When reading a book, only one experience matters, the book itself. And nothing beats a good book app. The best apps to read free books and audiobooks allow you to download them. You can then sync your books with the library app on your phone, read them offline, and read them while you travel.
They also make reading on the go easy by organizing your books into collections and giving recommendations based on what kind of reader you are. But choosing an app can be hard! To help you with that decision-making process, we’ve created this extensive guide covering the different types of book apps to read free books available today.
How to choose among the different Book Reading apps?
If you’re a book lover, there are plenty of reading apps. You can choose an app that provides access to a library filled with downloadable e-books or allows you to open third-party e-book files on your devices. When choosing an ebook reader app, ensure the features satisfy your reading needs. Consider factors such as free or paid e-book availability and the app’s ability to read books in multiple formats. Also, consider features such as bookmarks, font size, and brightness.
The type of reader you are will also play a role in your choice of apps to read free books. For example, if you prefer reading on a tablet, look for an app capable of reading books on bigger screens. Also, consider whether you want to read on your phone or computer, a book reader app with bells and whistles, or one that’s simpler and more affordable. Finally, consider the device you’re using and any limitations imposed by the operating system.
18 Best Apps To Read Free Books
There are several free reading apps available on the market today. The apps to read free books provide users free access to a wide range of books, audiobooks, and ebooks. Users can also download audiobooks onto their devices using these free reading apps. Besides, offline access to ebooks and audiobooks is available with the paid versions of these apps.
1. Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle is one of the best apps to read free books that allows users to download and use e-books from Amazon’s library on their smartphone or tablet. It is available for Android, iOS, Windows, and Blackberry devices. With the Amazon Kindle app, readers can access their Kindle ebooks on any device and sync their reading progress across devices. Additionally, the app offers some free ebooks to read. The main advantage of the Amazon Kindle app is that it enables users to access their e-books from anywhere at any time.
Another great feature of the Amazon Kindle app is its integration with the Goodreads book-lover social network, which allows users to share highlights and reviews of their favorite books. Amazon Kindle is a great choice if you are looking for a free reading app that supports e-book reading.
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2. Scribd
Scribd is a free reading app that offers a huge selection of digital content, including ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and news articles. It allows readers to continue reading on different devices through synchronization.
Scribd also offers a free trial period of up to 30 days, so you can try the app before committing to a subscription. The app is available for download on the website, iPhone, and Android devices. Whether you’re looking for a good read or a good stream- Scribd has got you covered and is one of the best apps to read free books.
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3. Oodles
Oodles is a free ebook reader that offers users a collection of over 50,000 books from various genres, such as fiction, romance, self-help, and fantasy. The app is available in English and supports more than 10 different languages. It has a user-friendly interface that allows readers to customize features such as font size, style, and background color. Besides, it has an efficient search functionality that makes it easy to find specific books.
Besides reading free ebooks, Oodles also supports sharing book recommendations with friends and libraries via social media platforms. The app is free to download from Android and iOS devices and is one of the best apps to read free books.
4. Libby
Libby is one of the best apps to read free books developed by Overdrive, which provides library services. It allows users to access their library books and download them for free. The app is supported by over 90% of public libraries in North America and can be found in 78 different countries around the world.
It allows users to read across devices and sync their reading progress with iOS devices. This app is a great way to free up space on your phone and save money while accessing free books. It’s free and easy to download, so you can start reading today!
5. KoboBooks
KoboBooks is a free e-book app that offers users free access to over 500 titles without paying any charges. It allows users to adjust the font size, night/day mode, and reading style for a personalized reading experience.
The app also features built-in tools such as a dictionary, note-taking, and highlighting capabilities, making it easy to mark passages you want to remember or look up later. Aside from free e-books, KoboBooks also offers paid subscription options for users who want unlimited access to the library’s collection of over 1 million titles.
Besides free reading apps, many other free e-book services are available online. Before choosing one, consider factors such as price, content, and user interface.
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6. Wattpad
Wattpad is a social reading platform that allows users to share their thoughts as they read. It is a great place to discover new books and authors, particularly self-published authors who have yet to gain widespread recognition. The site has over 80 million readers worldwide, making it a popular forum for exchanging ideas and engaging in passionate discussions about their chosen books.
Wattpad offers free access to its content, but premium features such as offline reading and bookmarks are available only through a subscription. However, users can download the free app and use these features without subscribing. Overall, Wattpad is a great place to find and share book reviews and thought-provoking commentary while reading.
7. Barnes & Noble NOOK
Nook is one of the best apps to read free books for iOS and Android that allows users to download newspapers, magazines, articles, books, and other content. It features a serial reading experience, a user-friendly interface, and customization tools such as zooming and font changing.
Barnes & Noble Nook allows users to access books from Barnes & Noble bookstores and an integrated store for magazines, newspapers, and comics. It also has its own in-app store for purchasing books. The app enables cloud syncing across devices so users can easily access their reading progress on different devices. Overall, Nook is a free e-reading app that provides convenient reading access anywhere, anytime.
8. Litsy
Litsy is one of the best apps to read free books, allowing readers to connect with other readers and authors. It offers free access to novels, from bestsellers to upcoming releases. Litsy also has in-app purchases, MyeBooksFree, and Gospel Library BetaFree features for free.
Litsy has various features to make reading more enjoyable, such as an audiobook player, bookmarks, page highlights, and download books for offline reading. It has a library with over one million titles, and users can personalize the app with different font types, sizes, and line spacing.
Litsy also has a split-screen mode that allows users to read multiple books or documents simultaneously. The app is easy to use and has many features to help readers enjoy their favorite genres and stay engaged with the book world.
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9. Inkitt
Inkitt is a free book reading app that offers thousands of free novels across various genres. It allows users to download and read books offline and get book recommendations based on their search history and reading preference.
Inkitt is popular for novels, especially best-selling and upcoming ones. It also offers in-app purchases and MyeBooks for free, allowing users to save their favorite books for later reading. Overall, Inkitt is one of the best apps for reading free books, offering readers freedom everywhere.
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10. Hoopla
Hoopla is a free app for Android, iOS and iPad that allows users to access audiobooks, eBooks, comics, and more from their local library. With Hoopla, users can stream materials instantly or download and save them for later. They can also sync the app across devices and view progress on different devices. Hoopla currently offers over 2 million audiobooks and over 270,000 eBooks in its library. Additionally, the app provides extensive content in places beyond just local libraries, including bookstores, universities, and streaming services like Spotify.
Users must have a valid library card to access Hoople’s resources. But with Hoopla, users can stream audiobooks instantly or download and save for later. They can also sync the app across devices and view progress on different devices. One of the best apps to read free books, it is a great way for users to access audiobooks on Android or iOS devices.
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11. cloudLibrary by Bibliotheca Ltd
CloudShelf Reader is a free reading app that allows users to access books and digital publications in EPUB format. It supports many different file formats, allowing users to download and read books in various formats without having to download the entire book. The app includes various features to make reading easier, such as auto-paginated text for easy navigation, a fixed layout for a consistent reading experience, video/audio content, augmented reality content, and text-to-speech capabilities.
With CloudShelf Reader, you can highlight passages and make notes while reading your favorite book from anywhere in the world. The app is compatible with Android and iOS devices and supports multiple languages. This is one of the best apps to read free books and will help you stay up-to-date with your favorite books anytime.
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12. Aldiko
Aldiko is one of the best apps to read free books, available on Android and iOS devices, which supports a range of e-book formats like EPUB, PDF, and Adobe DRM. The free version of the app allows users to access a library of over 1.2 million books, with books available in multiple languages such as English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian.
Aldiko features include checking the progress of your reading, adding bookmarks, adjusting the screen display size, and managing the library through tags/collections. The app also allows you to download e-books for offline reading. This is useful if you are traveling or have limited internet access. Overall, Aldiko is an excellent free reading app for those who love to read e-books on their mobile devices.
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13. FBReader
FBReader is one of the best apps to read free books available for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Chrome OS, which supports various ebook formats, including ePub, Mobi, fb2, HTML, and RTF. It lets users upload books from other sources and synchronize their book collections and reading positions across devices.
The free version of FBReader offers several useful features, including a text-to-speech reader, translator, and built-in support for PDF and comic book formats. If you are looking for an app that offers advanced reading features without draining your budget, the premium version of FBReader may be worth checking out. It provides additional features such as bookmarking and highlighting, font size adjustment, page-turning speed adjustment, and night mode for a more comfortable reading experience.
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14. Goodreads
Goodreads is a popular reading and writing community offering free books. It allows users to track what books they have read, review the book, and follow their favorite authors. The Goodreads app offers a personalized reading experience with progress bars, cover scans, and book recommendations. Users can browse free books, find new books to read and check for literary events nearby. With the Goodreads app, readers can stay up-to-date on the latest best-selling novels, release dates, and more.
Goodreads is one of the best apps to read free books compatible with both Android and iOS devices, allowing it to be accessible from anywhere in the world. Whether at home or work, having access to this free book library has never been so convenient!
15. LibriVox
LibriVox is an app that provides free audiobooks and other reading materials. It is available for both Android and iOS devices.
The app offers in-app purchases allowing users to access cloud content. It supports ebook formats, including ePUB, PDF, mobi, txt, doc, docx, and HTML. In addition to free audiobooks and other reading materials, LibriVox also offers tools that make it easier for users to save and organize their books. It supports font customization, theme customization, page-turning, and chapter-heading viewing.
This app is a great resource for book lovers of all ages who want to expand their reading list or experience free audiobooks online. It allows users to download free audiobooks on the go and access them from anywhere.
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16. Google Play Books
Google Play Books is a free book reading app with over five million books and audiobooks available for download on Android and iOS devices. A Google product, it supports various formats, including EPUB and PDF, allowing users to download and read book files in their preferred format. The app can also be used on the web. It supports Adobe Digital Editions, a web browser that allows users to enable reading from digital book files easily.
Users can download free ebooks in PDF or EPUB file formats and easily read them on Google Play Books. Additionally, the app supports up to 2,000 ebooks in various formats. With over five million free books available at your fingertips, Google Play Books will surely have something for everyone. It is one of the best apps to read free books.
17. Apple Books
Apple Books is a free ebook and audiobook reader available for Apple devices. It lets users purchase and download ebooks and audiobooks from Apple’s bookstore. The app provides users with features to adjust the font type and size, theme, and brightness, bookmark pages, annotate text, make notes, and search for specific words or page numbers. With Apple Books, users can enjoy a seamless reading experience across different devices.
It’s free to download and free to use, making it an ideal reading app for any smartphone user. Whether you’re reading on your iPhone or tablet or listening to an audiobook on your Mac or PC, Apple Books has you covered.
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18. OverDrive
OverDrive is a free library app that provides free access to books and in-app purchases for additional content. OverDrive apps allow users to download ebooks and audiobooks for offline reading. Users can also stream audiobooks over the internet using the app. Besides, some apps allow users to listen to audiobooks in their cars through a Bluetooth connection. OverDrive apps enable users to read free books from over 150,000 libraries globally. This free library app is available on various platforms, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Besides OverDrive, many other free library apps are available that provide free access to books and in-app purchases for additional content. These apps allow users to download ebooks and audiobooks for offline reading or stream audiobooks online. They provide an easy way to access public library collections and save space on devices by allowing users to download books instead of reading them from within the app itself.
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Bonus: 5 Book Reading Apps With Monthly Subscriptions
With more and more book-reading apps coming into existence, reading free books on the go has become a lot easier. But before going ahead with any book reading app, it is vital to understand its specific features and benefits. Let’s check out the list of book reading apps with monthly subscriptions.
1. Blinkist
Blinkist offers a monthly subscription of $7.49, allowing users to access the app’s library of bestsellers and highlight texts with Evernote. The app also has audio versions of books, allowing subscribers to download books for offline reading.
Subscribers can also take advantage of the free trial offered by Blinkist before committing to a subscription. This allows users to try out the app free for a limited period of time before committing to a monthly subscription. As a result, subscribers can enjoy unlimited access to the library of bestsellers and highlight texts with Evernote without paying for a subscription upfront.
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2. Audible
Audible offers a monthly subscription service for audiobooks with different levels to suit different listening paces. The Audio Books & Ebooks Reader: Voice aloud and BibliovoreFree offer in-app purchases for a monthly subscription, allowing users to enjoy free audiobook titles and download more for a small fee. This allows users to continuously access new audiobook titles without paying for each one individually.
Audible has an extensive library of audiobook titles that can be streamed or downloaded for free with the in-app purchase option. Some popular titles include classic novels like Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter and modern bestsellers like The Martian by Andy Weir and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. As an added bonus, all users automatically receive free download options for any audiobook title they download, allowing them to experience new audiobook genres and authors easily.
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3. Epic!
Epic! is a monthly subscription book reading app available for iOS and Android users. It is designed to help young readers learn and have fun while reading. The book reading app offers quizzes at the end of each book, which helps improve reading skills and enjoyment.
The app provides users with free eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines to download for free. It also has 75,000 free eBooks to download for free. Additionally, it has audiobooks from over 250 popular narrators, including Neil deGrasse Tyson and Madeleine L’Engle.
The subscription price for Epic! is $9.99/month, but users can get a free trial if they want to try the app out first.
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4. ComiXology
ComiXology is a premier digital platform for reading comics and graphic novels. Its monthly subscription service provides access to over 100,000 comics, manga, and graphic novels. With its subscription service, ComiXology saves subscribers’ progress in reading books across devices, making it convenient to read comics on the go. Subscribers can save their comics offline for reading on the go or sync them up with their personal library.
The subscription also allows subscribers to save books to read later at their convenience. ComiXology is available only in the United States, so non-Americans looking to get into comics may have trouble finding suitable reading material. ComiXology is a reliable platform for comic book reading enthusiasts who want access to over 100,000 titles from various genres and publishers.
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5. Serial Reader
Serial Reader is one of the best book reading apps for Android and iOS users, allowing them to read books in 15-minute increments. It is free to download and use with a subscription plan of $2.99 per month. Serial Reader differs from Blinkist, focusing on classic literature rather than non-fiction. It contains more than 850 books divided into bite-sized chunks, making it a great app for people who want to read a book daily without spending hours reading through a book cover-to-cover.
Its intuitive interface makes reading through the app simple and enjoyable, and it contains features like bookmarks, highlights, and notes that allow users to revisit their favorite parts of their reading experience. Overall, Serial Reader is a top choice for Android users who wish to make reading a daily habit.
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Summing It Up
Reading free books on the app is not as easy as reading paid ones. To download books on the app, you must have an e-book reader with Wi-Fi and download the book to your device before reading it. However, if you don’t want to spend money on buying ebooks or audiobooks, these free reading apps are a good alternative.
Among the best apps to read free books on the go is Goodreads. This app enables book lovers to discuss their favorite novels and connect with other readers across the globe. If you’re interested in reading eBooks and audiobooks on your smartphone without spending any money, you can go with Dynamic Reader Free and eBible StudyFree. These apps offer over 30k ebooks and audiobooks to choose from at no cost. With so many free reading apps available, reading on the go has never been this easy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of reading free ebooks?
Reading free ebooks has many benefits, the most notable of which is that you can access a wide variety of books without paying any cost. Audiobooks can be enjoyed in your car with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, or a Bluetooth connection. You can conveniently synchronize loans, notes, bookmarks, and reading progress across devices. Finally, new eBooks are periodically fed to your device through feeds so that you never run out of content.
How do you choose an app to read free books?
To find an app that offers free books, you should first check the app’s ratings and reviews. Additionally, ensure the app has an offline access feature to store your books even if you’re not connected to the internet. After downloading and installing, you may want to adjust the font size and color for the optimum reading experience. Finally, consider subscription options that offer video libraries and Amazon Prime access. This will allow you to read multiple books simultaneously without having to carry them around with you.
Is there any other app besides iBooks and Kindle that can be used for reading free books?
Yes, readers can also download free books through different reading apps such as Google Play Books. Google Play Books is a free reading app that offers millions of ebooks, textbooks, audiobooks, comics, and manga. Users can also take notes, sync them with Google Drive, and share them with colleagues and friends. Readers can also preview sample pages of some ebooks and get email notifications about new releases from favorite authors and when wish-listed books go on sale.
Are there any drawbacks to using an app to read free books?
There are a few drawbacks to using free reading apps. For one, some apps may require a subscription fee after a free trial. Some free reading apps may also have hidden inconveniences or offer poor services. For example, some free reading apps may only offer limited books to users and may not have any books available offline.
As for ads in free reading apps, this is unfortunately common in many app stores. Ads can also be intrusive and take up a lot of space on the app’s interface. Lastly, some free reading apps may have limited availability of books or may not offer any books at all.
Which is better: a book app or an ebook app?
The verdict on book apps and ebook apps is still in debate, but in general, ebook apps tend to offer more features than book apps. For example, ebook apps often have a wider range of content available for free, including exclusive books not available through book apps. Moreover, ebook apps are usually available on more platforms than book apps.
