, $90 paid annually	Cheapest Option -my #1 choice
Blinkist cost: Premium Monthly	$15/month, paid monthly	Best for a Blinkist trial
getAbstract cost: Student Starter	Free – 5000 summaries	Verified Students
getAbstract cost: Student Pro	$99 per year – paid annually	Students with extra cash or need specific titles
getAbstract cost: Pro Monthly	$29.9/month -full library	Best for getAbstract Trial
getAbstract cost: Pro yearly	$25/month, $90 paid annually -full library	Best Value for MONEY – for getAbstract continued use

Happy reading/listening!

Students: 

getAbstract is the clear winner. Blinkist does not offer anything for students.

Cost Conscious / Lite Readers:

Blinkist subscription is the clear winner. Blinkist annual subscription is the cheapest option & is much cheaper than getAbstract!

Voracious Readers

Readers who want to have multiple reading options: getAbstract. No competition.

Group/Enterprise/team Use: 

getAbstract & Blinkist offer customized plans based on the size of your team

So, which book summary app is right for you? If you’re looking for an app with a wide selection of titles and the ability to listen to summaries as audio files, then getAbstract is probably your best bet. However, if want to get started at a lower price point, then Blinkist is a much better option.

Ultimately, the choice between Blinkist and GetAbstract comes down to personal preference; try out both apps for a month and see which one you like better!

Happy reading/listening!

You might also be interested in this post comparing Blinkist vs Headway

What should You consider before choosing a book summary service

1. Ease of Use

The first factor to consider when choosing an app is ease of use. You want to make sure that the app is easy to navigate and that you will be able to find the information you are looking for quickly and easily.

Also think about how you prefer to consume information. Do you like to listen to audio summaries, or read text-based summaries? If you prefer audio, make sure the app you choose offers this option. You should also be able to easily move between devices, and listen to summaries on the go.

2. Cost

Cost is an important factor to consider when choosing an app. There are a variety of book summary apps available, some of which are free and some of which are paid.

It is important to consider how much you are willing to spend on an app before making your decision. Some apps offer a free trial period, so you can try them out before committing to a purchase.

If cost is a major consideration for you, there are several free apps that offer good quality summaries. However, if you are willing to pay for a premium app, you will likely get access to higher quality summaries and more features.

3. Features

In addition to quality, it is important to consider the features that are available when choosing an app. Some top features you should look for are

• Save/Share
• Integration with Goodreads/Amazon Kindle
• Offline reading/listening
• Easy to use Mobile app
• Customizable Reading Lists
• Download/offline reading & listening options

4. A User-Friendly Interface

Make sure that the app has a user-friendly interface. This will make it easy for you to navigate and use the app, which will save you time in the long run.

• Clean & easy to use screens
• Ability to switch font/brightness/night mode
• Save/Share to library options
• Language options

4. Quality of Summaries

Of course, one of the most important factors to consider when choosing an app is the quality of the summaries. You want to make sure that the app you choose provides accurate and concise summaries of the books you are interested in.

A good app will provide a brief overview of the book’s plot, chapters, and themes. It should also highlight the key takeaways from the book and help you come to your own personal opinion on whether or not the book is worth reading.

5. Number of Book Summaries

Another factor to consider is the number of books that are summarized by the app. If you only want to use an app for a few specific books, then you don’t need an app with a large library of summaries. However, if you want an app that can provide summaries for a wide variety of books, then choose one with a large library.

6. Customer Support

It is important to consider customer support when choosing an app. You want to make sure that there is someone available to help you if you have any problems with the app or if you have any questions about using it.

7. Offers trial/money-back guarantees.

Finally, pick apps that offer free trials or money-back guarantees so you can try them out risk-free. This way, if you’re not satisfied with the app, you can simply cancel your subscription and get your money back.

Some of the best apps offer free trials, so you can test them out before committing to a purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions about getAbstract and Blinkist

• Are the summaries enough if my focus is personal and professional development? – NO, the summaries will give you some significant insight on the book and its key lessons/ messages. But it is not the same as reading the entire book.
• Are there long form summaries from Blinkist or getAbstract? – NO, the whole summary is usually 15 mins long, and in some exceptional cases slightly longer.
• Are there free versions of getAbstract app/ Blinkist app?
  • getAbstract – Yes, only for students. Otherwise you can get a free trial here
  • Blinkist – You can get a 7 days free trial here.
• Will there be more summaries added? – Yes, both Blinkist & getAbstract keep adding more titles each week.
• Can I get a complete reviews? Yes, a complete Blinkist review here & getAbstract here.

Frequently Asked Questions about Book Summary Apps

1. What is a book summary app?

A book summary app is a mobile application that provides users with summaries of books that they can read in a fraction of the time it would take to read the entire book. These apps are typically designed for busy people who want to be able to stay up-to-date on the latest business, self-improvement, or fiction books without having to find the time to read them all.

2. How do book summary apps work?

Book summary apps work by taking the key points from a book and condensing them into a shorter, more easily digestible format. This format can vary depending on the app, but most will provide users with a brief overview of each chapter as well as key takeaways.

Some apps also offer audio versions of their summaries so that users can listen while they commute or exercise.

3. What are the benefits of using a book summary app?

There are several benefits to using a book summary app. First, these apps can save users a significant amount of time as they can read or listen to a summary in just a few minutes rather than hours or days. Second, these apps can help users retain more information from the books they summarize as they provide key points and takeaways.

Finally, these apps can be a great way to discover new books as they often feature recommendations based on users’ interests. While Blinkist & getAbstract rule, Headway App & Storyshots aren’t too far either.

4. Are there any downsides to using a book summary app?

While there are several benefits to using a book summary app, there are also some potential downsides. First, some people may prefer to read an entire book rather than just a summary as they feel they get more out of the experience. Second, these apps can be expensive as some require a monthly subscription fee while others charge per book summary.

Finally, some people may find that these apps encourage them to read less as they feel they no longer need to read an entire book when they can just read or listen to a summary.

You might also be interested in a more detailed review of Blinkest & getAbstract below! Read more about books, Headway App, Productivity tools!

Ultimate Blinkist Review 2023: Value For Your Money?

Honest getAbstract Review 2023: Good Value For Your Money?

Also to be published on authors’ Medium site.

If you are into productivity apps , you might be interested in AI writers like Quillbot or Writecream. Read more below.

• Copysmith AI
• Article Forge
• INKforall
• Jasper AI (& writing a ranking product review using Jasper)
• Scalenut
• Copymatic
• Writesonic
• Copy AI
• Writecream
• Peppertype