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!
Thanks to the internet, thousands of digital books and audiobooks are only a few taps and clicks away. To help you get started, here are our top picks on the best book reading apps that you can download or purchase.
**Prices may vary depending on the website and their campaign period**
From ₱0
Type | Free to Download With Free Books |
---|---|
Supported Formats | EPUB and PDF |
Compatibility | iOS and Mac |
Highlights | Compatible With Apple Watch, Automatic Syncing for All Devices, Auto-Night Theme |
From ₱0
Type | App Is Free to Download, Comes With Free Books, Pay-Per-Book Option on Some Titles |
---|---|
Supported Formats | EPUB and PDF |
Compatibility | Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac |
Highlights | Personalized Recommendations, Supports Offline Reading and Listening, Bubble Zoom for Comics |
From ₱129
Type | Monthly Subscription (Start With a 30-Day Free Trial) |
---|---|
Supported Formats | EPUB |
Compatibility | Android and iOS |
Highlights | Sync Up to 6 Devices, Audiobook Listener, Supports Bookmarks and Annotations |
From ₱0
Type | Free to Download With Free eBooks, Get a Monthly Amazon Prime Subscription to Access More Content |
---|---|
Supported Formats | PDF and MOBI |
Compatibility | iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac |
Highlights | Access to eBooks, Audiobooks, Magazines, and Comics |
From ₱0
Type | Free to Download With Free eBooks, Get a Monthly Subscription to Access More Content |
---|---|
Supported Formats | EPUB and PDF |
Compatibility | iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac |
Highlights | Customizable Fonts and Screen Display |
Kids' Books and Videos
From ₱0
Type | Free to Download, Get a Monthly or Annual Subscription for Full Access to Contents |
---|---|
Supported Formats | Not Specified |
Compatibility | iOS and Android |
Highlights | More Than 40,000 High-Quality eBooks, Audiobooks, Read-to-Me Books, Quizzes, and Interactive Videos, Badges and Rewards for Consistent Reading |
From ₱0
Type | Free to Download |
---|---|
Supported Formats | EPUB and PDF |
Compatibility | iOS and Android |
Highlights | Synched Bookshelves, Add Bookmarks, Highlights, Notes, and Underlines |
From ₱0
Type | Free to Download |
---|---|
Supported Formats | EPUB and PDF |
Compatibility | Android |
Highlights | Thumbnail View for eBooks, Import Your eBooks in EPUB and PDF Formats From Third-Party Website |
Type | Free to Download With In-app Purchase (Php 249) |
---|---|
Supported Formats | EPUB, PDF, DJVU, FB2, MOBI, PRC, AZW, HTML, TXT, M4B, M4A, MP3, CBR, CBZ, JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, ICO, TIF, XBM, ZIP, RAR |
Compatibility | iOS |
Highlights | Supports Multiple Formats for eBooks, Audiobooks, and Comics |
From ₱0
Type | Free to Download With Free eBooks and Audiobooks |
---|---|
Supported Formats | PDF, EPUB, and FB2 |
Compatibility | iOS and Android |
Highlights | Find Files and eBooks Using Its Smart Search, Has an Audiobooks Player, Download EPUB eBooks From Third-Party Websites |
Image | 1 ![]() Apple | 2 ![]() Google LLC | 3 ![]() Scribd, Inc. | 4 ![]() Amazon Mobile LLC | 5 ![]() Kobo Inc. | 6 ![]() Epic Creations, Inc. | 7 ![]() Mantano | 8 ![]() De Marque | 9 ![]() Avisat Ltd. | 10 ![]() Pocketbook International SA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Apple Books | Google Play Books & Audiobooks | Scribd | Kindle | Kobo Books | Epic! | Bookari | Aldiko | tiReader | PocketBook Reader |
Features | Automatic Syncing for All Your Apple Devices | The Ideal Book Reading App for Android Users | For Those Who Want to Browse Magazines and Some Articles, Too | Access Millions of Reading Materials From Amazon Prime | Enjoy a Minimalist Interface and Adjustable Settings | Book Reader and Educational App for Kids 12 and Under | Add Some Notes and Highlight Your Favorite Quotes | Great eBook Reader Designed for Android Devices | eBook Reader That's Designed for iPads | Simple to Use eBook Reader With an Audiobook Player |
Price Starts at | ₱0 | ₱0 | ₱129 | ₱0 | ₱0 | ₱0 | ₱0 | ₱0 | ₱0 | |
Type | Free to Download With Free Books | App Is Free to Download, Comes With Free Books, Pay-Per-Book Option on Some Titles | Monthly Subscription (Start With a 30-Day Free Trial) | Free to Download With Free eBooks, Get a Monthly Amazon Prime Subscription to Access More Content | Free to Download With Free eBooks, Get a Monthly Subscription to Access More Content | Free to Download, Get a Monthly or Annual Subscription for Full Access to Contents | Free to Download | Free to Download | Free to Download With In-app Purchase (Php 249) | Free to Download With Free eBooks and Audiobooks |
Supported Formats | EPUB and PDF | EPUB and PDF | EPUB | PDF and MOBI | EPUB and PDF | Not Specified | EPUB and PDF | EPUB and PDF | EPUB, PDF, DJVU, FB2, MOBI, PRC, AZW, HTML, TXT, M4B, M4A, MP3, CBR, CBZ, JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, ICO, TIF, XBM, ZIP, RAR | PDF, EPUB, and FB2 |
Compatibility | iOS and Mac | Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac | Android and iOS | iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac | iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac | iOS and Android | iOS and Android | Android | iOS | iOS and Android |
Highlights | Compatible With Apple Watch, Automatic Syncing for All Devices, Auto-Night Theme | Personalized Recommendations, Supports Offline Reading and Listening, Bubble Zoom for Comics | Sync Up to 6 Devices, Audiobook Listener, Supports Bookmarks and Annotations | Access to eBooks, Audiobooks, Magazines, and Comics | Customizable Fonts and Screen Display | More Than 40,000 High-Quality eBooks, Audiobooks, Read-to-Me Books, Quizzes, and Interactive Videos, Badges and Rewards for Consistent Reading | Synched Bookshelves, Add Bookmarks, Highlights, Notes, and Underlines | Thumbnail View for eBooks, Import Your eBooks in EPUB and PDF Formats From Third-Party Website | Supports Multiple Formats for eBooks, Audiobooks, and Comics | Find Files and eBooks Using Its Smart Search, Has an Audiobooks Player, Download EPUB eBooks From Third-Party Websites |
Link |
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.
Check out this video from the Mindvalley channel where Jim Kwik, a speed reader and a brain coach, shares three simple hacks that will help you remember everything you read. According to Jim, as you read through a material, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
How Can I Use This?
Why Must I Use This?
When Will I Use This?
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
Like and follow our Instagram and Facebook page for updates!
Cosmetics and skincare
Health
Household goods
PC and Cameras
Home Appliances and Electronics
Food and drinks
Kitchen supplies
Clothing
Shoes
Accessories
Kids and baby
Interior and furniture
Hobbies
Outdoor
DIY and tools
Sports and fitness
Pets
Books, CDs, DVDs
Games
Cars and motorcycles
Gifts
Housing equipment and renovation
Smartphones and mobile phones
Mobile data
Investment and asset management
Credit cards and loans
Insurance
Music
Smartphone applications