The 15 Best Reading Apps for Book Lovers

Looking for the best reading apps for book lovers? We’ve gathered the top options on Android and iOS. 

Reading apps have become a mainstay for book lovers these days. With them, readers can take books with them wherever they go, reading them on phones, tablets, and other devices and listening to them in their cars or other times when they’re on the go.

There are a lot of different reading apps available out there, some free and some with different fee setups, and their popularity is only growing. Instead of going to your local library or bookstore for books, you can access free online libraries with some apps.

Downloads also make reading apps so popular. No internet connection? That’s okay! Ahead of time, you can download free books, purchased novels, ebooks, non-fiction, subscriptions, audiobooks, graphic novels, comics, and so much more.

Most reading apps are compatible with both Android devices and iOS devices, so whether you’re using your Samsung phone, iPad, iPhone, Kindle, or other device, you can be good to go with your favorite reads. Many also allow you to store app purchases in the cloud.

Following are the 15 best reading apps for book lovers. Ready, set, read!

1. Amazon Kindle App

The Amazon Kindle app is one of the most popular reading apps. Like most other reading apps, it lets you keep bookmarks, tracks your reading progress, and lets you adjust font size and screen brightness.

You can also make highlights and adjust the margins to note important passages and improve reading ease. Access to an online dictionary helps with the comprehension of unfamiliar words.

The Amazon Kindle also comes in a variety of sizes and styles, including the Kindle Fire, a fully functioning tablet. Kindle Unlimited opens up even more user options, especially for those who read voraciously and download a lot of books. Kindle books also have lots of options for kids, from chapter books to simpler offerings that help them practice sight words.

2. Google Play Books

This reader app platform is nearly identical to Amazon Kindle in features and selection. Amazon tends to be a little cheaper, and Google Play Books does not currently have a subscription service like Amazon Unlimited.

3. Apple Books

What you get with Apple Books is very similar to what you get with Amazon Kindle and Google Play Books. One big difference many report is a smoother user experience with Apple Books.

Whichever system you’re using, be aware that those companies don’t have a reputation for “playing nice” with each other when it comes to content. For example, you can’t purchase or download Apple Books with your Kindle.

4. NOOK

The NOOK is the ebook reader offered by Barnes & Noble, and its main competitor is the Kindle. While the NOOK works well, many prefer the Kindle overall because there are more styles to choose from, there is more content to access, and the Kindle is faster and easier to use.

5. Audible

This app lets you purchase and download titles from Audible.com. You can purchase titles at full price without a membership, or you can sign up for one of their membership plans. Audible is a popular app for listening to podcasts as well.

6. Kobo

Kobo is a Canadian company that sells ebooks and audiobooks. They also make their own e-readers and tablets. More than 6 million ebooks and audiobooks are available. If you’re wondering about the name, it’s an anagram of “book.”

7. PocketBook Reader

If you’re looking for a free reading app that gives you access to all reading formats and to audiobooks as well, this might be one for you to check out. It’s available in both the Google Play Store and the Apple Store, so it’s compatible with any Android or iOS device, but most Amazon content isn’t available for it.

8. Libby

If only there were a way to borrow ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines from your local library. Well, there is, and this app is one of the best of them for it! With a WI-FI or mobile data connection, you can stream titles, but you can also download them for offline enjoyment.

9. Epic

Kids love reading on devices, too! Popular with schools, Epic is the largest digital library in the world built just for kids. It’s a fun, safe app that offers interactive reading, fueling learning, curiosity, imagination, and more.

Epic provides instant access to more than 40,000 books, audiobooks, learning videos, etc., and kids can explore it freely since the content is vetted as kid-safe.

10. Media365

Media365 bills itself as “Where all good stories begin!” Avid readers can find great titles among all genres, and when they join, they can enjoy free 7-day access to everything in the catalog. Media365 is available at the Google Play Store and the Apple Store.

11. FullReader

This Android app is available at the Google Play Store. It’s a multifunctional app with which you can open PDF and DjVu files, comics, and magazines. You can also use it to play audiobooks and to work on documents on tablets and smartphones.

12. AIReader

Available for Android and iOS, this app will open almost any type of document file, even text in a compressed file. Even better, you can have the app read text aloud to you.

13. ReadEra

With ReadEra, you can read more than one book, document, or journal at once. For example, you can read two texts at once in a split-screen format so that you don’t have to go back and forth between tabs or windows. It’s available on Google Play.

14. BookFunnel

This service delivered book files to readers. Indie authors like it because they can distribute their ebooks and audiobooks without the hassles of trying to work with big publishers. If there’s an author you like, you can arrange to have new titles by that author delivered automatically.

15. Scribd

This fee-based subscription service has millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and documents available. Because it’s available on Android, iOS, Kindle, and NOOK, it’s a highly versatile service.

In Conclusion

Reader apps can be broad in their applications or tailored to more specific audiences or interests. With all that is out there, you shouldn’t have trouble finding one or a few that work great for you.

Say goodbye to lugging books around and wondering what to do with them once you’ve finished them!

Read More:

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• Why Is Reading Important? 20 Powerful Benefits of Reading Books