If you want to carry a collection of books with you, you don’t necessarily need an ebook reader thanks to a selection of free-to-download ebook apps for mobile devices.
For book lovers who don’t fancy picking up a dedicated ebook reader, we’ve rounded up some of the best apps for reading ebooks on a smartphone or tablet. Read on for the details.
Best Buy ebook readers – not tempted by apps? Grab an ebook reader instead
The best apps for reading ebooks
1. iBooks
Price: book prices vary (free books also on offer)
Available for: iOS
Apple’s own app for reading ebooks, predictably named iBooks, is a great place to start for iOS users. The stock reading app is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and you can turn your device landscape to view two pages at a time. The free iBooks app (with over 2.5 million titles) also lets you adjust the appearance of the screen so that text is displayed on a black background, great for readers that like to relax with a book in the evening.
The iBooks experience is also available on Macs running OS X Yosemite or later. There are a selection of free books on offer, but the majority of content is paid-for.
2. Google Play Books
Price: book prices vary (free books also on offer)
Google’s own ebooks app lets you bookmark pages, highlight text and make notes. Some titles support text-to-speech, and there are over four million books in total. Some books on the store are free, while others can be rented or purchased to keep for good.
Books are synced to your Google account, so you can start reading a book on your tablet then carry on from where you left off on your smartphone the next morning.
3. Kindle
Price: book prices vary (free books also on offer)
Just like iBooks, the Kindle app for iOS and Android is free to download, and you don’t need aKindle ebook reader of your own to use it. Kindle for smartphones and tablets has a range of free titles to flick through (including Pride and Prejudice and Treasure Island), and it arrives with a built-in dictionary that makes looking up complicated words and phrases hassle-free.
There are over 1.5 million books to choose from, and the app also supports popular magazines and newspapers. According to Amazon, over 650,000 titles on the Kindle app are on sale for £3.99 or less. There are also 200,000 Kindle-exclusive titles.
4. Kobo Reading App
Price: book prices vary (free books also on offer)
Kobo’s own mobile ebook app is home to over five million paid-for and free titles, covering magazines, comics and books suitable for kids. Kobo’s Night Mode will reduce eyestrain during those late-night reading sessions, and the app can sync your bookmarks, notes and highlights so you can continue reading a book across different devices.
We’ve tested a range of Kobo ebook readers in our test lab. Head over to our Kobo ebook reader reviews page for more.
5. 50,000 Free eBooks
Price: Free
This mobile app from Oodles is packed with free ebooks, so whether you’re an English literature student or a commuter looking for a new read, there’s plenty of choice. Books can be downloaded right to your mobile from the app, and you can read them without an internet connection. Font style and size is customisable, and you can also download audiobooks for your offline collection.
It’s worth noting that Oodles is better for classic novels than modern bestsellers, but the app isfree after all.
