Blinkist vs. Headway 2025: Which book summary app is best for you?

Lately, I’ve found that a great book summary can massively help you learn many things quickly. Apps that package them make reading easier for me and many others who struggle to get the time or remain attentive. Maybe you've been considering Blinkist but also wondering whether Headway can do the job.

These two apps are particularly great at summarizing books and making key takeaways more easily digestible. However, they don’t stop at book summaries. Join the Blinkist vs Headway debate and compare their respective features, pricing, and other attributes. By the end of this article, you’ll be all set to find the best book summary app for 2025.

I suggest taking a look at both apps in the brief before we dive into the details:

Let’s compare!	Blinkist	Headway
Top features I discovered	Title sharing through Spaces; expert guidance; AI-powered library search	Lessons with quotes and exercises; progress tracking with analytics; goal-specific summaries
Content library	Over 7,500 titles	Over 1500 titles
Formats	Audio & text summaries, shortcasts, guides, etc.	Audio & text summaries, courses, games, infographics
Availability	Desktop, mobile (iOS and Android); Offline reading for premium subscribers	Mobile (iOS and Android); Offline reading via the Setapp subscription

A closer look at Blinkist

Blinkist is a really cool app that gives you quick summaries of just about any book that's worth checking out. You can either read or listen to these awesome snippets that open up fresh ideas and spark your creativity.

The standout Blinkist features include:

• 15-minute audio and text summaries for over 7500 books and podcasts
• Personalized recommendations across various topics
• Guides delivered by domain experts
• Ability to share titles with others
• Title playlists for more structured learning

Blinkist is great for C-suite executives, trainers, and anyone in fast-paced jobs who needs to keep learning. The social sharing features are awesome for learning together. I often find titles that I might not need but would be super helpful for someone I know, so those features come in really handy.

A closer look at Headway

Headway is focused on non-fiction summaries and provides a simple way to choose how to ingest information, keeping the process serious but fun. This app will make reading and learning something you do regularly instead of just once in a while.

The core Headway features include:

• Over 1500 text and nonfiction book summaries
• Analytics tools to track learning progress
• Highlighting and reinforcement tools for key takeaways
• Milestone and reward systems for cementing learning habits
• Weekly streaks feature as an extra challenge for learners

Headway is a great option for beginners and casual readers, like students looking to slowly build their reading habits. The mix of challenges and rewards really helps those who find it tough to stay disciplined with their reading.

How each app serves book summary needs

Now that you know “the basics” of what makes Blinkist and Headway excellent, let’s take a look at what they have in common and how they differ.

Differences between Blinkist and Headway: Features

I think both apps are really cool, but we’re here to compare and pick the one that fits your needs. Here’s what you should know about each app's core features.

How the “Explore” feature work

• Blinkist features offer a primarily topic-based approach to finding your desired titles. You can select a specific topic and quickly find the top titles under it. You can choose a category here, like Psychology, Philosophy, etc., to narrow your search results. Additionally, you can explore what’s trending and the recently added pieces.

• However, Headway features have an interesting approach. The app offers categories associated with specific goals, such as Self-Growth, Happiness, Health, etc. Once you select a particular goal, you’ll get a mix of titles that help you reach it. I find this helpful when pursuing an objective involving related and unrelated topics. This goal-based categorization also helps me avoid the trap of catchy titles with little value.

Reading framework

• Blinkist focuses on condensing information into 15-minute pieces for quick digestion.
• However, Headway allows users to adjust the time they want to spend learning. You can select anywhere from 2 to 40 minutes a day, and the app will show you how many titles you will have absorbed by the end of each month at the selected pace.

If your goal is to read as much as possible, check Ali Abdaal’s “Feel-good productivity” book summary to get the best insights for productive reading and more.

Blinkist pricing vs. Headway pricing

If you choose between the pricing plan, then you should know that:

• Blinkist offers a free plan with one summary per day. However, if you decide on the paid plan, the pricing starts from $15.99 a month or a $99 annual plan that also includes a 7-day free trial. No matter the plan, you can get unlimited access to all summaries.
• On the contrary, Headway is available via the Setapp platform for $9.99 a month. But a real bargain here is that with the Setapp subscription, you can get unlimited access to over 250 Mac and iOS apps. If you’re into learning more, you can also try the Voice Dream Reader app that allows you to listen to PDFs, ebooks, docs, and even articles that are opened in Safari.

Blinkist vs. Headway ease of use

Both apps pretty much look and feel the same when it comes to how easy they are to use. So, I’d say you’ll have no trouble getting the hang of either one.

Book summary app format

Blinkist is primarily focused on the following:

• Summaries of non-fiction books, podcasts, and videos (video via AI in Pro plan)
• Infographics and playlists for more structured learning
• Broader scope but may feel less curated compared to Headway’s focused approach

Headway is primarily focused on:

• Non-fiction book summaries and keep content focused and high-quality
• Efficient daily learning with a user-friendly, motivational interface
• Spaced repetition, personalized reading goals, and achievement tracking

Which is better: Blinkist or Headway [Pros and cons]

We’ve got a better grip on how Blinkist and Headway stack up against each other, so let me break down the main pros and cons of each app that I discovered.

Blinkist

Blinkist comes with lots of amazing features, but there are also a few flaws worth knowing before you commit to it, so let me cover each side.

The good stuff:

• Multiple assistance features, including AI and human experts.
• Shortened podcasts which reduce listening fatigue when you have other audio summaries cued.
• Shareable playlists that help you smoothly pass on knowledge to friends and family.
• Invitation for one more user via the premium plan.

The bad stuff:

• It has quite limited genre coverage, especially for science and fiction books.
• No note-taking options that would help in retaining micro takeaways from audio summaries.

Though Blinkist remains one of the more feature-rich book summary apps with expansive content.

Headway

Headway has some great perks when it comes to delivering book summaries, but while I share those with you, I’ll also highlight a few of the downsides.

The good stuff:

• More lean learning and reinforcement approach thanks to Mindsets’ quotes and short exercises.
• Encouragement through streak and milestone updates, fostering a “we are in this together” vibe.
• Goal-based categorization enables new users to avoid choice paralysis.
• Great synchronization for users who pause and resume summaries across different devices.
• Downloadable summaries for learning offline, which is vital in remote, low-connectivity areas.

The bad stuff:

• Smaller library, severely lacking in the fiction section.
• No desktop app is available.
• Highlights aren’t easily transferable to other apps where you might normally centralize lessons from different sources.

The verdict is Headway excels at keeping things simple and helping you get started quickly. Even though it has a limited genre range, the library is constantly growing.

Which app should you choose?

When to choose Blinkist:

• In-depth reading: If you’re looking to expand your knowledge in a specific field, Blinkist is the way to go. Personally, I like to create topic stints with interludes containing lighter topics to keep things dynamic.
• Stationary reading: If you work a computer-based desk job, you should choose Blinkist since it's available for desktop devices. You can do your usual work on your computer while it runs in the background.
• Collective reading: Consider using Blinkist if you’ll be reading with others. Their varying interests will be served better by its larger library.

When to choose Headway:

• Great for focused, habit-building learning: Headway can engage you in challenges that gently push you to read more consistently. Moreover, with its daily quotes and mini-exercises, you can reabsorb lessons as smaller nuggets and gradually put them into practice so they can stick.
• Mobile reading: If you're always on the go or want to combine reading with another activity like jogging or meal prepping, Headway will work for you. Its mobile-only, lower-feature set helps you get straight into the information with fewer steps, enabling you to start your other concurrent activity quickly.
• Extra tools availability: If you decide to get Headway via Setapp, you’ll unlock access to over 250 macOS and iOS apps for work, productivity, creativity, and more. A sweet deal.

Is Blinkist better than Headway or vice versa?

The Blinkist vs. Headway debate highlights the varying needs of readers addressed by each app. Blinkist provides a variety of book summaries, sharing features, and assistive tools like AI and human guidance. Headway offers a cheaper, simpler, and fun path to consistent reading, with bite-sized extracts to reinforce whatever you learn from book summaries.

As someone who just started reading more frequently, I still find Headway a better option. However, I don’t doubt that Blinkist might entice me as my reading habit grows. I know your preferences will differ, so let me know which of these two apps would work better for your reading journey.

And if you choose Headway, you can find it on Setapp, a platform that simplifies finding and managing apps that enhance your Mac and iPhone experience. Setapp could help you get Headway and other complementary apps for less than you’d part with if you paid for each one separately. Try Headway with a 7-day free trial.