Because e-books are mostly platform independent, a variety of apps—some of which work with various e-book vendor ecosystems—work great with the Android platform so you can browse your books in the perfect app that meets your needs.
All of the apps below should be equally available no matter which company makes your Android phone: Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.
The Kindle App
Minimal and easy-to-use design.
Compatible with other devices.
Several viewing and sorting options.
Difficult to export books to other readers.
Can be slow to load books.
No direct support for EPUB files.
Kindle Unlimited
Books you download with Kindle Unlimited expire when you stop paying for the service.
Google Play Books
“Google Play Books” refers to both an app and a store. You buy books from the books section of Google Play (or any other ePub seller) and then read them on your Android phone or tablet or on Google Play’s website. You can also upload ePub books you’ve purchased elsewhere. It makes for a great, centralized library space, and it transfers from device to device, so long as you can install the Google Play Books app. Google Play also allows you to rent select textbooks.
Well-organized store.
Sorting options.
Very easy to use.
Includes other Google Play services.
Unable to save downloaded books to external drives.
You cannot install the Google Play app on Kindle Fire devices, so you will have to use an alternate reader, such as the Nook or Kobo app on Kindle Fires.
The Nook App
The Nook Reader is Barns & Noble’s baby, but it suffers an uncertain future as Barns & Noble shuts down portions of the store. The Nook reader is actually a pretty nice tablet, but it uses a modified version of Android that excludes you from Google Play. You’re not locked into the Nook tablet to read Nook books. You can download the Nook app and still access your library on Android devices (and even the Kindle Fire). Nook books use the ePub standard, so they are compatible with most reading apps.
Smooth page transitions.
Unique features.
Several sorting choices.
Lots of customizable settings.
Cannot purchase books directly through the app.
The app is sometimes buggy.
The Kobo App
The Kobo reader was loosely affiliated with Borders, but not tightly enough to collapse when Borders did. Kobo was ultimately purchased by Rakuten. Kobo offers a separate bookstore and sells books and magazines in ePUB format. However, it’s at a disadvantage to the other more popular stores when it comes to content. It’s actually superior to both of them when it comes to importing content. You can get separately purchased DRM-free books onto the Kobo reader with a lot less fussing than you can on the Nook or Kindle app.
No user account required to browse.
Lots of filtering options.
Helpful organization techniques.
Unique page-flipping options.
Limited category selection.
Poor browsing experience.
Other Options
You should also ask your local public library about their digital book selections. Many allow you to check out and read digital library books without having to visit the library in person. You may need to install a separate app, such as Overdrive, to take advantage of the service.
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