Verdict
Hoopla lets you borrow books, audio, and comics through your library card with no subscription fee, but access depends entirely on whether your library participates and how many monthly borrows it allots.
Best for
Someone whose local library already subscribes to Hoopla and who wants free audiobooks and comics without paying for a separate reading app.
Dealbreaker
Borrows are capped per month (some reviewers mention as few as four), so heavy readers will hit a wall well before the month is over.
The facts.
Pulled from the App Store, not written by hand. unverified
Price
Free
In-app purchases
Unknown
Ads
Unknown
Platforms
iPhone, iPad
Rating
4.8★ (1,381,438)
Version
4.88
Last updated
Aug 28, 2026
Released
Jan 24, 2013
Attributes
Native app
Category
Books, Entertainment
What reviews consistently say.
Themes grouped from 200 App Store reviews. Source feed ›
Praised for
Ease of use and design11 reviews
Subscription pricing and paywalls8 reviews
Import and export2 reviews
Where this comes from
11 of 200 recent reviews raised: Ease of use and designApp Store reviews ›
8 of 200 recent reviews raised: Subscription pricing and paywallsApp Store reviews ›
Listed at Free on the App StoreApp Store listing ›
Where we recommend it
The best reading and ebook apps ›Reading apps that are well rated and still maintained, each with its catch.
Alternatives with the same rule.
Every app here is rated 4.2 or better, has been updated in the last eighteen months, and has no significant number of reviewers reporting it broken. Price is not the rule on this list — some are free, some are not. Also with a catch.
Free · 4.9★ (5,833,634) · Updated Sep 8, 2026
Verdict. Kindle is easy to use and works well for people already invested in Amazon's ebook and audiobook ecosystem, but review evidence shows sync between devices and stability can break down for some users.
Best for. Someone already reading through Kindle Unlimited or buying Amazon ebooks who wants one app across phone and tablet for that library.
Dealbreaker. Some reviewers report syncing between devices and Audible no longer working, and a smaller group describes crashes that close books or delete downloaded files.
Free · 4.9★ (4,502,956) · Updated Aug 4, 2026
Verdict. Libby lets you borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your local library and most reviewers find it easy to use, though a few say managing holds is genuinely confusing.
Best for. Someone with an active public library card who wants to borrow ebooks and audiobooks through the library system rather than buy them.
Dealbreaker. You need a library card and your library's participation in OverDrive's catalog; a handful of users also report the hold-management flow stays confusing even after months of use.
Free · 4.8★ (752,461) · Updated Aug 17, 2026
Verdict. Goodreads is a book-tracking and social app, not an ebook reader — it links out to Kindle or Amazon rather than letting you read inside it. People value it for logging what they've read and seeing what friends are reading, but reviewers report a slow, glitchy, and confusing interface.
Best for. Someone who wants to log reading progress, join reading challenges, and see friends' recommendations, and who already reads on Kindle or elsewhere.
Dealbreaker. This isn't an ebook reader at all — you won't read books inside the app — and multiple reviewers describe it as slow to update, glitchy, and hard to navigate.