Coronavirus pandemic has turned our attention to good old-fashioned activities — like opening books and playing board games after dinners with family. For already big fans of reading this quarantine brought some good news too. There appeared lots of free time to complete all the books wanted.
For both situations, our guide on a variety of apps for book lovers can come into practice. It helps to cope with all the books striving for your attention and find the interesting book quicker.
How to choose among different apps for book lovers
Apps for book lovers serve different needs. So, before diving into their variety and choosing your best bookmate, ask yourself a question, “What do I expect from an app?”. What matters is your wishes, the platform, and the frequency of usage. If you know your situation, this guide will do you more good.
Here’s the list of top 15 apps for book lovers, ranged by your possible interests:
- Goodreads, #1 among the best apps for book lovers,
- Amazon Kindle, the leader among best Kindle apps for book lovers,
- Blinkist, the easiest way to master non-fiction and one of the best iPhone apps for book lovers,
- Libby by OverDrive, the connection with your offline library to get the best free books for iPhone,
- Wattpad, the communication platform between writers and readers,
- Amazon Audible, the top choice among best book apps for listeners,
- Epic!, the representative of best book apps for youth,
- ComiXology, the top choice among best apps for book lovers if you’re a fan of comics,
- SCRIBD, a top subscription-based choice among apps for book lovers (Android and iOS),
- Inkitt, our recommendation among best book apps for Android,
- Serial Reader, a bite-size reading among Android apps for book lovers,
- Litsy, the great combination of social media and reading in the range of best Android book apps,
- Shelfie, the representative of best iPhone apps for book lovers for managing notes,
- Poetry, the top compilation of poetic texts among best Android apps for readers and book lovers,
- The Paris Review, the top lit-crit choice and one of the best iOS apps for book lovers
#1 Goodreads, the leader in the list of best apps for book lovers
Available platforms: iOS, Android, browser
Subscription price: Free service
Top choice for everybody interested in books
Interesting feature: mobile barcode scanner that allows adding paper books to your digital “to read” list
Goodreads is the first platform in many rankings of best apps for book lovers. Why so? It has plenty of information for various purposes: recommendations for you, recommendations from your friends, different collections (like Best Books 2019), a list of quotes, and a field for reviews. Also, it unites authors and readers, having 40 million users in general and more than a billion books.
#2 Amazon Kindle, the representative of best Android apps for book lovers
Available platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, Blackberry
Subscription price: Free from your Amazon account, but the price for books is different
Top choice for people who shop books in Amazon
Interesting feature: Page Flip — the navigation feature for working with bookmarks and viewing your book from a bird’s eye
Amazon Kindle is the book app that is a perfect match for your Amazon profile — especially if it’s connected with Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime Reading. The app has many features for convenient reading: you can highlight text, search for meaning and translation of words in dictionaries, and change the font and size of the page. According to the rankings of Lifehack and Android Authority, Amazon Kindle is the top pick among the best Android apps for book lovers.
#3 Blinkist, one of the best iOS apps for book lovers
Available platforms: iOS, Android
Subscription price: $4.99/month or $49.99/year with a 7-day free trial
Top choice for iOS users who want to turn reading into a daily habit. Lovers of non-fiction.
Interesting feature: Listening and reading mode — you’re free to choose the most comfortable format for you
Blinkist is the top choice for people who’ve just started to read during this quarantine. Also, it’s an awesome pick for those wanting to increase their professional skills on the go. The collection of books features more than 3,000 bestsellers. In short, Blinkist is fully packed with revolutionary ideas that can change your life.
#4 Libby by OverDrive, the compilation of best free books for iPhone from your public library
Available platforms: iOS, Android, Amazon
Subscription price: Free
Top choice for true old-fashioned bookworms who miss their public libraries
Interesting feature: Enter your library card information to feel the complete process of borrowing a book
If you miss your favorite public library, you’re welcome to look through epub versions of its books in Libby! This app from OverDrive awesomely digitalizes the process of borrowing books, so it takes just a couple of seconds. If you use Libby in connection with Amazon, you can also enjoy the collection of audiobooks from your public library.
#5 Wattpad, one of the best iPhone apps for book lovers and storytellers
Available platforms: iOS, Android, web
Subscription price: Free
Top choice for amateur writers
Interesting feature: You can join a niche to connect with your special interest club
Wattpad is much more than just an app; that’s the entire community. On this platform, you can share your talent in writing and make friends with other people interested in reading and storytelling. Besides, it’s one of the best iPhone apps for book lovers.
#6 Audible, one of the best book apps with audio content
Available platforms: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Amazon Kindle, Fire TV
Subscription price: $14.95/month with a 30-day free trial to download one audiobook
Top choice for fans of audiobooks
Interesting feature: You can hear how an author reads his/her book. Alternatively, Amazon invites a Hollywood start for this.
Audible is the top recommendation for audiobooks. No wonder: the size of its library and the compatibility of its service are incredible. Audible is a frequent host in lists of best book apps thanks to its Audible Originals, the creative series product of the Amazon team. Besides, the app is compatible with plenty of formats — smartphones, smart home devices, Amazon products, tablets, computers, and mp3.
#7 Epic!, the amazing solution for parents and one of the best book apps for young readers
Available platforms: iOS, Android
Subscription price: $7.99/month and Free for educators
Top choice for young readers
Interesting feature: Quizzes at the end of each book for better learning and entertainment
Epic! positions itself as the top digital library for readers younger than 12 years old. It has everything to become one of the best apps for book lovers in this category: the age-based library range, books for learning languages, materials in audio and video format. It’s a great choice for parents who want to get their children into reading!
#8 ComiXology, the top choice for comics lovers
Available platforms: iOS, Android
Subscription price: $5.99/month with 30-day trial
Top choice for manga lovers and fans of comics from Marvel and DC
Interesting feature: For greater readability, the developers have included the abilities to zoom and focus on the interesting parts of the comics in the app
ComiXology has a library of over 100,000 comics, which is a true gift for the fans of this genre. Specifically, you can find graphic novels, digital comics, and manga in this one of the best iOS apps for book lovers.
#9 SCRIBD, the top reading platform that offers useful apps for book lovers (Android, iOS, cloud, etc.)
Available platforms: Android, iOS, web
Subscription price: $8.99/month with a 30-day free trial
Top choice for bookaholics who use various devices and read in various formats
Interesting feature: The huge library that contains not only books but also magazines, documents, sheet music, and audiobooks
SCRIBD is a comprehensive platform that will expand your reading far beyond the limits of books. If you’re interested in expert opinions, piano playing, and discovering news, this offering is for you. The massive library combines the best features of Audible and Kindle Unlimited. And the result is one of the leading apps for book lovers, Android- and iOS-friendly.
#10 Inkitt, one of the best Android apps for readers and book lovers (iOS-friendly)
Available platforms: Android, iOS
Subscription price: Free
Top choice for people who love reading and writing
Interesting feature: Has a huge library of free books in different genres
Inkitt is an app from a publishing house that allows accessing numerous books online for free and keeps them in your offline digital library. Besides, it encourages the self-promotion of new authors. The great design and usability make Inkitt one of the best Android book apps.
#11 Serial Reader, 15-minutes reading in one of the best book apps for Android
Available platforms: iOS, Android
Subscription price: Free with more sync opportunities for $2.99/month
Top choice for Android users who want to turn reading into a daily habit
Interesting feature: You can sync your reading progress with Goodreads account
Serial Reader is one of the best book apps for Android. It offers the same service as Blinkist but adopts it to the classic literature instead. The digital library contains only 600 books — but all of them are divided into easy-to-digest 20-minutes-max bites. With this download, you can fill the gaps in your school education hassle-free.
#12 Litsy, a social media for book lovers
Available platforms: Android, iOS
Subscription price: Free
Top choice for extroverts who love reading and sharing their thoughts about books
Interesting feature: You can create groups with other users enjoying this one of the top Android apps for book lovers. Also, it supports hashtags.
Litsy is an app where each feature is developed to help you socialize. You can see the “reading moments” of your friends, favorite authors, and popular influencers. This in-app community makes you feel connected with other people while reading. And of course, you can share your thoughts about books with them instantly!
#13 Shelfie, the digital version of your bookshelf
Available platforms: iOS, Android
Subscription price: Free
Top choice for people who want to arrange and categorize their bookshelf
Interesting feature: Simply point your camera to a book — and let this representative of top iPhone apps for book lovers work its magic!
If you’re the type of person who always buys books in each book store, this app is just for you! In Shelfie, you can browse books and arrange your already bought samples and reading notes in one place. The app syncs your library with other devices, so you can instantly access it anytime you want. And prevent yourself from buying something that wasn’t in your book purchase list.
#14 Poetry, the database of poems in one of the best Android apps for book lovers
Available platforms: Android, iOS, Amazon
Subscription price: Free
Top choice for poetry lovers and those who are out of inspiration for their Instagram posts
Interesting feature: Try poetry fortune-telling and discover new poems every day
Poetry app is a product from the Poetry Foundation. They also have a magazine — if you want to read it, the download is available from App Store and Google Play for $29.99/year. In the Poetry app, you can quickly find the lines from classic poems and share them in social media.
#15 The Paris Review, the digital version of a top lit-crit magazine
Available platform: iOS
Subscription price: $29.99/year
Top choice for people who are interested in literature criticism
Interesting feature: Browse the magazine archives
The Paris Review, one of the leading lit-crit magazines these days, has a digital version you must see! In its collection, you can browse any issue and look at your favorite book from a professional point of view. If you want to understand books better during this quarantine, subscribe to this pick among the best apps for book lovers, and you won’t regret it.
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