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Don’t limit yourself to one iOS book app. Play with as many as possible and select the ones that are most suited to fit your exciting reading life.
You are reading: Best way to read books on ipad
There are hundreds of thousands of ipad and iphone apps in every category in the app store. which one best meets your needs? you won’t know until you give yourself a chance to compare.
Even if you’re a dedicated user of your favorite eBook platform, you may find that the connected app isn’t perfect. It’s almost perfect, at most. and “almost” can be fixed by using additional apps that can do what your main app doesn’t.
Use the list below to discover book apps that are designed to meet a variety of needs. take your time to play with each of them; most of them are free to download. some offer in-app purchases or subscriptions, but the free mode offers enough features to make up your mind.
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once you shortlist, don’t force yourself to pick the winner and delete all other apps. you have more than one photo app, use more than one social network and play more than one ios game, right?
don’t feel guilty about using more than one book app on your ipad or iphone. Just because you need a few apps, and choose each one for a different reason, doesn’t mean you can’t decide. it’s the opposite! it means you are very effective at defining your reading needs and finding relevant solutions.
You can use additional apps to improve your reading speed, motivate you to read more, get additional features (such as instant translations to less common languages or better privacy settings), listen to audiobooks, or support different file formats.
Is there an app that isn’t on the list but is worth recommending? feel free to share it along with this list on your social media channels and start a discussion.
the best applications for ipad and iphone to read books
1. amazonkindle
Our pick: The most advanced book reader for iPad and iPhone
kindle for ios is one of these ebook readers for ios that you’ve probably already tried. Everyone who owns a kindle e-reader or fire tablet downloads this app for iphone and ipad, just to compare performance and interface, test common features, and decide if the ios-powered device could become a default reading tool. .
The app is constantly improving, keeping up with ios updates, but more importantly improving the amazon ebook reading ecosystem.
kindle is the most advanced book reading app on the app store. It offers features you already know, such as the x-ray reference tool, navigation in the book to turn pages, access to e-books from the library or the menu button to send to kindle ios share.
In addition, Kindle for iOS is now extremely well connected to Amazon’s subscription-based services: Kindle Unlimited ($9.99 per month, unlimited access to more than 1 e-book, comics, and magazines) and Prime Reading (a portion Amazon Prime: Provides free access to a rotating list of over 1,000 e-books and magazines).
My favorite feature of the app is the voice sync. with it, reading an ebook and listening to an audiobook is no longer “either/or”.
whispersync for speech technology lets you seamlessly switch between reading a kindle ebook and listening to its audiobook version. everything happens in a few taps! Even better, you can continue reading the book right where you left off.
Benefits: advanced reference tools, voice sync to switch between reading and listening, read-ahead function via send to kindle buttoncompatibility: ipad, iphone price:free
⇢ turn on
2. apple books
Our pick: Best integration with iOS and iPadOS
Apple’s book reading app (previously called iBooks) is rarely updated. It usually happens with the introduction of the new ios. however, for anyone looking for an app that is 100% integrated with ios and ipados, there is no better option.
apple books is the only app for ipad and iphone where you can directly buy ebooks and audiobooks. Book reading apps on other eBook platforms don’t offer this rather obvious feature because Apple charges a huge fee for all in-app purchases.
The latest major update to Apple Books includes a read now quick start section, better library management, and an automatic night theme.
reading home screen now includes books the user might consider purchasing. Below the books you’ve purchased, you’ll see the titles you’ve added to your wish list. swipe down and you’ll see apple ebook store recommendations in some popular categories.
the library has a dedicated section. the home page includes trending book lists, plus top charts in paid and free categories. when you tap the menu icon in the top right corner, you’ll also access trending titles in the most popular genres.
However, the biggest benefit is the automatic switching of themes. It’s something other book readers don’t yet offer for iOS. Importantly, the dark theme applies not only to the book reading interface, but also to the library view.
Benefits: easy to use, built-in library, automatic night themecompatibility: ipad, iphoneprice: free
⇢ apple books
3. libby
Our pick: The best iPad and iPhone app for library books
Looking for convenient ways to read free eBooks on your iPad or iPhone? you’ll be surprised to find out you can do it with your library card.
And there’s an amazing app that will have you starting reading library e-books in no time. her name is libby.
libby offers the next generation approach to managing and digesting digital content. First, it is a combination of book reader and audio book player, because modern libraries not only offer e-books, but also audio books.
Wondering how long it would take to connect the libby app with your local library account? keep calm. all you need to do is find your library card and download libby from the app store.
The setup process is easy. libby, powered by overdrive, will help you find your library and log in. it all happens with a few taps. More than 40,000 libraries in 40 countries are connected to Overdrive’s catalog of 2 million e-books, audiobooks, and videos.
Libby’s biggest feature is the ability to sign in with multiple library cards. For example, you can use your school library card and a second card from the local branch of the public library system that offers books in your neighborhood.
why is it important? if you want to read a new bestseller, you can queue at one library, but you can immediately borrow it at the other.
libby’s next revolutionary feature is a unified catalog showing all your loans, from all connected libraries, and in all supported formats.
See Also: Which James Patterson Book Should You Read First? | Novel Suspects
To paraphrase Laura Bush, “I have found that the most valuable thing on my smartphone is my libby app.”
benefits: easy borrowing of e-books and audiobooks from a public library, ability to use multiple library cards, beautiful, easy-to-use, state-of-the-art interface compatibility: ipad, iphoneprice: free
⇢ libby
4. flashing
Our pick: The best way to learn key insights from nonfiction books
Does the fact that you don’t have enough time stop you from reading books? Thanks to a clever iOS app, you can only spend 15 minutes a day learning at a speed that no one can beat. and it is not a speed reading app. it’s much smarter than that.
blinkist offers summaries of over 3,000 best-selling books in various categories, including career, society & culture, nature & environment, health, entrepreneurship, education, economics, creativity, leadership or communication skills.
Each book is expertly distilled into a 15-minute read, available in both text and audio. the company adds 40 new titles each month, so you’ll never have ideas of what to read next.
Thanks to blinkist, you can discover new perspectives on the world, understand emerging trends in your area of expertise, improve your professional skills and stay motivated. With personalized book recommendations, you’ll always know what to read next.
The iOS app lets you seamlessly switch between audio and text, so you can keep going no matter what you’re doing. there’s an offline mode, a send to kindle feature, and the ability to sync highlights with evernote.
Benefits: a smart way to learn faster through 15-minute summaries; personalized recommendations; audio and text modescompatibility: iphone, ipadprice: 7-day free trial, subscriptions from $1.99 to $54.99
⇢ blink
5. google play books
Our pick: The best way to access your books from any device
No matter which app is your default reading tool for iPad or iPhone, Google Play Books provides a set of features that make it a great solution for your unmet reading needs.
first, for millions of gmail users, google play books is the easiest way to start reading ebooks on your new ios devices. you don’t need to sign up for a new service (like kobo or barnes & noble nook) to start reading ebooks.
Second, if you’ve switched from an Android phone or tablet and used Google Play Books there, you’ll find a familiar interface on the iOS device. what is even more important, you will have your library of books synchronized.
A benefit of the Google Play ecosystem is easy access to your library of books from a web browser. If you want to read many e-books online on your computer, you don’t have to download any special application to start reading. a web browser, such as google chrome or firefox, is sufficient. And you can have all of these books synced to your ipad or iphone so you can keep reading on the go.
however, the most important feature of google play books is translation.
Other book reading apps offer translation for a limited number of languages. The translation feature in Google Play Books is powered by Google Translate. you can choose from over 100 languages, not five or ten. An excellent feature is the ability to translate not just single words, but all the text you have highlighted.
The application supports the playback of audiobooks. You can sync the last listened location with other devices connected to your google account. thanks to that, you can play an audiobook on your google home smart speaker and then continue on your iphone.
importantly, all the content handled by google play books can be used even if you don’t have internet access.
Benefits: Instant translations from/to over 100 languages, Ease of use both on ios and online (via web browser), Quick start: Google/gmail users don’t have to registercompatibility: ipad, iphoneprice: free
⇢ google play books
6. freader
Our pick: The best independent epub and mobi reader for iOS
many users prefer stand-alone book reading apps to those offered by giant e-book platforms like apple or google.
There are many book applications offered by independent developers. For a long time, Marvin and Gerty were our favorites, but they haven’t been developed since 2017, so we had to remove them from this roundup.
Also, there is no anybooks app for ios yet, so old android users can start looking for other familiar solutions.
Right now freader is by far the best standalone book reader for ipad and iphone. one of the most popular book reading app on google play store, it is available for ios devices since 2017.
The most prominent feature of fbreader for ios is the support for epub and mobi file formats. as you may know, mobi is the format used by the kindle ecosystem, while most other ebook platforms use epub.
Compared to the Google Play version, the iOS app lacks some features, but it’s still the easiest and most familiar book reading environment for users who just switched from Android tablets and smartphones.
The app syncs your bookmarks and reading positions with freader cloud, offers various customization options, and is one of the few ios book apps that respects system light/dark settings.
benefits: epub and mobi book reader in one; best solution for users switching android devicescompatibility: iphone, ipadprice: free; full edition for $3.99
⇢ freader
7. ink
Our pick: The best app to discover and read books from indie authors
there are several ios applications, better or worse, that give direct access to free e-books. the only thing is that most of these books are in the public domain, which means they are classic titles.
If you prefer to read contemporary books for free and are ready to give independent authors a try, you should try a dedicated app called inkitt.
This free app has already been downloaded by more than 700,000 users around the world and is the most popular free book app in 5 countries.
once you download inkitt on your ipad or iphone, you get direct access to over 100,000 novels and stories from thousands of independent authors, at no additional cost. you’d be surprised how many great books you can read without paying a dime.
See Also: 30 BEST National Parks Books (Great Gifts for Park Lovers) 2022
Use a handy genre selector to limit search results to the topic you’re most interested in exploring. The app also offers personalized book recommendations based on selected genres.
inkitt is by far the best place I’ve ever posted and I’ve already told a few friends about it. I will send more.
Benefits: Enjoy novels and short stories from independent authors and help them get the recognition they deserveCompatibility: iPhone, iPadPrice: Free
⇢ ink
8. fast reader
Our pick: The best speed-reading app for iPad and iPhone
Is improving reading comprehension and speed included in your personal development plan? choosing a dedicated speed reading app would help achieve this goal.
Some speed reading apps, the ones that display one word or phrase at a time, can seem too extreme. Instead of getting involved, many users try using the one-word technique, are quickly disappointed, and never go back.
what if training your speed reading skills is optional and not that different? that’s what quickreader is all about.
At the basic level, quickreader is a beautifully designed book reading app with lots of customization options and built-in access to thousands of public domain books from repositories like project gutenberg or the internet archive.
what I find particularly tempting is the customization of speed reading options and display. In addition to setting the speed goal (300 words per minute is an average reading speed), you can customize the look of the highlight box. instead of highlighting, you can select outline, sidebars, or long underline. you can also set your preferred highlight box color.
each book can be read in two modes: normal and guided reading. the latter is a great way to gradually improve your reading speed. The technique used to control the speed is simple: a small part of the text is highlighted and advances at the speed you set. with three taps you can skip speed reading mode and return to normal mode.
The app also provides a simple speed reading test. it’s good to check before setting the speed target.
Benefits: A well-designed book reader with optional speed reading coach, built-in access to thousands of free e-books, customization of speed reading optionscompatibility: iphone, ipadprice: $4.99
⇢ speed reading
9. lion
Our pick: The best way to organize reading life and stay motivated
Some book reading apps offer basic statistics that measure your reading progress, how long it takes you to finish a book, or what your reading speed is.
However, if you want to learn more about your reading habits or stay motivated, you should choose an app that is much more advanced.
Try with leio. it’s like a runkeeper app for book lovers. focuses on providing you with extensive data on how you read books and how your reading evolves.
You can schedule your reading sessions and they will be recorded on a reading calendar so you can view them over a longer time frame. With a scheduling tool, you can set how often you want to read each book, and the app will remind you to read if you want to keep up.
an even more powerful tool allows you to finish reading a book on a specific date. simply set the deadline and the app will tell you how long and how many pages you have to read per day to finish before that date. as time passes, the app adjusts the reading plan.
benefits: a powerful way to know your reading habits and stay motivated, advanced statistics that show how your reading is progressing, deadline reading toolcompatibility: iphone , ipadprice: free; $7.99 to unlock unlimited book stats; subscriptions from $0.49 per month
⇢ lion
10. write
Our pick: The best subscription-based book app for iPad and iPhone
Looking for an iOS app that gives you unlimited access to e-books, audiobooks and magazines with a monthly or yearly subscription? one app, not two or three?
Your first choice would be amazon’s kindle app with kindle unlimited membership. The thing is that the app does not have a built-in audiobook player. you’ll have to switch to the audible app for that.
Instead of switching between kindle and the audible app (and actually paying for two different subscriptions), switch to an all-in-one scribd platform once and for all.
The scribd app for ipad and iphone provides unlimited access not only to e-books and audiobooks, but also to popular magazines. there are over 1 million titles in the catalogue, many of which are new releases and all-time best sellers. On top of that, scribd offers access to the world’s largest document library. there are over 60 million titles to choose from, including government reports, study guides, essays, or academic dissertations.
you can download the content to your ipad or iphone, so you can enjoy it without an internet connection. you can take notes, add bookmarks or highlight text. the application interface and neat and easy to use. you can customize fonts and themes.
Benefits: Enjoy e-books, magazines, and audiobooks in one convenient appCompatibility: iPhone, iPadPrice: 30-day free trial ; in-app subscription for $8.99 per month; other plans available
⇢ write
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