Books vs E-Books Calculator: Total 25-Year Cost in 2026

How books vs e-books is worked out

Physical books and e-books are priced on different things, so the fair comparison is the net cost over the same 25 years and the same number of books. The physical side buys the books and sells them back: the upfront is the books a year times the physical price, the gross is the upfront times 25, the resale is the books a year times the resale value times 25, and the net is the gross minus the resale. The e-book side buys the books and the reader: the upfront is the books a year times the e-book price plus one reader, the gross is the books a year times the e-book price times 25 plus five readers — a new reader every 5 years, so five readers over 25 years — and the net is the gross, because there is no resale. The net winner is the smaller net cost, and the gap between the two nets is how much the winner wins by.

At the defaults — 24 books a year, physical $18.00, e-book $10.00, reader $150.00, resale $2.00 — the physical upfront is 24 × $18.00 = $432.00, the physical gross is $432.00 × 25 = $10,800.00, the resale is 24 × $2.00 × 25 = $1,200.00, and the physical net is $10,800.00 − $1,200.00 = $9,600.00, or $384.00 a year. The e-books upfront is 24 × $10.00 + $150.00 = $390.00, the e-books gross is 24 × $10.00 × 25 + 5 × $150.00 = $6,750.00, and the e-books net is $6,750.00, or $270.00 a year — so the e-books win net by $9,600.00 − $6,750.00 = $2,850.00, and they win upfront by $432.00 − $390.00 = $42.00.

The worked example, line by line

Setup: 24 books a year, physical $18.00, e-book $10.00, reader $150.00, resale $2.00.

Line 1 — the physical upfront. 24 × $18.00 = $432.00.

Line 2 — the physical gross and resale. $432.00 × 25 = $10,800.00 gross, and 24 × $2.00 × 25 = $1,200.00 back from resale.

Line 3 — the physical net. $10,800.00 − $1,200.00 = $9,600.00, or $384.00 a year, which is $16.00 net per book.

Line 4 — the e-books upfront. 24 × $10.00 + $150.00 = $390.00.

Line 5 — the e-books gross and net. 24 × $10.00 × 25 + 5 × $150.00 = $6,750.00 gross, and with no resale the net is $6,750.00, or $270.00 a year, which is $11.25 per book all-in.

Line 6 — the net winner. $9,600.00 − $6,750.00 = $2,850.00 to the e-books. Upfront the e-books win by $432.00 − $390.00 = $42.00.

Every branch, checked

12 books a year: the physical gross falls to 12 × $18.00 × 25 = $5,400.00, the resale to $600.00, and the physical net to $4,800.00, or $192.00 a year, while the e-books net is $3,750.00, or $150.00 a year — so the e-books win net by $1,050.00. A lighter reader saves less in total, because there are fewer books to save on, but the e-books still win.

48 books a year: the physical gross rises to 48 × $18.00 × 25 = $21,600.00, the resale to $2,400.00, and the physical net to $19,200.00, or $768.00 a year, while the e-books net is $12,750.00, or $510.00 a year — so the e-books win net by $6,450.00. A heavier reader saves more, because every extra book costs $16.00 net as a physical book against $11.25 all-in as an e-book, and the $2.00 of resale does not close the gap.

Physical $12.00: the physical gross falls to 24 × $12.00 × 25 = $7,200.00, and the physical net to $6,000.00, or $240.00 a year, while the e-books net stays $6,750.00 — so the physical books win net by $750.00. Cheap physical books flip the answer: a paperback bought on sale, or a second-hand copy, can beat the e-book on price.

E-book $14.00: the e-books gross rises to 24 × $14.00 × 25 + $750.00 = $9,150.00, or $366.00 a year, while the physical net stays $9,600.00 — so the e-books win net by $450.00. Dear e-books narrow the gap, because the e-book price is most of the e-books cost, but at $14.00 they still win: the e-books only lose above the break-even price of $14.75 a book.

Resale $0: with no resale at all, the physical net is the whole $10,800.00 gross, or $432.00 a year, so the e-books win net by $4,050.00. A reader who keeps every book, or gives them away, gives the e-books their biggest win.

Extra — 36 books a year at physical $20.00, e-book $12.00, reader $200.00: the physical gross is 36 × $20.00 × 25 = $18,000.00, the resale is $1,800.00, and the physical net is $16,200.00, or $648.00 a year, while the e-books gross is 36 × $12.00 × 25 + 5 × $200.00 = $11,800.00, or $472.00 a year — so the e-books win net by $4,400.00. Dear books and a dear reader still leave the e-books ahead, because the reader is only $1,000.00 over 25 years.

Reverse — the break-evens: the physical books tie the e-books if they cost $13.25 a book — 600 × $13.25 − $1,200.00 = $6,750.00. The e-books tie the physical books if they cost $14.75 a book — 600 × $14.75 + $750.00 = $9,600.00. The reader ties the physical books if it costs $720.00 — $6,000.00 + 5 × $720.00 = $9,600.00. And the reading rate ties at 5 books a year: at 5 books a year both sides cost $2,000.00 net, and below 5 books a year the physical books win, because the reader is spread over too few books.

What the defaults assume

The model assumes the same number of books every year for 25 years, the same price for every book, and a new e-reader every 5 years, so five readers over 25 years. It assumes every physical book is sold back for the resale value entered, and that the e-books have no resale value at all. It leaves out the cost of the bookshelf, the cost of the phone or tablet you already own, library books, and the cost of the reader’s time — and it leaves out the pleasure of a paper book, which is not priced here. Rounding convention: money is rounded to cents, books per year to 2 decimals, and all figures are computed from unrounded values, rounded only for display.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The reader buying a first e-reader: they learn the e-books win by $2,850.00 over 25 years — $9,600.00 for physical books against $6,750.00 for e-books — so they know the reader pays for itself in the first year, and they know the e-books cost $11.25 a book all-in against $16.00 net a physical book.
• The light reader at 12 books a year: they learn the e-books win by $1,050.00 — $4,800.00 against $3,750.00 — so they know the e-books still win on a light reading habit, because the reader is only $750.00 over 25 years, and they check the break-even rate of 5 books a year before they decide.
• The bargain hunter buying physical books at $12.00: they learn the physical books win by $750.00 — $6,000.00 against $6,750.00 — so they know cheap paperbacks flip the answer, and they keep buying the paperback when it is on sale.
• The reader whose e-books cost $14.00: they learn the e-books still win, by $450.00 — $9,600.00 against $9,150.00 — so they know dear e-books narrow the gap but do not flip it, and they check the e-book price against the paperback before they buy, because above $14.75 the paperback wins.

Accuracy & limitations

The math is exact for the numbers you enter: the physical gross is the books a year times the physical price times 25, the resale is the books a year times the resale value times 25, the physical net is the gross minus the resale, and the e-books gross is the books a year times the e-book price times 25 plus five readers. What the model cannot do is price the feel of a paper book, or the shelf space it takes, or the library books that cost nothing: check whether you borrow books, because a library card makes both sides cheaper. It leaves out the bookshelf, the phone or tablet you already own, and the cost of the reader’s time. It assumes the same number of books every year for 25 years, which is a long time to hold one reading habit. For the same comparison by transport, see car vs bike commuting calculator; for the same comparison by laundry, see paper towels vs cloth towels.