20 Best Apps for Book Lovers to Obsess Over

Are you looking for the best platforms for book lovers? You've found so many, but you're not sure which apps to download? In this article, you'll learn the best apps for book lovers and their main benefits.

Goodreads, Headway, Audible, and many others are considered the best apps for book lovers. These apps can track your reading, help discover new book titles, and even offer 15-minute learning sessions for busy people. 

According to research on Americans' general reading habits, about 8 in 10 Americans aged 16 and up say they read for fun at least now and then. So the question is: What platforms should you choose?

It actually depends on the purpose and your needs because every app is unique and serves different purposes; they can:

• Track your reading habits

• Publish your own stories

• Give you access to read comic books, nonfiction, and fiction

However, which of the best apps are actually worthy of your time? Learn about the best 20 apps for book lovers, so you can spend less time searching for them and more time enjoying their features.

Top 20 must-have book apps for every reader

This list consists of the best apps for book lovers to download — keep reading to learn about the platforms available for iPhone and Android users, what exact services they offer, and other vital details.

1. Headway — Best book app for personal growth in 15 minutes a day

Headway is one of the best apps for book lovers looking to expand their knowledge. It was designed for busy people, as we offer a bite-sized format and microlearning options. Readers and listeners can learn the main ideas of nonfiction bestsellers in just 15 minutes.

Headway's library of summaries from bestselling nonfiction titles is constantly updated, so ensure to follow and keep track. Key features of the Headway app:

• Summaries of top nonfiction titles (audiobook summaries or the text ones)

• Daily insights for motivation

• Self-growth challenges to achieve your goals

• A habit tracker that helps you be consistent.

• Personalized recommendations (based on your interests)

• Visual explainers for faster understanding — you won't waste a minute with us. 

Over 50 million people, via both App Store and Google Play, have joined the Headway community to learn faster and smarter. Headway gives you access to the world's best ideas. So, download the Headway app and begin your journey of self-development today.

2. Wattpad — Best free app to write and read original stories

Wattpad is a free book platform for inspiring writers or readers who love to get lost in an original story. At Wattpad, users can:

• Share stories and get their writings discovered through Wattpad's global community.

• Being discovered by Wattpad Studios, which looks for writers and connects them to worldwide multimedia entertainment businesses

• Vote, leave a comment, and provide feedback on any of the available stories

Wattpad could become the next blockbuster. Readers can also enjoy stories in dozens of languages, including English, in any genre they choose — fanfiction, romance, fantasy, teen fiction, etc. So, if you want to join and connect with a story-loving community, Wattpad is the place to be.

3. Shelfie — Best book app for organizing your reading notes

Shelfie is a user-friendly book tracker app that collects reading notes on your mobile device. This is an excellent tool for organizing and managing your reading notes. Key features of Shelfie include:

• Add books to your collection by searching for a keyword or scanning a book barcode

• Books in over 45 languages are recognized

• Directly save images as notes

• Monitor reading progress

• Record reading data

• Share your notes with attractive templates

• Access your notes anywhere

4. Epic — Best reading app for kids under 13

Epic is a popular digital book reading app for children under 13. This book app is interactive, entertaining, and child-friendly to help inspire a love of reading. Epic gives you access to a library featuring thousands of learning videos, books, and audiobooks.

It also provides you with personalized book recommendations based on topics of interest and reading levels. There are numerous features included with this app, such as:

• 24-hour access (and offline access for reading on the go)

• Rewards and badges to encourage and motivate

• Progress tracking and regular progress emails.

If you have a child whom you want to introduce to the world of reading in a fun and motivating way, consider choosing Epic. 

5. Cantook (Aldiko) — Best app to borrow and organize digital books

Cantook makes it easy to collate all in one place:

• E-books

• Audiobooks

• Comics

It is an e-book reader app with everything you need to manage your digital library. It supports public libraries, letting users browse library catalogs and borrow books. You can organize your bookshelf through collections and categories. Cantook also customizes your reading experience with numerous themes, fonts, and dark mode.

6. Goodreads — Best app to track your reading and discovernew books

This is the infamous app for bookworms. Goodreads is a free app home to the globe's largest reading community. On the platform, you can:

• Find new books from personalized recommendations based on books you've enjoyed

• Explore what books friends are reading

• Rate books, leave book reviews, and browse other people's reviews

• Track your reading progress

• Set a yearly 'Reading Challenge'

• Scan a book's barcode and add it to your 'Want To Read' bookshelf

• Recommend books to friends;

• Join online book clubs

• Vote for your favorite books of the year in the 'Goodreads Choice Awards'

7. Tertulia — Best book discovery app powered by trusted voices

Tertulia helps you discover books the way you'd hear about them in real life — through authors, critics, and public figures you trust. Instead of cold algorithms or bestseller lists, this app curates recommendations based on what's trending in real conversations across podcasts, social media, and the news.

Key features:

• Curated picks from authors, critics, and cultural voices

• Real-time book recommendations pulled from podcasts, social media, and news

• Personalized daily suggestions based on your interests

• Easy links to buy or save books for later

Tertulia makes book discovery feel more human — and a lot less like mindless scrolling.

8. Amazon Kindle — Best e-reader app for accessing millions of books

Amazon Kindle is one of the most popular book apps. It lets you read books on your tablet or phone and access thousands of free Kindle books (you don't need to own a Kindle to use the app). Over 1.5 million books are available, and it caters to every kind of reader, from books and comics to newspapers and magazines. Key Amazon Kindle features include:

• Sampling a book before you buy (read the first chapter)

• Customization of your reading experience with options for font, brightness, and layout

• Syncing of your e-books across numerous devices

• A built-in dictionary

9. Bookly — Best reading tracker app with daily goals and stats

Bookly is another book tracker app that lets you manage your books and track your reading progress. It is one of the best book apps, in part because it allows you to:

• Set a timer to monitor your reading

• Add books, audiobooks, or e-books to your collection

• Create custom book 'Collections'

• Set a 'Book Goal'

• Rate and comment on books

• Set daily reminders

• Share your progress

• Receive insightful statistics about your reading

• Play relaxing sounds while reading.

10. Libby — Best library app to borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free

Libby is an award-winning app for free, and you can borrow e-books, magazines, and audiobooks from libraries. All you need is your local library card and the Libby app. The platform displays your library's digital book collection so you can efficiently browse its catalog. It also lets you download titles so you can enjoy them offline.

Libby includes additional tools that let you:

• Add bookmarks and notes

• Enjoy read-along stories with children

• Change text size and background color

• Set a sleep timer

• Zoom into comics and magazines

11. Serial Reader — Best app to read classic books in bite-sized sessions

This next app helps you to read classic books in daily segments, making the reading process less overwhelming. Serial Reader has over 800+ classic books to choose from, and it sends you a new issue from the book daily. These issues can be read in 20 minutes or under, making it easy to fit into your routine. Serial Reader includes:

• Hundreds of free popular classics;

• A wide variety of fonts and themes;

• Tracking of reading streaks;

• Syncing with Goodreads.

If you are keen to get through some literary classics but find them daunting, Serial Reader can help you on your reading journey. 

12. Commaful — Best app for sharing and reading visual short stories

Commaful allows readers to enjoy bite-sized thrillers, horror, romance, fanfiction, and poetry. This free app also allows short story writers to upload their work (you can even write stories directly from your phone).

Both bestselling authors and writing beginners use Commaful, and you can share your stories on social media sites such as:

• Twitter (X)

• Facebook

• Instagram

The app displays stories in a picture-book format to bring them to fruition. Looking for short stories to sink your teeth into? Or want to share your writing creativity with others? Commaful is an excellent choice.

13. Kobo — Best e-book and audiobook app with global bookstore access

Another excellent app for e-books and audiobooks is Kobo. This app has over 6 million books; you can buy them directly from the platform. Many elements have been added to enhance the Kobo reading experience, including:

• Choice of text size and style

• 'Night Mode' and reading across multiple devices

• Schedule a timer on your audiobook

• Review books and browse other user reviews

• Browse e-book and audiobook samples

• Choose from numerous languages to read in

14. Audible — Best audiobook app for listening to bestsellers and originals

Audible is an audio entertainment app with audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts. Titles are available in every genre, ensuring there are options to suit your every fancy. You can stream or download anything from the 'Catalog' whenever you wish, listen online or offline, set a sleep timer, and build your own library.

Fresh content, including bestsellers and exclusive originals, is added each week. Audible is a fantastic app if you enjoy listening to stories at home or on the go.

15. Inkitt — Best app for discovering and publishing indie novels

Inkitt is a novel reading app where you can explore thousands of new novels by indie writers and enjoy them for free. The app also helps aspiring authors begin their journey toward the ultimate goal — publication. With novels covering all genres, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Users of Inkitt can:

• Read upcoming novels by indie writers

• Auto scroll when reading

• Receive reading recommendations based on your preferred fiction genres

• Download books and enjoy them offline

Consider Inkitt if you are a passionate reader looking to discover fresh, new talent or are a writer keen to share your work.

16. Deepstash – best app for bite-sized ideas from articles and podcasts

Deepstash curates the most valuable insights from books, articles, podcasts, and thinkers — all in short, digestible snippets. It's designed for curious minds who want to grow daily without getting trapped in endless scrolling.

Key features:

• Bite-sized ideas on topics like productivity, relationships, and psychology

• Curated "stashes" and daily recommendations based on your interests

• Distraction-free, scroll-light interface built for mindful engagement

• Save and organize ideas to revisit anytime

If you’re craving a feed that feeds your mind — not your anxiety — Deepstash is the perfect alternative.

17. Leio — Best book tracker app for physical book readers

Another book-tracking app that makes our list is Leio. This app mainly caters to physical books. One of its primary features is its timer, which allows you to monitor your reading sessions and gain valuable information about your habits. Leio also lets users:

• Receive accurate predictions about your reading life (such as when you will finish a book);

• Monitor your progress in multiple books

• Set reading deadlines, so Leio can ensure you finish a book in a specific time

• Save and share progress with friends

• Gain insights about your reading lifestyle.

18. Scribd — Best subscription app for ebooks and audiobooks

Millions of readers already use Scribd, a digital library for a whole host of content, including:

• magazine articles

• podcasts

• e-books

• audiobooks

It also features research documents, such as medical reports, study guides, and case studies. It even has sheet music for any instrument and difficulty level! This subscription-based service includes a digital library of audiobooks and e-books covering countless genres, including biography, entertainment, religion, true crime, and romance. Additionally, Scribd lets its users:

• Customize narration speed

• Download audiobooks for offline use

• Add annotations and set a sleep timer

19. Apple Books — Best iOS app to read, listen, and track books

Apple Books is your one-stop shop for all the books and audiobooks you love. Users can:

• Browse the 'Audiobook Store' and 'Book Store' to find a book

• Track what they have read and monitor what they wish to read

• Set 'Reading Goals' to build good reading habits

• Receive personalized recommendations

• Organize their library by creating custom collections

• Publish stories on the platform with support from Apple Books

• Add books they are interested in to a 'Want to Read' list

Apple Books serves over 100 million users monthly, making it an undeniably popular choice.

20. Litsy — Best social book app to share reviews and discover reads

Litsy is, first and foremost, an app for sharing your joy of books with friends. Litsy lets you share your favorite books with its passionate community of authors, readers, and influencers. Users can create posts about their reading experiences with photos, quotes, reviews, and blurbs, each linked to one book.

You can also share your favorite passages, ignite great conversations about books, and browse other people's reading. Litsy is a good book app if you love sharing and exchanging your thoughts and feelings about books with others.

Download the Headway app — a must-have for every book lover

As you can see, many excellent book-related apps are available. Options range from apps for book tracking, writing, e-books, and audiobooks, and beyond. By browsing our top picks of apps for book lovers, you will surely find one suitable for you. Why not start with Headway?

Headway is a self-growth and development app perfect for book lovers, delivering daily insights, book summaries, and visual explainers, so you can grow no matter how busy your daily schedule may be. 

If you love absorbing knowledge from books but struggle to find the time, download the Headway app, where we pick out key insights from popular nonfiction titles and deliver them to you using a fun and straightforward approach. 

You can also browse great nonfiction titles by viewing book lists on the Headway blog.

Your journey to self-betterment begins with Headway.