9 Ethical Alternatives to Amazon For Books (UK)

If you’re looking for Amazon alternatives for books in the UK then you’ve come to the right place. These 9 amazing online outlets are great alternatives to Amazon for books and shopping there will give you the satisfaction that you’re helping worthy bookish businesses thrive!

The hardships that small businesses have faced over recent years have only highlighted the need to support our independent bookshops above huge retailers such as Amazon.

If we want to see our favourite bookshops survive the years to come then we have to shift our spending to other retailers. And the good thing is there are plenty of them.

But… the prices!

Whilst many people believe that Amazon always has the best prices for books, my recent book binges have shown that that is not always the case.

In fact, I’ve often found that the retailers I list below will match Amazon’s prices or even present better deals. Yes, better deals than on Amazon!

Ok but what about delivery?

Amazon Prime still wins on fastest delivery but how many times have you actually started reading something the second it lands on your doorstep?

Fair enough if it’s the next Harry Potter but I think most of us can safely say that books are often bought, shelved and forgotten about for a few months.

It’s rare that a book lands on my doorstep as I’m just finishing another read too so there’ll usually be a few days at least before I even think about cracking on with a new read.

And beware!

Remember that sites like Abebooks are still owned by Amazon so if you truly want to avoid lining Bezos’ pockets with your book purchases then you’ll have to avoid these too. 

Alternatives to Amazon for Books

The Works

The stack of books pictured above contains 9 books that I recently purchased from theworks.co.uk, a bargain bookshop I’d never paid much attention to.

I’ve been in their physical stores before but they’re always quite messy and, whilst full of books, did not seem to stock new books or bestsellers. Or so I thought.

That entire stack cost me just £30. Including delivery. theworks.co.uk is definitely a UK bookshop that bookworms need on their radar.

Their website doesn’t make it easy to find the good stuff. I once found Twilight in the English classics section and You and Hidden Bodies in the romance section, for example.

BUT if you’re willing to put the time in to properly browse each section, there are some real gems on there.

Whilst browsing I saw books like Where the Crawdads Sing, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and other big releases at knock-off prices.

They’ve also got new releases like the new Emily Henry novel, Happy Place, for 50% off.

I was shocked to find that lots of books I’d bought myself recently were available there but at lower prices than I’d paid.

What’s more, they stock loads of gifts and games at knock-off prices too. There is a tonne of official Harry Potter merchandise on there from puzzles to board games to knitting kits.

Browse The Works now.

Blackwells

Blackwells has always occupied a soft spot in my heart as their flagship bookstore is in Oxford and is where I bought lots of my university literature.

It’s only this year however that I began to regularly shop from them online. And, to be honest, if I had to choose between Blackwells and Waterstones, I’d choose Blackwells. Why?

Free worldwide delivery!

What’s more, their prices often match those on Amazon. For example, I looked up the book “The Master Algorithm“, not the most popular non-fiction title, and found it was listed on Amazon for £7.72.

I checked Waterstones to see how much they were selling it for but it was listed as £8.99 and then I’d have to pay for postage on top.

I then checked Blackwells online and it listed for £7.72 too and delivery is absolutely free. Of course, I went for Blackwells.

Obviously, the book didn’t arrive as quickly as it would have done if I’d bought it from Amazon, but it would be hard for any smaller bookshop to deliver by 10pm on the very same day that you place your order.

Whilst it’s nice to get something in your hands very speedily, I realised that I rarely dive into a boon as soon as I receive it anyway. A few days is definitely worth the wait to avoid shopping for books on Amazon.

Browse Blackwells.co.uk now.

Wordery

Wordery is quite similar to Blackwells above though it is probably less well known.

What’s great is that their delivery is pretty quick and books usually arrive in 2-3 days whilst you can usually expect a wait of around a week (or more) with lots of other online sellers.

They offer over 10 million different titles, which is an extraordinary number of books so you can guarantee that you’ll find what you want here.

They stock every genre in the fiction, non-fiction and children’s sphere, including a particularly good graphic novel section.

In terms of prices, Wordery prices are slightly higher than those at Blackwells or Amazon but often it is a 50p-£2 difference but still significantly down from RRP.

Plus, the fact that the books arrive fairly quickly and with free worldwide delivery means that this is a serious contender for an Amazon alternative for books.

As with lots of the other sites featured here, the algorithm for deciding what books go where sometimes misses the mark as I found The Second Sexe, a feminist text by Simone de Beauvoir, in the family health section.

Meanwhile in the “myth and legend told as fiction” section there was a title by Dawn French, a Christmas romance and only one book that actually seemed relevant – Troy by Stephen Fry. Then there was The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath in the YA section. 

These are just some funny aberrations I noticed but on the whole things are where you would expect them.

Lastly, Wordery partner with national literacy charities and a local primary school to engender a love of reading among pupils, and it’s always nice to see businesses give back!

Browse Wordery.com now.

Hive Books

Hive operates on a similar model to bookshop.org and aims to support local bookshops who they are partnered with.

After making a purchase via the Hive website, you will have the option to choose which bookshop gets the proceeds from your sale and it automatically suggests three that are close to you based on the address information you give at the checkout.

If you’d like to pick another, you can use the search bar to find another UK bookshop.

Where Hive stands out from the rest of these though is the availability of ebooks. I’d wondered for ages about how to avoid Amazon in relation to digital bookish downloads but Hive is a great place to start.

They’ve got new releases (prices match those on Amazon) as well as lots of cheap deals.

In order to read them, you’ll have to download Adobe Digital Editions which is available for free on your phone or other devices.

Once you’ve bought an ebook you’ll receive a download link and if you open this with Digital Editions your book will appear!

Hive pride themselves on being a British, tax-paying book website and I’d recommend browsing their collections, particularly if you’re a fan of ebooks and audiobooks.

For those who prefer physical books, you’ll be pleased to hear there’s free UK delivery.

Browse Hive.co.uk now.

Bookshop.org

Bookshop.org was previously only available in the US but it recently launched in the UK to great success. Hooray!

It’s an amazing initiative that allows you to support local bookshops all over the country.

By shopping via their website, your money will enter an earnings pool that will be evenly distributed among the independent bookshops signed up to their platform.

Alternatively, if you have a specific bookshop in mind who are also signed up to the platform then you can choose to support that bookshop specifically and they will receive the full profit from your order.

There are two ways to browse the website: either you enter the title of the book you’re looking for in the search bar, or you select a specific bookshop and browse their curated selection.

You can enter your postcode to support a local bookstore or look for one of your favourites in another city.

There’s a tally at the top of the website sharing just how much has already been raised for local bookshops and at the time of writing, over £140k has been raised for UK indie bookshops.

What’s more, it’s transparent about how much of your order goes to local bookshops and states this in large letters as you check out.

It’s also a great platform for book influencers who can share their curated book recommendations in easy-to-shop lists and earn affiliate income.

Check out my profile on bookshop.org where you can shop directly from my book lists – both in the UK and the US!

Browse bookshop.org UK
What’s Hot? on bookshop.org UK
What’s Hot? on bookshop.org US

Books etc.

BOOKS etc. is another wonderful Amazon alternative for books that is based in the UK. It is a family-run company that has a wide selection of books in all genres.

What’s great about Books, etc. is that they make an effort to showcase some lesser-known titles from the smaller publishers.

Their website layout lists a huge number of publishers down the left-hand sidebar so it’s really easy to support specific publishers.

This is unique to BOOKS etc. and a nice touch for those who know are fond of specific publishers and specialists.

For example, fans of Tolkien will be pleased to see a section dedicated to The Tolkien Collection editions. There’s a large range of beautiful copies of Tolkien’s popular and more obscure works to be found here.

It’s not my favourite of the above options as the website is a little less user-friendly. Whilst it has a page for bestsellers and each genre, the books are not segregated any further than this.

I like to search by genre but find it a little cumbersome trawling through their list of books as you are presented with a large number of small book cover icons.

That said, when I am looking for something specific, BOOKS etc. do always have the book on their site.

The prices are decent and largely on par with options like Wordery, Blackwells and Hive Books. You’ll find some books are pricier on some websites than others, which is why it’s great to shop around and support a variety of these online bookshops throughout the year.

Delivery is free in the UK, which is an added bonus.

Browse BOOKS etc.

Direct from your local independent stores 

Whilst most independent bookshops will have limited stock listed on their websites, many are able to take requests and order things in from their suppliers.

For example, Golden Hare Books, a brilliant Edinburgh bookshop, state that they can usually order even the most obscure of books from their suppliers and have it available to pick up within 48 hours. Pretty impressive!

It’s well worth checking whether your local stores or favourite UK bookshops do this before turning to other alternatives so we can keep local bookshops thriving.

Plus, it seems many will have stock delivered just as quickly as other, larger retailers.

RELATED: 9 Bookshops in Edinburgh to Visit

Foyles

Once an independent bookshop in London, Foyles is now owned actually by Waterstones. The physical store on Charing Cross definitely still has its own spirit though and an absolutely ginormous selection of books.

The reason I’m including Foyles on this book is because I think it’s the best place to shop for foreign language materials and literature.

I loved learning languages at school and studied French at university so would frequently buy my foreign language learning materials here as well as foreign literature.

These books are often more obscure which can lead to people turning to Amazon. If this sounds familiar then do consider browsing Foyles’ collection first as they may have just what you need!

Their selection of books online is simply enormous so if you’re struggling to find a book on a smaller website then Foyles is a good place to look.

Browse foyles.co.uk now.

Waterstones 

Waterstones needs little introduction and is Amazon’s biggest competitor in the UK.

If you’re struggling to find a book on any of the above websites then you can guarantee that they’ll have it in stock at Waterstones.

The good thing about Waterstones is they’ve often got exclusive editions and covers or even editions signed by the authors.

They have all the latest stock on the day it is released so it’s the place to go if you want to pre-order your books and make sure they arrive on the day of release.

They also sell lots of bookish goodies on their website including stationery, games, toys and more.

Browse Waterstones collection now.

Libro.fm

Really excitingly, Libro.fm will finally be launching in the UK in July 2023. Libro.fm is a popular audiobook platform available in the US and Canada that lets you support independent booksellers with your audiobook purchases.

There are over 300,000 books to choose from on their platform and you can redeem these through credits from a monthly subscription, much like Audible.

Find out more about Libro.fm now.

If you’re looking for alternatives to Amazon for books in the US, drop me a comment and I’ll think about making an equivalent list!

For more bookshops to support, check out these posts:
Bookshops in Oxford
Bookshops in Cambridge
Bookshops in York
Bookshops in Bath
Bookshops in Edinburgh
Bookshops in Hay-on-Wye
Independent Bookshops in London
Second-Hand Bookshops in London
Specialist Bookshops in London

Laura

Founder & Editor of What’s Hot?

Laura is an award-winning travel and book blogger based in the UK. She studied French literature at Oxford University and is now an IP lawyer at a top law firm in London. She was named UK Book Blogger of the Year in 2019 and loves to combine her passion for books and travel with literary travel.