Scribd redesigns ebook subscription service to outshine Kindle Unlimited

Scribd is rolling out a revamped version of its unlimited digital book service today.

Ebook subscription services are getting more popular lately, partly because Amazon finally starting to offer one of its own, Kindle Unlimited, last month. Scribd compete’s with Amazon’s service as well as with established rival Oyster. The Scribd service offers people a selection of over 500,000 digital titles, including books from major publishers as well as a number of bestsellers.

Scribd’s latest update offers a brand new design with a user interface that shows more rows of books. The service also beefed up its recommendations to include a mix of algorithmic and human-curated book picks. It also borrows a page from Netflix by sorting books into non-traditional categories, called “Topical Collections.” It also features collections by notable authors or people in the public eye and makes it easier to find popular books that are trending on the service.

“The result is as if we’ve built every reader their own personalized bookstore, with the human touch readers love, that they are now able to carry around in their back pocket,” said Scribd CTO Jared Friedman in a statement.

Adding new ways to find content is probably the most important aspect for an unlimited book service like this, where the majority of content is material the average person has never heard of. If Scribd can figure out a way to hook people into reading things they’re not familiar with, it should prove successful in keeping them as customers.

The new version rolls out to Scribd’s desktop website, but the company says an update to its mobile apps should be coming in the next few weeks. Check out some screenshots below for a closer look.