If reading books is your passion, you have landed on the right page. A reader’s bag is incomplete without a bunch of books. You pack your current read, a book from your TBR, a backup book in case your current read gets boring, and probably a comic or magazine. It’s a lot to carry. Also, remember the sadness of not having anything to read during the month’s end. Sigh… Why are books so expensive? Well, if you can relate with me, then don’t you worry, fellow reader. I have got you covered. Here’s a list of the best free reading apps you can download on your smartphone.
Best FREE Book Reading Apps!
1. Amazon Kindle
Kindle is an Amazon product with its online bookstore. It has a collection of over a million books. There are several books available to download for free. However, if you want to purchase a book, Kindle allows you to read a sample to decide about purchasing. The app offers all the essential features, and you can give your rating and review the books too. The Kindle app is available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, etc. You can also read Kindle books on your browser. You can try Kindle Unlimited now and read unlimited popular books for free. Sign up for the free trial and use this service for 30 days. You can get Kindle Unlimited here! 📚
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2. Wattpad
I came across Wattpad back in 2017, and it completely blew my mind. Wattpad is an online platform where you can read and write original stories. If you love reading independent authors, then you must try out Wattpad. Wattpad is available for both iOS and Android. However, you can also read stories on their website. You need to create an account on Wattpad, and you can get started. You can search stories based on genre, such as Crime Thrillers, Young Adult, Mystery, Fantasy, etc. Wattpad offers stories in several languages, including English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
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3. Barnes & Noble Nook
Barnes & Noble Booksellers has the most retail outlets in America. But it also has a free app called Nook, available for iOS and Android smartphone users. Nook is a reader’s haven as it includes many titles, including books, audiobooks, comics, manga, magazines, etc. Many of these books and audiobooks are free to download and organize on your online bookshelf. The app offers many features, including passage highlighting, screen brightness, and font adjustment.
4. Scribd
Scribd is a fantastic ebook and audiobook subscription platform. It offers more than one million titles. The American company partnered with HarperCollins, and as a result, you will find the entire catalog of the publishing house. For ebooks, you can read offline, adjust the font size, add notes, highlight passages, etc. And for audiobooks, you can adjust the narration speed. You can use our exclusive link and get Scribd eBooks & Audiobooks for FREE for 2 full months (60 days). You can get Scribd here! 📚
5. Oodles
If you are a fan of classical literature and love to read famous authors such as Jane Austen, I highly recommend you try the Oodles app. It offers more than fifty thousand ebooks and audiobooks. It’s completely free and available on iOS and Android. However, if you hate ads and want to remove them, you can subscribe for $19.99 annually. To pick your read, you can browse categories such as romance, horror, mystery, etc.
6. Google Play Books
Google Play Books, previously known as Google ebooks, is an ebooks and audiobooks platform with over five million titles. There are several free ebooks and audiobooks available on the app. You can also purchase and download books from Google Play Books. So, it’s easy to say that the app has something for everyone. You can also use Google Play Books as a reader to carry a vast number of books along with you anywhere. You can upload up to two thousand ebooks on the app, either in PDF or EPUB file format. The app has many features, including the night light feature, text highlighting, note-taking, etc.
7. Libby
If you have a public library card, you must try the Libby app, which is entirely free. There are no in-app purchase options, subscription costs, or late fees. Since these are digital titles, they are automatically returned on the due date. The Libby app allows you to borrow ebooks, audiobooks, etc., from your public library. You can read an ebook or stream audiobooks for free on the app with your wifi or mobile data. Or you can download the titles for offline access. Voila! Now you can read or listen to books whenever or wherever you want.
8. Kobo Books
Kobo Books is one of the best free book-reading apps. It has a collection of over five million titles, including ebooks, audiobooks, children’s books, and graphic novels. You will find a considerable number of free ebooks and audiobooks on the app as well. Kobo Books offers books in several languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Japanese, etc. The app also provides recommendations according to your reading taste. There are also many features available so you can customize your reading experience. The audiobook player is also outstanding and offers the basic features for a comfortable listening experience.
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9. Goodreads
Goodreads is a subsidiary of Amazon, and it is primarily a platform for sharing book reviews and recommendations and socializing with fellow readers. However, Goodreads does have a selection of books that you can read for free. You will also find a preview option allowing you to read book samples. Even though the collection of free books on Goodreads is relatively tiny compared to other apps, it’s still a good app for free reading. You can connect with BookWritten on Goodreads here as well.
10. Inkitt
Inkitt is a reader-powered publishing platform allowing you to discover new emerging writers and turn them into successful global authors. Users can write and read stories on the Inkitt app. The most loved stories on the app are published by their sister app GALATEA. There is a ‘Free Books’ option on their menu. On clicking the option, you will get a drop-down list of genres such as Sci-fi, Horror, Fantasy, Adventure, Mystery, etc., and trending topics such as Love, Magic, and Werewolf. Every genre and trending topic has a collection of free ebooks. You can also see the rating and review for each book to choose the perfect read.
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It’s always a good idea to read books instead of mindlessly scrolling on your social media news feed, right? The usual excuse for spending hours on those apps is that they are free of cost. Well, you have learned about these fantastic free reading apps that will keep you hooked and help you achieve your reading goal sooner.