20 book apps for every reader

by James · March 9, 2023

Book lovers, let’s level with each other. In 2023, it’s time for all of us to admit that we live on our phones. But maybe that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. After all, there are apps that can make every part of our lives easier—even our reading lives. Yes, sometimes our phones distract us from reading, but we don’t have to! With the best book apps, your phone can become a beautiful part of your reading journey.

How can book apps contribute to your reading life? If you want to read more books, accessing books directly from your phone is a great way to read wherever you are. Or, if you’re an audiobook fan, audiobook apps are essential for on-the-go reading. There are also plenty of book apps that allow you to connect with other readers and discuss books online. And reading trackers can help you set goals and monitor your reading performance.

So go ahead and make yourself a little folder for all the reading apps on your phone (it should be organized) and you’re good to go! These are the best book apps to download!

1. Bookish

If you really want to make reading a habit, the Bookly app is a must. With Bookly, you can track your reading sessions in real time. Just start the timer and start reading. When you’re done with each reading session, Bookly will record your stats and let you know how your reading speed compares to other sessions. Looking for a book tracker? You can track your books, rate them, and place them on different shelves. Bookly also hosts readings, so there are many ways to engage with the app and read. For more detailed information on how Bookly can enhance your reading life, here’s our review.

2. Scribd

If you want access to a wide range of audiobooks, e-books, magazines and more, all in one app on your phone, Scribd doesn’t matter. Subscribers have access to hundreds of thousands of audiobooks and e-books, and the subscription cost is as low as $11.99 per month for unlimited access to their library. Looking for book deals? Scribd shares books with you based on your reading habits. You can also save books to your shelves to read later.

3. StoryGraph

StoryGraph has gotten a lot of buzz lately, so it probably doesn’t need an introduction. But anyway, I’m here to introduce you. StoryGraph is a social media app that lets you track your books, put them on your shelves, and get book recommendations based on your specific interests. One of the best parts of StoryGraph is all the tags you can add to your books to help other readers find what they’re looking for. You can also tag trigger alerts. For an even more detailed overview of StoryGraph, check it out here.

4. Goodreads

Speaking of apps that need no introduction, we can’t talk about book apps without mentioning Goodreads. Like StoryGraph, Goodreads is an app that lets you track your reading, put your books on your shelf, tag them, and connect with other readers online to discuss your favorite books. Wondering whether to use StoryGraph, Goodreads, or both? We’ve put together a little comparison of the two apps to help you figure out which one is best for you.

5. Basmo

If you want to read more and log what you read, Basmo is here to help. Think of this app as your personal reading coach. With Basmo, you can set yearly and daily goals to build reading habits. Best of all, your goals aren’t just to keep reading. Basmo will support your goals to read more books, but it will also help you read more carefully and remember more of the books you read with your reading log. And your friends can follow you for even more accountability. Basmo offers more benefits with a premium, but there is also a free option.

6. Aardvark Book Club

Aardvark Book Club is a unique book subscription service that is completely app-based. The book club offers new publications from a wide variety of genres every month. You can then select the book of the month in the app. Aardvark also connects you with a community of readers who you can chat with in the app to make the whole experience feel like a real book club (but on your phone)!

7. Summary Z

Of course, we all want to actually read the books on our shelves. But what if you need a little refresher on that book you read a year ago and forgot about? THE recap took care of that. This app is exactly what it sounds like: summaries for books. But this thing makes it stand out: You can read or listen to summaries on this app. This app also includes a reading tracker so you can set reading goals and keep track of what you’re reading.

8. Leo

Leio is a reading tracking app with lots of fun features. You can time your reading to gain insight into your reading habits, and then Leio will actually make predictions about your next reading based on the logged data. Charts and statistics help you track your reading data over time. And when the deadline is up, Leio will let you know how much you need to read each day to reach your goals.

9. Serial reader

Have you wanted to get to the classics but can’t find the time? Then check out Serial Reader. Serial Readers breaks down classic novels into bite-sized pieces to make them easier to digest. Every day you can read the serial version of the classic novels of your choice. It only takes 20 minutes a day. All novels are unabridged. Best of all, it’s free! But if you need more features, you can pay for premium.

10. Aldiko

Would you like to consolidate all your reading material into one convenient app? This is what Aldiko is for! No matter where your audiobooks, ebooks, and comics come from, you can import them all into this one app. This means you only need to click a single icon on your phone’s home screen to access every book you’re currently reading. And if you’re like me and read five or six books at a time, it’s a huge lifesaver.

11. Comixology

Comic fans, this app is for you. Comixology offers over 230,000 digital comics, manga, and graphic novels from Marvel, DC, Viz, Kodansha, Dark Horse, and Image. Plus, the app also features exclusive Comixology comics that you won’t find anywhere else. New content is added to this app every day, so if you want to read more comics from the comfort of your phone, this content will help you.

12. Wattpad

Wattpad is a dream for writers who want to self-publish and reach a wider audience. Wattpad is a free app that allows users to write and read original stories. So if you want to read or write more (or both!), you’ll want to use this app. Authors usually upload longer novels chapter by chapter, so you can follow the progress of the story and join a large community of people who enjoy reading the same type of stories as you.

13. Litsy

Litsy is a book app that focuses on the social aspect of reading. You know how when you read a book that you really like, you just want to talk to people about it? Litsy is the place to do that. Litsy is the app where you can discover your next favorite book and discuss it with other like-minded people who share your taste. Share pictures, share your thoughts, comment on other people’s pictures and thoughts. Make new friends. You get the idea.

14. Poet

Where are my poems? I have an app for you: Poetizer. Poetizer is an app where people can read, write, publish, buy and sell poetry. There are currently more than 3 million poems on the platform, written by poets from all over the world and from various backgrounds. Poetizer aims to create a safe and encouraging community for poets and poetry lovers.

15. Empire

Realm, formerly known as Serial Box, is an app that creates original fiction podcasts and audiobook series featuring bestselling and award-winning writers, directors, artists, and actors. This app was co-founded by former Obama Justice Department attorney Julian Yap and former Penguin Random House executive Molly Barton. Some of the shows in the app are free, but if you want the entire catalog, you’ll have to pay for unlimited.

16. Libby

Are you getting the most out of your library? Not if you don’t have the Libby app. With Libby, you can access your library’s digital catalog from your phone. If you love audiobooks, Libby is the best and easiest way to borrow audiobooks from your library. Looking for more advice on how to get the most out of the Libby app? Good news! We have some suggestions for you.

17. Hoopla

Hoopla is an alternative to Libby, another app that puts your library’s audiobooks, e-books, comics, movies, TV, magazines, and music at your fingertips. And all you have to do is get a library card. But which is better for you, Libby or Hoopla? It really depends on what you’re looking for. Both apps will have different books available, but Hoopla will also include movies, TV shows and music, while Libby will focus on books.

18. Audible

If you like audiobooks, you probably already have Audible on your phone. But in case you missed it, here’s the deal. Audible offers a wide selection of audiobooks, but also has tons of original podcasts, exclusive originals, and more. You can access everything and buy audiobooks with a membership. You can also purchase additional credits to purchase even more audiobooks. As a bonus, Audible always sells a ton of great audiobooks.

19. Libro.fm

Libro.fm lets you enjoy audiobooks while supporting your local bookstore. Just let Libro.fm know which bookstore you’d like to support and the audiobook you purchase will go directly to them. I love Libro.fm and use it to buy audiobooks at my favorite bookstore in my hometown, Avid Bookshop. Which bookstore would you support?

20. Kindle

Last but not least is the Kindle. The Kindle app is Amazon’s free app that lets you browse and buy e-books, magazines, audiobooks, and comics from the Kindle store. The best part of it all? You can sample all the books you want for free before you buy.

Didn’t see your favorite book app on this list? Be sure to let us know so we can include it in future lists. Or maybe it’s on one of these: the best reading apps for kids , the best book catalog apps , the best focus apps , or these romance book apps . Now start downloading!