10 Best Apps to Read Books for Free Online in 2026

Quick comparison

The best app to read books for free online

#1

Libby

Best for: Readers with a public library card who want new bestsellers free in a browser or an app

Visit libbyapp.com

Starting priceFree (with a public library card; no paid tier)

Free planYes — free, no paid tier

Libby is the library app from OverDrive, and it is the closest thing to a free bookstore that actually works online. Sign in with a public library card and borrow ebooks and audiobooks at no cost, then read them in the app or straight in a browser at libbyapp.com with nothing to install. Loans sync across devices, so a chapter started on a laptop finishes on a phone.

The catch is the library queue. Popular new releases often have a waitlist, and your library sets how many titles you can borrow at once, so Libby rewards readers who plan ahead and keep a holds list. It has no store and no subscription, which is exactly the point: every book here is genuinely free. Pick Libby first if you have a library card.

What we like

• Completely free with a public library card — no subscription, no ads, no in-app purchases
• Reads in a browser at libbyapp.com as well as in the iOS and Android apps
• Loans sync across devices, so a book started on a laptop finishes on a phone
• Borrow ebooks and audiobooks from the same account, with holds and notifications

Watch out for

• Popular new releases often have a waitlist, so you cannot always read a book the day it comes out
• Your library sets the monthly borrow limit, and it varies by library
• No store, so a title your library does not own is simply unavailable here

#2

Kindle

Best for: Amazon readers who want the biggest free catalogue plus a web reader at read.amazon.com

Visit amazon.com

Starting priceFree (Kindle app; Kindle+ subscription $11.99/month)

Free planYes — free app (thousands of free classics; Kindle+ optional)

The Kindle app is free, and it is the easiest way to read free books online without buying anything. Thousands of public-domain classics cost nothing, and every title opens in the app or in any browser at read.amazon.com, with your place, notes and highlights synced everywhere. Free samples let you test a paid book before spending on it.

The paid side is Kindle+, Amazon's subscription, renamed from Kindle Unlimited in October 2026. It costs $11.99 a month, borrows up to 20 titles at a time, and now includes audiobooks for US readers. The free catalogue leans on classics, so new bestsellers usually need the subscription or a purchase. Pick Kindle when you want the biggest free shelf plus the option to upgrade.

What we like

• The free app includes thousands of public-domain classics at no cost
• Reads in any browser at read.amazon.com, with your place, notes and highlights synced everywhere
• Kindle+ at $11.99 a month adds millions of ebooks, audiobooks, comics and magazines
• Borrow up to 20 titles at a time with no due dates on Kindle+ titles

Watch out for

• The free catalogue leans on public-domain classics; new bestsellers usually need Kindle+ or a purchase
• Kindle+ costs $11.99 a month and borrows are capped at 20 titles at a time
• Kindle+ audiobooks are US-only for now, and magazine issues count toward the 20-title limit

#3

Google Play Books

Best for: Android and Google-account readers who buy books one at a time and read in a browser

Visit play.google.com

Starting priceFree (app; books priced individually, no subscription)

Free planYes — free app (free classics; books priced individually)

Google Play Books is the pay-as-you-go option: the app is free, there is no subscription, and you buy only the books you want. Free classics and frequent sales keep the bill low, and everything reads in the app or in any browser at play.google.com/books, with offline downloads for flights and commutes. Your library follows your Google account across Android, iOS and the web.

The trade-off is the lack of a subscription. A reader who finishes four new releases a month pays four cover prices, which quickly passes the $11.99 a Kindle+ or Everand month costs. The free selection is also mostly classics rather than new releases. Pick Google Play Books when you read a book or two a month and want no monthly bill.

What we like

• Free app with no subscription — you pay only for the books you choose
• Reads in any browser at play.google.com/books, with offline downloads in the app
• Free classics and frequent sales, plus free samples before you buy
• Library syncs across Android, iOS and the web on one Google account

Watch out for

• No subscription option, so heavy readers pay per book and the bill adds up
• The free selection is mostly public-domain classics, not new releases
• No family library sharing comparable to Apple Books Family Sharing

#4

Hoopla

Best for: Library members who want instant borrows with no waitlists, in a browser or an app

Visit hoopladigital.com

Starting priceFree (with a participating library card; no paid tier)

Free planYes — free, no paid tier

Hoopla is the second free library app in this list, and its trick is instant borrowing: there are no waitlists, so a title is yours the moment you tap it. Sign in with a participating library card and borrow ebooks, audiobooks, comics, movies and music at no cost, in the app or in a browser. Borrows return themselves, so there are never late fees.

The limit is your library's monthly borrow allowance, which varies by library, so a heavy reader can run out of borrows mid-month. Smaller libraries also offer a smaller Hoopla catalogue. Hoopla pairs best with Libby: use Hoopla for instant reads and Libby's holds for the new releases worth waiting for. Pick Hoopla when you hate waiting.

What we like

• Completely free with a participating library card — no waitlists, borrows are instant
• Reads and listens in a browser as well as in the iOS and Android apps
• One account covers ebooks, audiobooks, comics, movies and music
• New titles arrive regularly, and borrows return automatically with no late fees

Watch out for

• Your library sets a monthly borrow limit, so heavy readers can run out mid-month
• Smaller libraries offer a smaller Hoopla catalogue, and some titles are missing
• No subscription or store, so a title outside your library's Hoopla deal is out of reach

#5

Kobo Books

Best for: Readers who want a web reader plus an optional cheap ebook subscription

Visit kobo.com

Starting priceFree (Kobo Books app; Kobo Plus Read $7.99/month)

Free planYes — free app (free ebooks; Kobo Plus optional)

Kobo Books is the free app behind Rakuten Kobo's store, and it reads in the app, on Kobo e-readers, and in any browser through the Kobo Web Reader. The free ebooks section covers classics and promos, and the optional Kobo Plus subscription is the cheapest paid plan here: Read costs $7.99 a month for unlimited ebooks, and Read & Listen costs $9.99 with audiobooks included.

The free selection is smaller than Kindle's, and new bestsellers still need a purchase or a subscription. Kobo Plus also varies by country, so the catalogue you get depends on where you live. The 14-day free trial is the honest way to test it. Pick Kobo when you want a web reader plus the cheapest subscription in this list.

What we like

• Free app with a free ebooks section, plus a web reader that needs no download
• Kobo Plus Read is $7.99 a month for unlimited ebooks in the subscription catalogue
• Read & Listen at $9.99 a month adds audiobooks to the same subscription
• Pairs with Kobo e-readers, which also borrow library books through OverDrive

Watch out for

• The free ebook selection is smaller than Kindle's, and new bestsellers need a purchase or Kobo Plus
• Kobo Plus Read is $7.99 a month and Read & Listen is $9.99 — the free app alone has no subscription catalogue
• Kobo Plus availability and catalogue vary by country

#6

Wattpad

Best for: Fans of serialized and fan fiction who read free stories in a browser or an app

Visit wattpad.com

Starting priceFree (ad-supported; Wattpad Premium $5.99/month)

Free planYes — free, ad-supported (Premium removes ads)

Wattpad is the odd one out: instead of a store, it is a library of millions of free stories written by its own community — serialized novels, fan fiction and romance, readable in a browser or the app. Per-paragraph comments let readers react to a story line by line, and new chapters appear every day. Reading is free; ads pay for it.

The ads are the catch: they interrupt between chapters unless you pay for Premium at $5.99 a month, which also adds offline reading and a monthly bundle of Originals. New chapters of Wattpad Originals are paywalled, so free readers wait or spend Coins. Pick Wattpad when you want free serialized fiction rather than published books.

What we like

• Millions of free stories, including fan fiction and serialized novels, readable in a browser
• Per-paragraph comments let readers react to a story line by line
• Premium at $5.99 a month removes ads and adds offline reading and monthly Originals
• Writers publish free, so new stories appear every day across every genre

Watch out for

• Free reading is ad-supported, and ads interrupt between chapters
• New chapters of Wattpad Originals are paywalled — free readers wait or pay with Coins
• Premium+ at $9.99 a month is the tier that unlocks paid stories; basic Premium does not

#7

Apple Books

Best for: iPhone and iPad owners who want a built-in store with thousands of free ebooks

Visit apple.com

Starting priceFree (app; books priced individually, no subscription)

Free planYes — free app (thousands of free ebooks; books priced individually)

Apple Books is the free app on every iPhone and iPad, and it needs no subscription at all: thousands of free ebooks sit alongside a pay-per-book store, with free samples for most titles. Family Sharing covers up to five family members on a purchase, and reading position, notes and highlights sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac.

The catch is the walls around it. There is no web reader, so Apple Books works only inside the app on Apple devices, and there is no Android version — a library built here does not travel to a non-Apple phone. New releases are also pay per book, with no subscription to soften the cost. Pick Apple Books if you live entirely on Apple devices.

What we like

• Free app with no subscription and thousands of free ebooks
• Family Sharing covers up to five family members on one purchase
• Free samples for most titles, so you can try a book before buying
• Syncs reading position, notes and highlights across iPhone, iPad and Mac

Watch out for

• No web reader — Apple Books works only in the app on Apple devices
• The free selection is mostly classics and promos; new releases are pay per book
• No Android version, so a library built here does not travel to a non-Apple phone

#8

Everand

Best for: Readers who want ebooks and audiobooks in one subscription with a web reader

Visit everand.com

Starting price$11.99/month (Standard, 1 premium unlock a month; 30-day free trial)

Free planNo — 30-day free trial

Everand is the subscription that grew out of Scribd, and it is the only entry here that puts ebooks, audiobooks and podcasts in one plan. Standard costs $11.99 a month and pairs one premium unlock with unlimited access to a select catalogue of 20,000+ titles, all readable in a browser or the app. Unused unlocks roll over for up to 6 months.

Read the model before you pay: most bestsellers cost one unlock each, so a reader who finishes four premium titles a month needs Plus at $16.99 or Deluxe at $28.99. Unlocked titles are also rentals — access ends if you cancel. The 30-day free trial is the safe way to test whether one unlock a month is enough. Pick Everand when you mix reading and listening.

What we like

• One plan covers ebooks, audiobooks and podcasts, readable in a browser or the app
• Standard at $11.99 a month includes unlimited access to a select catalogue of 20,000+ titles
• Plus at $16.99 a month adds 3 premium unlocks; Deluxe at $28.99 adds 5
• Unused unlocks roll over for up to 6 months

Watch out for

• Standard at $11.99 a month includes only 1 premium unlock — most bestsellers cost an unlock each
• Unlocked titles are rentals: access ends if you cancel the subscription
• No annual plan, so there is no discounted yearly price

#9

Moon+ Reader

Best for: Android readers with their own EPUB files who want deep reading controls

Visit moonreader.net

Starting priceFree (ad-supported; Moon+ Reader Pro $11.99 one-time)

Free planYes — free, ad-supported (Pro is a one-time purchase)

Moon+ Reader is a reader, not a store: it reads the ebook files you already own, in EPUB, PDF, MOBI, DJVU and a dozen more formats, and it does it with more controls than anything else here. Themes, fonts, gestures, auto-scroll, page animations and a reading ruler are all adjustable, and built-in OPDS support pulls free ebooks from online libraries.

It is Android only, with no iOS version and no web reader, and it sells no books — every title must come from your own files or a free library. The free version is ad-supported; Pro costs $11.99 once and removes ads while adding text-to-speech, more themes and reading statistics. Pick Moon+ Reader when you have your own ebook files and want them read properly.

What we like

• Free version reads EPUB, PDF, MOBI, DJVU and a dozen more formats
• The most adjustable reader here: themes, fonts, gestures, auto-scroll and page animations
• Reads free ebooks from online libraries through built-in OPDS support
• Syncs position and notes through Dropbox or WebDAV

Watch out for

• Android only — there is no iOS version and no web reader
• It has no store or free catalogue, so every book must come from your own files
• Pro at $11.99 one-time is the only way to remove ads and unlock themes and TTS

#10

FBReader

Best for: Readers with a large personal ebook library who want a fast, lightweight reader

Visit fbreader.org

Starting priceFree (FBReader Premium $14.99 one-time)

Free planYes — free (Premium is a one-time purchase)

FBReader is the lightweight pick: a free, fast reader for EPUB, FB2, PDF and more that runs on Android, iOS and desktop with the same library everywhere. It is built for readers who already own their books — load your files, sync position through the FBReader Book Network, and read without a store, an account or a subscription getting in the way.

The trade-off is that FBReader sells nothing and gives nothing away: there is no free catalogue, no web reader and no store, so every book must come from your own collection. The interface looks plain next to Kindle and Kobo, and Premium costs $14.99 once as a separate app install. Pick FBReader when you want a fast reader for a library you already own.

What we like

• Free, fast and lightweight reader for EPUB, FB2, PDF and more
• Runs on Android, iOS and desktop, with the same library everywhere
• Syncs books and reading position through the FBReader Book Network
• Premium at $14.99 one-time adds text-to-speech and translation

Watch out for

• No store, no free catalogue and no web reader — it only reads files you already own
• The interface looks plain next to Kindle and Kobo, and setup takes a little patience
• Premium at $14.99 one-time is a separate app install, not an in-app upgrade

The best app to read books for free online is the one that puts free books in front of you in a browser tab as easily as in an app. This list ranks ten apps by how well they read on the web — because a reader who has to install something first is a reader who never starts the book. Every price below was checked on November 4, 2026.

Six of the ten apps cost nothing at all: two library apps, three free stores and a free serialized-fiction library. The other four charge either a monthly subscription or a one-time purchase, and the cards say exactly which. Start with the free library apps, then pay only if the free shelf runs dry.

How to choose the best app to read books for free online

• Check the web reader first. Libby, Hoopla, Kindle, Google Play Books, Kobo Books and Wattpad all read in a browser. Apple Books, Moon+ Reader and FBReader do not — they need the app.
• Count what "free" actually covers. Libby and Hoopla lend whole books free. Kindle, Google Play Books, Kobo and Apple Books are free apps whose free shelves are mostly classics — new releases cost money.
• Match the app to your library card. A public library card unlocks Libby and Hoopla at $0. Without one, the free stores and Wattpad are your free options.
• Price the subscription against your pace. Kobo Plus Read at $7.99 a month beats Kindle+ at $11.99 if you read ebooks only, but Everand's single unlock a month is a bad deal for a four-book reader.
• Test it with your own files. Moon+ Reader and FBReader read EPUBs you already own, so load a real book and check the fonts, themes and sync before paying for Pro or Premium.

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Whatever you shortlist, try it with a real book before you pay. The free apps and trials in this list are long enough to finish one genuine read — your genres, your device, your reading speed — and that one book tells you more than any review can. Check two things in the trial: that the web reader feels good on your laptop, and that the books you actually want are free, not just the classics.

Free reading app pricing: what you will actually pay

Take a reader who finishes four books a month. On the free route — Libby and Hoopla with a library card, plus the free classics in Kindle, Google Play Books, Kobo and Apple Books — the year costs $0, and the only limit is the library waitlist and the monthly borrow allowance. Nothing here is a trial that expires.

On the paid route, the same four books a month cost $71.88 a year on Wattpad Premium, $95.88 on Kobo Plus Read, and $143.88 on Kindle+ or Everand Standard. The one-time purchases are cheaper still: Moon+ Reader Pro is $11.99 once and FBReader Premium is $14.99 once, and neither ever bills again. The most expensive route is pay-per-book: four new releases a month at a typical $10–$15 each runs $480–$720 a year on Google Play Books or Apple Books, with no subscription to cap it.

Three costs sit outside every number above. First, the unlock ration: Everand Standard includes only one premium unlock a month, so a four-book reader needs Plus at $16.99 or Deluxe at $28.99 — $203.88 or $347.88 a year. Second, the format trap: Apple Books has no web reader and no Android version, so switching phones later means rebuying or losing the library. Third, the rental rule: subscription books stop opening when you cancel, while books bought outright on Kindle, Google Play Books, Kobo or Apple Books stay yours.

Know the difference: borrowing vs buying vs subscribing

The confusion in this category is between three ways of getting a book, and every app here sells a different mix. Borrowing means the book is free for a fixed loan — Libby and Hoopla lend ebooks and audiobooks from a public library, and the loan returns itself. Buying means the book is yours: pay once on Kindle, Google Play Books, Kobo or Apple Books and it stays in your library. Subscribing means you rent access: Kindle+, Kobo Plus, Wattpad Premium and Everand charge monthly, and the books stop opening when you stop paying.

That split is why the prices look inconsistent. A free app can still be expensive — Google Play Books and Apple Books cost nothing to install but charge per book — while a paid subscription can be the cheapest route for a heavy reader. Kobo Plus Read at $7.99 a month is cheaper than buying four new releases, and Libby at $0 beats both when your library carries the title.

A third distinction worth knowing is a reader versus a store. Moon+ Reader and FBReader are readers only: they open files you already own and sell nothing. Kindle, Google Play Books, Kobo and Apple Books are stores with a reader attached: the free app is the shop window. Judge each entry on the half you actually need — the catalogue or the reading controls — because the best store is not always the best reader.

Quick comparison: tool type by need

Mistakes to avoid

• Paying for a subscription before trying the library apps. Libby and Hoopla lend the same new releases free with a library card. A $11.99 Kindle+ or Everand month buys books your library would have lent you.
• Assuming a free app means free books. Google Play Books and Apple Books cost nothing to install but charge per book, and their free shelves are mostly classics. Check whether the books you want are free before building a library there.
• Ignoring the borrow limit and the waitlist. Libby's popular titles have holds queues, and Hoopla caps monthly borrows by library. A reader who finishes four books a month can run dry mid-month on either one.
• Buying the wrong tier. Everand Standard includes one premium unlock a month, so a four-book reader needs Plus or Deluxe. Wattpad Premium removes ads but does not unlock paid stories — that is Premium+ at $9.99 a month.
• Building a library in an app you cannot leave. Apple Books has no web reader and no Android version, and Kindle+ and Everand books stop opening when you cancel. Buy outright on a platform you will still use in a year.

How we chose

We checked each vendor's own page on November 4, 2026 and recorded the starting price exactly as shown, then ranked the apps by fit for the most common reader — someone who wants to read free books in a browser as easily as in an app — not by brand size. Four prices needed a workaround: Amazon's help pages block automated access, so Kindle+'s $11.99 a month is corroborated across several independent sources updated after the October 22, 2026 rename from Kindle Unlimited; Kobo's own Plus page shows the plans but no price in plain text, so the $7.99 Read and $9.99 Read & Listen figures come from third-party sources quoting Kobo's pricing; Wattpad's Premium page likewise shows no price, so $5.99 a month comes from the App Store listing; and Everand's $11.99 Standard price is taken from Everand's own comparison page and its App Store listing, since its pricing page would not load. Moon+ Reader Pro ($11.99) and FBReader Premium ($14.99) are one-time purchases listed on Google Play, not subscriptions. Ratings are omitted for all ten apps: no G2, Capterra or Trustpilot page exists for these consumer reading apps, and app-store ratings are not used as a substitute. No vendor paid for a place in this list, and none of the links here are affiliate links.

What to do next

Start with Libby and Hoopla if you have a library card — both are free, both read in a browser, and together they cover most new releases. If your library does not carry a title, check the free shelves in Kindle and Google Play Books before paying for anything. Run one real book through your top pick first: check the web reader on your laptop, the offline mode on your phone, and whether the next three books on your list are free or paid. Once your tools are in place, find out what's holding your rankings back.

Sources we checked (13)

• Libby — libbyapp.com (checked November 4, 2026)
• Kindle Unlimited / Kindle+ pricing — amazon.com/kindleunlimited (checked November 4, 2026)
• Kindle+ rename and $11.99 price — kristian-larsen.com (checked November 4, 2026)
• Google Play Books — play.google.com/books (checked November 4, 2026)
• Hoopla — hoopladigital.com (checked November 4, 2026)
• Kobo Plus — kobo.com/plus (checked November 4, 2026)
• Kobo Plus Read $7.99 / Read & Listen $9.99 — epubor.com (checked November 4, 2026)
• Wattpad Premium — wattpad.com/premium (checked November 4, 2026)
• Wattpad Premium $5.99/month — App Store listing via apppricer.com (checked November 4, 2026)
• Apple Books — apple.com/apple-books (checked November 4, 2026)
• Everand plans — everand.com/everand-vs-audible (checked November 4, 2026)
• Moon+ Reader Pro $11.99 — Google Play listing (checked November 4, 2026)
• FBReader Premium $14.99 — Google Play listing (checked November 4, 2026)