Cheapest Way to Buy University Textbooks in the UK (2026/27)

Quick answer: the cheapest textbook is the one you don't have to buy. Check your library and open textbooks first. For books you need to own, buy the exact ISBN second-hand and compare delivered prices, then sell it on when you finish. On UniBookTrade, used copies are typically 40–60% below RRP and sometimes up to 70% less.

A bargain stops being one if it has the wrong exercises, missing chapters or an access code that can't be reused. Split your list into required and optional books, then copy the ISBNs. The free Reading List Checker checks several ISBNs against UBT's catalogue and lets you set alerts for missing copies. To estimate what you'd save across a whole list, try the textbook savings calculator, or see what new and used copies cost by subject in our reading list cost report.

The cheapest routes, in order

Check whether you need to buy at all

Search your university library catalogue for print and licensed digital copies. Check the loan length, how many people can read an e-book at once, and whether you can download it. These vary by university and title. Ask about inter-library loans and whether they cost anything.

Ask your tutor which books are essential and whether another edition is acceptable. For a fuller method, see do you need textbooks for uni?

Compare used copies of the same ISBN

Search UBT's books and compare the same edition on other second-hand textbook websites. Add postage and any buyer fee. eBay, for example, adds a Buyer Protection fee to private-seller listings, and Vinted adds a fee at checkout. For each option, note the ISBN, format, delivered price, condition, delivery date and protection terms.

UBT's buyer price already includes delivery and buyer protection. Stock varies, and UBT won't always be the cheapest option.

Older and international editions

A matching title doesn't prove an older book is suitable. Chapters, page references and exercises can change. Ask your tutor before swapping an edition on a required reading list.

Treat an international edition as a separate product until you've checked its ISBN, chapters and exercises. Our ISBN and edition checklist explains what to compare.

If you need online exercises, check whether a used book's code is unused, transferable and still valid. If you would have to buy access separately, add that to the cost.

Course-specific advice

• January starters: your reading list may only appear days before term. See starting university in January for how to get the right books quickly.
• Open University: the OU doesn't sell set books, and a previous student's box may be for a different presentation. Use the OU buying checklist.
• Medicine: the core clinical texts update every few years, so one edition old is often fine for core science. Our medical textbook guide covers current editions.
• ACCA: most 2026/27 papers had little or no syllabus change, but TX and ATX follow the Finance Act. See can you use last year's ACCA study text?
• SQE: SQE1 changes format from January 2027. Check the sitting before buying practice books; see our used SQE book checklist.
• CIMA and AAT: CIMA editions follow the calendar year; most AAT non-tax units stay stable. See the CIMA and AAT guide.

Free alternatives and subscriptions

OpenStax and the Open Textbook Library offer free, openly licensed textbooks, especially for introductory subjects. Check that a title covers your syllabus: a free book on the same subject isn't automatically a substitute.

Before paying for a subscription, check that it has your exact titles, how long you'll have access and how to cancel. Compare it with the cost of buying for the whole period you need.

Resale lowers the real cost

When you finish, list the books you no longer need. Selling is free on UBT, so a book bought used and sold on can cost very little overall. Don't count on resale when you buy, though: the price and timing aren't guaranteed.

Check your reading list or browse available books.