If you prefer to read on a screen, you’ve probably wished you had the best eBook reader. While high-quality e-readers are certainly worth the investment, they’re not necessary for a great e-reading experience. It turns out that you can also enjoy an incredible reading experience from the palm of your hand, with just your smartphone. Free eBook readers are becoming more popular than ever before, as readers are opting for the accessibility of reading from their Androids and iPhones.
f you prefer to read on a screen, you’ve probably wished you had the best eBook reader. While high-quality e-readers are certainly worth the investment, they’re not necessary for a great e-reading experience. It turns out that you can also enjoy an incredible reading experience from the palm of your hand, with just your smartphone. Free eBook readers are becoming more popular than ever before, as readers are opting for the accessibility of reading from their Androids and iPhones.
11 Of The Best Free eBook Readers
Regardless of whether you have an iPhone or you’re an Android user, there are plenty of free eBook reader apps on the marketplace that allow you to read books everywhere from the subway station and the bus stop to the doctor’s office and the gym.
All you need is a charged phone, access to the app store, and a voracious reading appetite.
1. The Kindle App
As perhaps the most well-known eBook reader app out there, the Kindle app turns any phone — iPhone or Android — into a hand-sized Kindle.
With over six million titles available to you through Amazon’s marketplace, you’ll have access to a massive library of books and audiobooks in the palm of your hand.
When you use the Kindle app, you’ll be able to customize your reading experience on your phone: choose your text size, track how far you’ve read, make notes and annotations, and zoom in when needed. If you’re a Kindle Unlimited user, you have access to the full Kindle Unlimited library.
However, while many Kindles give you the option to read in a setting like paper, the Kindle app only allows you to read with the typical backlight from your phone, which may not be great for your eyes — especially if you’re used to reading on a real Kindle or on paper.
Read More: Kindle Unlimited vs. Prime Reading
2. Aldiko Book Reader
With Aldiko Book Reader, you can read e-pub files along with downloading from online catalogs like those through your library and through public domain files.
While Aldiko Book Reader doesn’t have a massive library attached to it as some other apps do, it is a great option for importing your own files or borrowing from the library.
The app seems to work better for Androids, though there is also an iPhone option.
3. Google Play Books
The Google Play Books app gives you access to an incredibly wide marketplace with millions of titles (and even some audiobooks) to choose from.
You can download the app on your iPhone or your Android phone, and you’ll be able to sync the app across all devices to read from everywhere.
The app includes integration with Google Drive for note-taking, making it great for those who use the Google Suite.
4. Libby by Overdrive
Public libraries are an absolutely fantastic place — you get to stroll through aisles of novels, find new titles, and search for your favorite old books.
However, sometimes it’s hard to find the books you want, or at least to find them before they have a 30-plus hold list.
That’s where the Libby by Overdrive comes in: you get to work with your local public library to place holds, reserve new titles and read through a massive catalog of books.
All you need is a library card and your phone and then read on an iPhone or an Android.
With the Libby by Overdrive app on your phone, you can only borrow books — not keep them forever. But, the app is an incredible way to read as much as you want while still supporting your public library.
5. FullReader
The Android app FullReader is a multi-featured app that allows you to read everything from eBooks and magazines to comic strips and text files.
With cloud storage, the ability to take notes, and the ability to favorite and collect your favorite books and files, you’re able to personalize your reading experience from your Android phone.
One caveat? The app does show up with ads that can disrupt your reading experience, but they can only be taken away with an in-app purchase.
6. Wattpad
The Wattpad app — which can be used on both Android and iPhone systems — is an app that combines community and original storytelling for a truly unique reading experience.
Unlike some other eBook apps, which give you access to marketplaces with bestselling books, Wattpad is full of original, user-written stories.
While you can’t read the latest New York Times bestseller on Wattpad, you can still get lost in fun stories and be a part of a community.
While the app itself is free, you’ll have to subscribe to Wattpad Premium to read without ads.
7. NOOK
With the NOOK eReader app, you’ll be able to read on an iPhone or an Android and be tied into Barnes & Noble’s marketplace. You can look through the massive online store, or read from over 75,000 free titles.
The app makes your reading experience customizable, from font size to note-taking, and also gives you access to certain magazines, newspapers, and audiobooks.
8. Bluefire Reader
The Bluefire Reader app is compatible with iPhones and Androids both and allows you to read Adobe content straight from your iPhone.
If you’re a prolific online galley reader or a library aficionado, the Bluefire Reader app is a fantastic way to read EPUB and PDF book files.
The Bluefire Reader app doesn’t give you access to the same sorts of marketplaces that other eBook apps do but is great for library readers and anyone who reads via internet files.
9. Apple Books app
Previously known as iBooks, the Apple Books app has a beautiful interface that helps you organize your books, read as many of them as you’d like, and browse through a store that includes tons of titles to choose from.
With the Books app, you’ll also be able to listen to audiobooks, see what books are hot on the charts, and get recommendations for what to read next.
While the app isn’t available on Android, it’s a great option for Apple users.
10. Kobo
Available on iPhone and on Android, the Kobo eBook app allows readers to access over six million titles that can be purchased directly from Kobo itself.
The app seamlessly integrates through devices, making sure that you never lose your spot, and gives readers a customizable experience that includes the ability to change text size, the ability to switch over to Night Mode, and even the ability to lock their reading into landscape or portrait mode.
Read More: Why The Kobo Aura Is My Favorite E-Reader
11. Scribd
This app for Android and iPhone is an excellent way to read as many books as you want. While the app itself is free, if you want access to the full library it costs $8.99 a month.
Whether you’re an audiobook fan or a pure visual words reader, Scribd gives you access to a massive collection that includes a document library, sheet music, and magazine articles galore.
Free eBook Readers Make Reading Easier Than Ever
In the world that we live in, technology makes for a better reading experience every single day. Reading gadgets make reading more efficiently — and dare we say more fun — than ever before.
With just one click on an app store, you can be given access to millions of books from the very palm of your hand.
Whether you’re an Android user reading on FullReader, an iPhone user reading on Books, or a smartphone user reading on Scribd, Wattpad, or Kobo, you are sure to get one of the best eBook readers available for free.
With these free eBook readers for Android and iPhone, your reading doesn’t have to stop just because you’re not at home.
You May Also Like:
- The Best Kindle Ereader Cases
- The Best Reading Glasses
- How to Find Kindle Unlimited Audiobooks
- Unique and Useful Gifts for Book Lovers
About the Author
At the ripe old age of 3, Susannah decided that life was just a blank canvas and took Magic Marker to the newly installed carpet in her room just to “see what happened.” She’s taken that approach to life since, curious about pretty much everything.
She earned a journalism degree from Texas A&M University with the mission of making asking questions and telling stories her life, and since then has done everything from social media strategizing and content creation on the national level to writing a career column for USA TODAY.
Susannah is a high school teacher and yearbook adviser with a huge passion for reading (Harry Potter is her absolute favorite) and is excited to bring another book-loving voice to Hooked to Books.
“Free” means you don’t have to pay for using it. In this case, any ebook you have. None of the mentioned apps (except Apple Books, but everybody knows about it already) satisfies that criteria.