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Comparison

ThriftBooks vs AbeBooks

ThriftBooks lands on Worth it, and AbeBooks lands on Depends.

ThriftBooks

thriftbooks.com

Worth it

Confidence: Medium

Buy if you're a budget reader who wants cheap used books and can tolerate occasional condition-grading or support hiccups.

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AbeBooks

Depends

Confidence: Medium

Buy if you want cheap used or hard-to-find books and will vet individual sellers first.

Read the full report

ThriftBooks versus AbeBooks
Compare	ThriftBooks	AbeBooks
Verdict	Worth it	Depends
Best for	Bargain readers	Bargain used-book hunters
Who it's not for	Collectors and gift-givers needing pristine copies	Collectors needing guaranteed condition or easy refunds
Privacy	No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.¹¹	No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.
Support quality	1.4/5 ComplaintsBoard; BBB and PissedConsumer complaints	Complaint threads call support unhelpful
Public sentiment	Budget readers praise low prices and selection, while complaint sites flag condition grading and weak support.^¹	Selection and prices win praise, while a vocal minority reports seller problems and weak support.¹⁶
Biggest gotcha	Condition grades are inconsistent . 'Like New' copies can arrive worn or with missing pages.^²	Dispute threads describe slow, unhelpful resolution when orders arrive wrong.

Pick ThriftBooks when

Bargain readers
Casual bulk reading
Out-of-print title hunting
Everyday paperback restocking

When ThriftBooks is not a fit

Collectors and gift-givers needing pristine copies
Rare-book buyers needing vetted condition reports
Sellers expecting guaranteed buyback payouts
Buyers unwilling to dispute damaged orders with support

Pick AbeBooks when

Bargain used-book hunters
Textbook buyers
Out-of-print book searches

When AbeBooks is not a fit

Collectors needing guaranteed condition or easy refunds
Anyone unwilling to vet individual sellers first
Sellers wanting responsive platform support

Sources

Great experience with my first order : r/Thriftbooksreddit.com
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Thrift Books Reviews | 842 Reviews of Thriftbooks.comresellerratings.com
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ThriftBooks Readers Reviews and Complaints 2026complaintsboard.com
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Thrift Books Global, LLC | BBB Complaintsbbb.org
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Get cheap books on ThriftBooks : r/Frugalreddit.com
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I'm sick and tired of buying "Like New" books from...reddit.com
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Buy Back Program : r/Thriftbooksreddit.com
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Ordered from thrift books and not impressed… : r/Romantasyreddit.com
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Shipping Informationthriftbooks.com
official
ThriftBooks: New & Used Books - App Storeapps.apple.com
official
Product security pagethriftbooks.com
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Read Customer Service Reviews of thriftybooks.comtrustpilot.com
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ThriftBooks Launches BuyBack Programbooksnreview.com
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How ThriftBooks uses loyalty and tech to fend off competitionmodernretail.co
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ThriftBooks Review - Must Read This Before Buyinghonestbrandreviews.com
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Read Customer Service Reviews of www.abebooks.comtrustpilot.com
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