Book reading apps bring delight and satisfaction to bookworms and book lovers. While nothing beats the smell of physical books, reading can be fun and convenient when using a smartphone or a tablet, especially when you're stuck in traffic when commuting. You may multitask while listening to your favorite book, thanks to audiobooks, which are also available in book reading apps.
Whether you have an iOS or an Android device, you can download most book reading apps for free. And there are quite a handful of options on the Apple Store and Google Play Store. If you're planning to download an app, be sure to check our top 10 recommendations and buying guide to know which factors to consider. To all the bookworms out there, let's begin!
Quick List - Top Book Reading Apps
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Table of Contents
Are you satisfied with free titles, or are you willing to pay extra to get a copy of your favorite eBooks? Well, the answer is up to you. To help you find the best book reading app, we listed down what you need to consider before deciding which one to download and purchase.
There are two types of book reading apps you will come across on Apple Store and Google Play Store. You will see the pros and cons of each type below.
Most reading apps are available for free, which is a great plus. But you'll notice that they only feature classic books, such as Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities, and the like. If you enjoy this genre of books, then you can stick with free reading apps.
Meanwhile, some free apps also offer the pay-per-book option to readers. You buy the eBook, and it's added to your library. The app publisher will charge your card that's linked to the Apple Store or Google Play Store. In short, you can buy one eBook at a time instead of paying for a subscription.
If you're a voracious reader, then getting a subscription is your best bet. You pay for a monthly or annual fee to have access to hundreds or even thousands of eBooks and audiobooks from your smartphone or tablet. Some of these apps can be accessed across all your devices.
A subscription varies per developer and app publisher, but the price starts from Php 400 to Php 600. However, despite having access to plenty of books, some may not function as an EPUB or PDF reader to downloaded books.
Book reading apps function as eBook and PDF readers. Check if the app supports the standard eBook formats like EPUB and PDF so you can open a file without transferring it to a computer. If you're an Apple user, their book reading app supports these formats. The same thing goes with Android users if they have Google Playbooks.
Meanwhile, Amazon's Kindle book reader supports MOBI and PDF formats. So before downloading an app, make sure to check how many eBook formats they support and read. Of course, the more supported formats, the better.
Although most book reading apps are available on iOS and Android devices, you might also want to consider their compatibility with Windows and Mac computers. This will give you more flexibility in accessing books, especially if you're a student or a teacher and need a large screen to open PDF and EPUB eBooks.
Some apps support automatic syncing and allow you to read and listen to digital books on multiple devices. For example, if you're reading page 54 on your smartphone and decide to launch the app on your tablet the next day, you can continue reading without interruptions.
Great book reading apps have additional features that will make your reading experience engaging and comfortable, whether it's daytime or nighttime. For instance, customizable brightness and contrast settings let you adjust the screen's display. Meanwhile, when you use the bookmark feature, it saves the pages that contain important texts for you.
The dark mode also helps in reducing battery consumption, especially if you're reading for long hours. Other reading apps also support audio voiceovers where you can activate them if you wish to listen rather than read. Customizable fonts make the texts more readable, whether it's a different font face or size.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Apple Apple Books | ![]() | Automatic Syncing for All Your Apple Devices | |
2 | Google LLC Google Play Books & Audiobooks | ![]() | The Ideal Book Reading App for Android Users | |
3 | Scribd, Inc. Scribd | ![]() | For Those Who Want to Browse Magazines and Some Articles, Too | |
4 | Amazon Mobile LLC Kindle | ![]() | Access Millions of Reading Materials From Amazon Prime | |
5 | Kobo Inc. Kobo Books | ![]() | Enjoy a Minimalist Interface and Adjustable Settings | |
6 | Epic Creations, Inc. Epic | ![]() | A Book Reader and Educational App for Kids 12 and Under | |
7 | Mantano Bookari | ![]() | Add Some Notes and Highlight Your Favorite Quotes | |
8 | De Marque Aldiko | ![]() | Great eBook Reader Designed for Android Devices | |
9 | Avisat Ltd. tiReader | ![]() | eBook Reader That's Designed for iPads | |
10 | Pocketbook International SA PocketBook Reader | ![]() | Simple to Use eBook Reader With an Audiobook Player |
Apple Books, previously called iBooks, is compatible with iOS and Mac devices. It's free to download, and it's automatically installed on every Apple smartphone and computer. You have access to classics within the ranks of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, to name a few.
Browse sections from fiction and literature and non-fiction books, and most of them are free. Apple Books offer free samples so you can preview first before downloading the eBooks. You can also open and read EPUB and PDF eBooks that you downloaded from other websites.
Other features that you will enjoy in this reading app are the Apple Watch integration, which lets you listen to your favorite books and automatic syncing for all devices. You may activate the auto-night theme for a comfortable reading session during the night.
Android users will surely enjoy this reading app, especially if they prefer buying one eBook, audiobook, comic, or manga at a time. Your options include hundreds of best-selling eBooks, audiobooks, and even textbooks. You can always preview the item before buying it, and you may buy some of the selected bundles to save more.
It supports offline reading and listening, so download your favorite books and activate airplane mode if you want to have a digital detox and focus on reading your book. It offers personalized recommendations for free and paid titles.
Aside from iOS and Android platforms, you can also listen and read using your web browser. Customize the fonts as you wish, including the font type, margins, and text alignments for a better reading experience. For comic readers, the Bubble Zoom makes it easier to read comics vividly on mobile devices.
Aside from eBooks and audiobooks, with Scribd, you can also listen to different podcasts, browse magazines, and read articles & sheet music selections. Take note that you need a monthly subscription to enjoy these contents, but if you love learning new stuff, then this app is an investment worth paying.
You can link and sync up to 6 devices and enjoy the offline reading and listening feature. This is also great for families since everyone can share one account. The genres of eBooks and audiobooks include fiction, crime, science fiction, personal growth, children, cookbooks, travel, and more.
It comes with an audiobook listener where you can adjust the narration speed to digest the information well. During the night, you may also set a sleep timer. The eBook reader supports bookmarks, annotations, notes, as well as font size and background color customization.
Buy your digital books on Amazon and open them using this book reading app on any device; you don't need to have the original Kindle! The app is compatible with iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac devices. You'll have an endless list of fiction and non-fiction books and magazines, especially if you have an Amazon Prime account that costs around Php 663 per month.
If you don't want to spend that much, you can always stick with the free eBooks on Amazon and enjoy reading the classics, such as the Jane Austen Collection. When it comes to customization, you can adjust the font size and style, margins, and alignments to make the texts more readable.
You may also change the orientation: portrait or landscape, for a pleasant reading experience on your tablet and computer. It has a built-in dictionary so you can check out those unfamiliar words you encounter when reading a book.
Kobo has the same concept as Amazon Kindle. Whatever eBooks and audiobooks you buy on the Kobo store will automatically appear in the reading app. Buy eBooks per piece, or you can subscribe to Kobo Plus Read Subscription for around Php 500 or $9.99 per month to access thousands of books.
Kobo has a minimalist user interface, so you can enjoy reading clear texts. It allows you to adjust the font style and size and activate the night mode for comfortable reading before bedtime. If you're using a tablet, you may even change the display from portrait to landscape mode at your convenience.
You can choose your preferred color when highlighting texts that you love. And if you don't know the meaning of a word you just read, you can highlight it as well, and a built-in dictionary will define it for you.
Epic is an excellent app for kids under 12, providing access to over 40,000 high-quality books and videos. Your kid can also enjoy a wide selection of Read-To-Me books and audiobooks. There is even an option to download the books, so your child can read their favorite stories offline.
It is also free to download, but you can subscribe to its monthly or annual plans for full access. Subscribers can create multiple profiles, receiving personalized recommendations based on each child's habits and interests. This app is incredibly useful for homeschooling as it offers educational and non-fiction books in various languages like Spanish, French, and Chinese.
Bookari is a complete eBook reader app that supports EPUB and PDF eBook formats. It's compatible with iOS and Android devices and allows you to sync all your digital books seamlessly. Moreover, you can use the free Chrome extension if you want to read using your web browser.
Listen to your books and adjust the speed, volume, and pitch as you read along. Read and add annotations so you won't miss any important content. Organize your library by editing the title, author and add tags to find the eBooks quickly. The library has three options for viewing eBooks: lists, details, and thumbnails.
If you're looking for a flexible and rich display eBook reader, this is a good option as it features unique customizations for a comfortable reading session. You can add bookmarks, highlights, notes, and underlines. For notes, you can use the pinnable navigation panel while reading the texts on the other side of the screen.
For loyal Android users, here's an eBook reader that lets you read EPUB and PDF formats, including Adobe DRM encrypted eBooks. More than 30 million users are already using it, and this app also supports eBooks that public libraries offer. You may browse its vast collection of books, from classics to bestsellers.
If you're using a tablet, you can use the portrait or landscape reading mode and activate the night mode if you're reading before bedtime. You can customize your reading experience by changing the font style and size, background colors, brightness, and alignment to suit your preference.
You can also import your eBooks in EPUB and PDF formats from third-party websites and open them using this app. It features a thumbnail view for eBooks so you can scroll and find the book quickly. Aldiko also remembers the page you last read, ensuring you can continue what you're reading anytime.
If you're using an iPad, tiReader is the best option for a rich display of texts that comes with a customizable reading experience for eBooks, comics, manga, and photo albums. The full version costs only P250, and it supports popular digital books formats such as EPUB, MOBI, PDF, and FB2.
You have access to plenty of books from the OPDS-catalogs from different publications and Calibre servers for free. Of course, you can always import your favorite digital books from your cloud storage or download them from third-party websites. In case you're using multiple devices, tiReader will sync all your reading activities using iCloud.
It features multiple color bookmarking and annotations so you can categorize your thoughts and texts. You may also change the font style and color themes. It has search, tags, and filtering options, so it's easy to track books and texts.
PocketBook is a simple EPUB reader with basic customizable settings and allows you to access free eBooks, magazines, and audiobooks. It supports standard eBook formats like EPUB, PDF, FB2, CBZ, MOBI, and CBR. If you love reading comics, you can also open them using PocketBook.
If you're using multiple devices, all your books in this app are saved in the cloud. It's easy to find files and eBooks using its smart search. It features an audiobooks player if you like listening to your favorite book rather than reading it while running some errands.
Now, if you're going to use this as an eBook reader, you can download EPUB eBooks from third-party websites and use the app to read them. For a pleasant reading experience, you may change the text alignment, line spacing, and margin size. You may also customize the background or theme and activate the night mode for bedtime reading.
Whether you're a student, a professional, or a businessperson, you can always count on these apps to make learning a lifelong journey. Stay productive anytime and anywhere with your smartphone. Here are some of the apps that we highly recommend.
With book reading apps, you can take your favorite eBooks and audiobooks anywhere with you. You'll have access to thousands of eBooks and also use it to read other eBooks you downloaded in EPUB and PDF formats. Some apps even allow for customization for a more comfortable reading session.
Whether you'll be using it for studying or for pleasure reading, we hope this article has helped you find the best book reading app that matches your reading habits. Happy reading!
Author: Maria Krisette Capati-Lim
Editor: Ayeza Mangulabnan
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No. 1: Apple|Apple Books
No. 2: Google LLC|Google Play Books & Audiobooks
No. 3: Scribd, Inc.|Scribd
No. 4: Amazon Mobile LLC|Kindle
No. 5: Kobo Inc.|Kobo Books
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