Finding the right eBook reader (also called eReaders) can be difficult. There are a couple of big names like Kindle and Nook, but a lot more smaller names that people don’t generally see unless they’re specifically in the eReader niche. In this list, we explore some of the best eReader apps. As usual, if you want to watch, we have a video above. Do note, however, that this written list has been updated and includes more options now so don’t expect to see all these options in the video!
Aldiko Book Reader
[Price: Free]
First on our list is Aldiko Book Reader. This eReader has amassed quite the following already and has over 10 million downloads to date. It supports most eBook formats, including Adobe DRM encrypted books. Some Android users may be familiar with Aldiko already, as it comes pre-installed on a number of Android devices. To go along with that, Aldiko offers a simple user interface. There are some customization options but it’s mostly just there to display your eBooks so you can read them which can be really helpful for beginners. The multiple bookstores available is just a bonus!
Better World Books
[Price: Free]
Next on the list is Better World eReader. This is a relatively new offering in the Google Play Store, but so far people have had nothing but good things to say about it. It’s actually connected to a website called Better World Books, which is a well-known online bookstore for college students looking for text books. However, they have begun expanding into the eReader world and their store is slowly adding more eBooks to their roster.Of course, if you don’t feel like waiting for the bookstore to improve, you can always import your books into Better World eReader. Also, as an added bonus, if you do buy books from the official website, you’ll be contributing to a charity that encourages literacy. The world could use some more literacy.
Cool Reader
[Price: Free]
Next on our list is Cool Reader. This is a pretty comprehensive eReader and is geared more for people who know what they’re doing already. Newer eBook fans can learn how to use it, but it’s definitely not the simple interface as our prior two entries. It features a number of theming and text options as well as a slightly more advanced interface. There are no stores attached to Cool Reader, so you’ll have to buy your books elsewhere and port them into the app. Thankfully, once you get the hang of Cool Reader, this is very easy to use.
FBReader
[Price: Free]
FBReader is next on the list. Like Aldiko and Better World eReaders, this is a solid offering that tries to cater to everyone. It works very well as a standalone reader with all the features you’d need to read comfortably. So if you have a large collection to import, FBReader can handle it. It comes with some basic theming options for pages as well, such as sepia and wood. This definitely helps with eye strain as white on black or black on white can be hard to read after a while.
Kobo
[Price: Free]
Kobo is one of those all-in-one eReader type apps that competes with Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Nobles’ Nook. So, as expected, the eReader application comes with a fully integrated experience with Kobo services. This is great because Kobo has some unique and innovative features. It’s not so great because it means you’ll need one of the apps above if already own some books. If you’re just starting out, then Kobo can be an enjoyable eReader. The feature we liked the most with Kobo was the ability to actively comment on books as you read them. It’s unique and once you get the notifications under control, it’s also fun to use.
Kindle
[Price: Free]
Kindle certainly falls into the category of being one of the best eReaders out there. A leader worldwide in both book and eBook sales, Kindle is one of the places you want to go if you’re starting a new collection of eBooks. The selection is top notch and it’s an excellent place to scope out new writers or find old favorites. The eReader is pretty decent as well. It comes with all the standard features, although you won’t find much aside from the standard stuff.
Nook
[Price: Free]
Like Amazon, Nook has a gigantic selection of books available to purchase and download. So those starting new collections should definitely give Nook some consideration. You’ll likely be able to find all your favorites and some new stuff too. As an eReader, Nook really has one of the best. It has all the usual settings like text size, font, and night mode. However, Nook goes the extra mile with their epic page turning animations. It’s literally the most beautiful page turns we’ve seen that didn’t come from a real book. Unfortunately, like Kindle and Kobo, Nook can’t import books.
Moon+ Reader
[Price: Free / $4.99]
Moon+ Reader is a very highly rated eReader app and one that our readers asked us to include. It has all the bells and whistles necessary to make the list too. Lots of themes, support for various eBook formats, good performance, good looks, and there is a free and paid version to choose from. Moon+ also comes packed with extras like access to various bookstores, gesture controls, auto-scroll modes, and even availability in 40 languages. It’s worth checking out.
Google Play Books
[Price: Free]
Google Play Books wasn’t on our original list but is being included now because it’s been improved vastly. It still includes all the features it used to and that’s about the standard for the eReaders on this list. However, the selection is now much better, you can upload EPUB and PDF files to your library, and a myriad of performance enhancements and UI tweaks. If you want to stick with the Google experience, then this is the only option for you. Also it’s free so there’s no harm in trying, right?
Mantano Ebook Reader
[Price: Free / $6.99]
Mantano Ebook Reader is another app our readers loved and asked us to put on the list. They happened to be right as Mantano is a special eReader that has a lot of features. This includes a cloud service to sync books across platforms similar to Kindle’s Whispersync. It also includes organizational features, reading features, and a bunch of other stuff to make the reading experience more comfortable and friendly. If you haven’t yet, we recommend giving the free version a chance.
Fabrik (cloud ebook reader)
[Price: Free]
Fabrik is one of the most unique eReaders on our list. Feature for feature, it probably can’t compete with most of these other ones except for one giant feature. Fabrik has complete support for Dropbox and Google Drive. So you can store your books on the cloud and use this reader to read them. That cloud support alone makes them worthy of being called one of the best out there. It has support for a variety of eBook formats and some other nifty features for eBook readers. It’s free and if you’d rather put your books on the cloud, you should try this one.
PocketBook Reader
[Price: Free]
PocketBook is last up and it’s about as solid of an eReader as you could reasonably hope for. It has all the regular bells and whistles so there are no worries there. It includes some fun features like mimicking the Kindle Touch feature of tapping different parts of the screen to turn pages, having support for Adoble DRM, pinch-to-zoom to adjust text size in some formats, and more. It’s free and people seem to like it so it’s definitely worth a shot.
Wrap Up
Picking the right eReader is all about figuring out what features you need. Some people like reading books directly off of their Dropbox and some prefer the closed nature of Kobo, Kindle, and Nook. On this list you’ll find all of the above so you can find the right choice for you. If you feel like we’ve missed a crucial eReader, feel more than free to leave a comment and let us know!
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