Eight Best Services for Renting, Purchasing and Downloading E-Books
While there’s something special about a physical book, eBooks are a great alternative for reading on the go (and building a library that doesn’t take up space). If you want to read on your phone, tablet, or e-reader, there are several options to find millions of titles to borrow or buy.
Your choice of e-reader doesn’t necessarily limit where you can get e-readers, as some of the best e-readers (Kindle and non-Kindle) support a wide range of document formats that you can convert back and forth using services like Caliber and Adobe Acrobat, with some limitations. (If you’re looking for an e-reader, we’ve covered the pros and cons of some of the most popular options on the market, although you can also access the content through various apps for your iOS or Android device.)
On the other hand, where you buy e-books may limit where you can read them. For example, Amazon removed the ability to download Kindle e-books to your computer to convert them from the company’s own .AZW3 format. This means you can only read content on your Kindle or through the Kindle mobile or web app.
In addition to compatibility with your reading device, you should also consider factors such as book selection and catalog size, whether you want to pay per book or have a subscription, and whether you want to rent books or own them long-term.
Here are some of the best eBook services to consider.
Kindle books
While you may be trying to ditch Amazon’s services, especially if you’re not already a Kindle user, Kindle Books is still one of the best e-book stores with over 6 million titles to choose from.
You can buy individual books a la carte or subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, which lets you borrow up to 20 eligible ebook or audiobook titles at a time (plus magazine subscriptions) with no due date for $12 per month after a 30-day trial. Your books and reading progress are synced across all devices, so you won’t lose your place.
The downside, as stated above, is that you can only read books on a Kindle device or Kindle app, so you won’t be able to transfer content to another e-reader. And while Kindle Unlimited offers a huge selection, including popular books, you might not find everything you want to read suitable, so you’ll have to buy some books separately.
Overdrive
OverDrive is a library service that lends books to anyone with a library card from a participating library system. More than 90% of libraries in North America support OverDrive, and you can borrow and read ebooks through the Libby app on iOS, Android, and Amazon devices, as well as online. OverDrive is free to use if you have a library card, and the Libby app is easy to navigate for browsing, requesting, reading, and returning ebooks with features like device syncing and offline access.
However, the selection depends on your local library’s catalog, and you may have to wait for popular titles. Additionally, as with regular library books, you have a limited checkout period before your eBook is returned to circulation, and if other users have requested the title, you will not be able to renew it.
If you want to expand your library acquisition options, you can also use Hoopla , which is similar to OverDrive and allows you to get ebooks to read on your mobile device.
Rakuten Kobo
Kobo is a great Kindle alternative for both e-readers and e-readers. The catalog features over 5 million titles that you can read on any Kobo device or using the Kobo app on iOS, Android, or desktop. You can also download Kobo books in EPUB or PDF format for exporting to other reading devices, and Kobo integrates with OverDrive/Libby for library borrowing.
Kobo offers a la carte shopping as well as a subscription loan service called Kobo Plus, which costs $8 per month for e-books only or $10 per month for both e-books and audiobooks after a 30-day trial. Kobo Plus doesn’t have access to Kobo’s full catalog, although there are 1.5 million e-books and 150,000 audiobooks to choose from.
Google Play Books
Google has a catalog of over 4 million books that can be purchased or rented through Google Play . You can read books on almost any device (except Kindle) using either the Google Play app or by downloading them in EPUB or PDF format and transferring them to an e-reader . Google’s interface offers helpful recommendations, and the app syncs across devices with offline reading capabilities. Google doesn’t have its own e-reader, but this makes reading more flexible than reading content purchased for the Kindle.
Bookstore.org
If you want to support your local bookseller with your ebook purchases, Bookshop.org is a great alternative to Kindle and Kobo. A portion of all purchases (both e- and print) go to the independent bookstore of your choice, and you can read e-books through the Bookshop.org app on your iOS or Android device or web browser.
Bookshop.org’s selection isn’t as large as some other catalogs, and you’ll pay full price for most titles because there’s no subscription borrowing option. Again, with every purchase you support a local business.
Everand
Everand is the audiobook and ebook division of Scribd. A monthly subscription includes access to both types of content and a catalog of over 1.5 million titles. The $12/month Standard plan unlocks one game per month, or you can pay $17/month for three unlocks (after a 30-day trial). Both plans include access to documents uploaded by the community on Scribd. Everand e-books can be read through the service’s iOS or Android app, as well as on Everand.com.
ebooks.com
eBooks.com is a platform-agnostic store with over 2.6 million titles to choose from, making it a good option if you’re not tied to one device. You can download books in one of several formats , depending on your reading device (note that eBooks.com is not compatible with Kindle, with the exception of Kindle Fire). You need to buy the e-books outright – there is no subscription.
Project Gutenberg
If you’re looking for literary classics, Project Gutenberg is the place to find them for free. First launched in 1971, the (now) online library has digitized more than 75,000 books in dozens of languages, with a focus on out-of-copyright content in the United States. The file formats are compatible with most e-readers and mobile devices, so you can download and transfer books anywhere to read them. You won’t find popular titles or current bestsellers here, but it’s a great option for books on your English class reading list.
Other e-book services
Of course, there are many other places where you can purchase e-books. Members of the Apple ecosystem can purchase individual books from Apple Books , which you can read on any device using the Apple Books app and share with up to five family members. Barnes & Noble is a good choice for Nook users, with over 4 million titles that can also be accessed on iOS or Android. Or look at platforms that offer discounted or free ebooks .