8 best reading apps for novels, non-fiction, and short guides [2026]

I love reading! Honestly, if I didn't have to work, I'd probably spend my entire life lost in books — reading inspiring stories and writing my own. Now here comes a confession that might get me kicked out of the book club: I don't always read paper books. I actually love digital versions. With the right reading apps, it's even better than paper — instant notes, searchable highlights, one-tap quote copying, and my whole library fits in my pocket.

So, I analyzed the best reading apps to see which ones are better for different types of content, what their pros and cons are, so you can choose your tool from this variety.

Best reading apps: feature comparison

Reading a research paper in PDF on an e-book reader is inconvenient, and reading a long novel on a Mac is not practical. Know what I mean? The best reading apps depend on your needs, and I've briefly explained here which tools are best for specific purposes.

Reading app	Best for	Price
Amazon Kindle	Fiction novels, bestsellers, memoirs, self-help books	Free app + book purchases
Apple Books	Enhanced ebooks, graphic novels, illustrated cookbooks, children's books	Free
Google Play Books	Comics, audiobooks, cross-platform reading	Free
Headway	Non-fiction books summaries	Included in Setapp
Nitro PDF Pro	Research papers, work reports, technical documentation	Included in Setapp
Libby	Library bestsellers, audiobooks	Free
Margin Note	Academic papers, textbooks, technical manuals	Included in Setapp
Blinkist	Business books, popular non-fiction,	From $80/year

Now let's explore what makes each one worth considering for your reading habits.

Amazon Kindle: Best reading app with the largest library

I have a Kindle ebook reader, and I consider it the best investment for reading enthusiasts. However, you can also read books on your phone or iPad with the Amazon Kindle app. It has an almost limitless collection of books!

You can customize your reading experience and bookmark pages in your books. On top of that, Kindle lets you use words that you don't understand by directing you to Google and Wikipedia within the app. Plus, if you start a book on my Mac and want to continue on your phone later, it picks up exactly where you left off.

Best features:

• Millions of books available
• Customizable fonts, brightness, and reading layouts
• Extensive highlighting and note-taking tools

Pros

• Option to check unfamiliar words in the built-in dictionary 
• Ability to take notes and highlight paragraphs
• Works across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, and dedicated Kindle devices

Cons

• It's hard to share books on Kindle. You can do it with Amazon Household, but there are limitations
• It doesn't support vertical scrolling between pages
• You're locked into Amazon's ecosystem for purchases

Price: Free app + book purchases.

“I use the kindle app to read on my iPhone if I’m out of the house and don’t have the kindle with me! If I have another option though, I generally prefer to read on the kindle or the kindle app on my iPad just because of the bigger screen size (I have an iPhone 13). If your phone is similarly sized to the kindle and it feels comfortable for you to read on, I’d think the app would work fine for you!” says a Reddit user.

Apple Books: Best for readers committed to the Apple ecosystem

Apple Books is the default reading app on every Mac, and for Apple users, it's honestly hard to beat. It has all the features that book lovers need, including bookmarks, font size adjustments, and access to massive libraries of free and paid books. You can also annotate on the Books app.

Best features:

• Pre-installed on every Mac
• Automatic sync across all Apple devices via iCloud
• Access to Apple Book Store directly in the app
• Adjustable fonts, themes, and night mode
• Support for audiobooks alongside ebooks

Pros:

• Synchronizes with all connected Apple devices
• Lets you buy books exclusively available on the Apple Book Store
• Easy to use

Cons

• Only supports .epub and .pdf
• Might strain your eyes because it only works on backlit devices

Google Play Books: Essential option for readers who want web flexibility

Google Play Books offers solid syncing and a massive library, but here's the honest take: the mobile and desktop apps feel clunky compared to Kindle or Apple Books. That said, the web interface is actually quite good, and if you're already deep in the Google ecosystem, the cross-platform sync is excellent.

I use it occasionally when I want to read in a browser tab or when a book is cheaper on Google than Amazon.

Best features:

• Read on phones, tablets, computers, or in your car via CarPlay
• Download books for offline reading
• Custom shelves to organize your library by genre or theme
• Smart notes that sync with Google Drive for collaboration
• Audiobook library with adjustable playback speed and sleep timers

Pros:

• Syncing across all devices (Android, iOS, web, desktop)
• Huge library 
• Often competitive or better pricing than other platforms
• Strong web-based reading experience
• Can customize fonts, brightness, and text size

Cons:

• Desktop and mobile apps feel basic and buggy
• Note management is limited 

Headway: Top-rated 15-minute book summary app

Headway takes the book summary concept and adds motivation layers that actually work. It's designed around microlearning — 3-minute daily sessions that expose you to ideas from 10 different books. Think of it as Duolingo for book knowledge.

I use Headway when I want to buy a book for self-improvement or business, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. So, I read the summary on Headway and then decide whether to buy the full version or not. Spoiler: Often, the summary with insights is enough for me, because it really contains all the important info.

Best features:

• 1,500+ nonfiction book summaries in 15-minute formats
• Personalized book recommendations 
• Themed challenges for specific areas:
• Audio summaries 
• Progress tracking and streak monitoring

Pros:

• Gamification 
• Personalized recommendations 
• Easy-to-navigate interface 
• Great for goal-oriented readers 
• Listen mode works while doing other tasks

Cons:

• Still not a replacement for reading full books

 “I've recently bought a subscription to the Headway app and didn't expect to love it so much. Based on two months of use, here is my sincere recommendation. The spaced repetition feature is a hidden gem. Not many Headway reviews mention it, but this feature really helps me memorize and apply the knowledge I get. I highlight the insights I find especially useful and revise them over time. Reading nonfiction no longer feels like an overhead, and I can actually see the impact”,  shares a Reddit user.

Price: Available on Setapp, a subscription platform with 250+ apps. You can try it free for 7 days.

Nitro PDF Pro: Best for PDF-heavy reading and professional documents

Nitro PDF Pro is technically a PDF editor, but if you read a lot of research papers, technical documentation, or work-related PDFs, it's one of the best reading apps for that specific use case. You can annotate extensively, merge documents, convert to other formats, and even add secure passwords.

“What I like best about Nitro PDF is its clean and user-friendly interface combined with fast, reliable performance. The tools are well organized, making it easy to edit, convert, merge, and review PDFs without confusion. It handles large files smoothly and offers strong features like OCR, commenting, and secure sharing, which saves time and improves overall productivity in daily work. Moreover I can whiteout the unwanted area of the uploaded pdf”, shares Mahesh on G2.

Best features:

• Merge multiple PDFs into single documents
• OCR makes scanned text editable
• Add comments, drawings, highlights, and audio notes
• Compare document versions to spot changes instantly
• Suited for work/study, not leisure reading

Pros:

• All-in-one solution for reading and editing PDFs
• Strong security features—passwords, encryption, digital signatures
• Excellent for collaboration with comment tracking
• Can fill and sign forms digitally
• Works great for professional and academic documents

Cons:

• Not designed for ebook formats like .epub

Price: Available on Setapp, a subscription platform with 250+ apps. You can try it free for 7 days.

Libby: Best free reading app with public library integration

Libby is honestly one of my favorite discoveries. It's a completely free app that connects you to public library systems in over 50 countries. All you need is a library card from your local library, and suddenly you have access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks at zero cost.

I use Libby for fiction reads, bestsellers I'm curious about but not sure I'll love, and audiobooks during workouts. Yes, popular books have wait times, but honestly? That's a small price to pay for completely free reading.

Best features: 

• Clean, intuitive interface 
• Adjustable fonts and reading settings
• Note-taking and highlight export features
• Audiobook integration 

Pros

• It’s free
• It's easy to find available books
• No ads

Cons

• Book selection is limited to specific libraries
• Long wait time for popular books

“I have the Libby app for my library. You download audio books and regular books to your kindle app by "borrowing" them. I've saved hundreds of dollars this way. The only downside is that a lot of the time I have to put a book on hold because there aren't enough copies to borrow. I've waited months to listen or read books that are popular”, says a Reddit user.

Price: Free.

MarginNote: Best reading app for students, researchers, and deep learners

MarginNote promises a smart reading experience with advanced note-taking features. You can organize notes with mind maps, annotate any paragraphs, and turn them into flash cards. It's arguably the best book reader app for taking notes. 

I recommend using MarginNote for reading non-fiction that requires actual study — business books, research papers, technical documentation. With the mind-mapping feature, you can connect concepts across different books and chapters, which is honestly game-changing for retaining complex information.

Best features:

• Import ebooks and PDFs for annotation
• Create mind maps automatically from your notes and highlights
• Turn annotations into flashcards for spaced repetition learning
• Multi-colored highlighting with custom tags
• Split-screen reading with note-taking panel
• Export notes in various formats

Pros

• The app's mind-mapping feature helps you connect different ideas together.
• It offers extensive annotation features, such as adding multiple notes, screenshots, and different colored highlights. 
• You can tag the notes to review them later. 

Cons

• Possible steep learning curve for some users
• Doesn't support handwritten notes

Price: Available on Setapp, a subscription platform with 250+ apps. You can try it free for 7 days.

Blinkist: Best reading app with bite-sized content

Blinkist offers short summaries of popular fiction and nonfiction works. From personal development to thrillers, the app provides highly concentrated summaries of over 9,000 titles and hundreds of topics.

This way, you can learn new insights even if you lack time. At present, it's available as an iPhone and iPad book reader app.

Best features:

• 9000+ book summaries across various topics
• Audio narration for listening 
• Curated collections on specific themes
• Daily recommendations based on reading history

Pros:

• Affordable compared to buying multiple books
• Ability to absorb insights in under 20 minutes
• Great for sampling books before committing to full reads

Cons:

• Limited selection of scientific and technical books

✕

To sum up: What is the best reading app

The perfect reading setup isn't about finding one "best" app; it's about choosing the right tool for each type of reading you do.

Use Kindle or Apple Books for mainstream fiction and bestsellers. Pick Libby when you want free access to thousands of books through your library card. Reach for MarginNote when studying academic materials or business books that require deep note-taking. 

Turn to Blinkist or Headway when you're time-crunched but want to absorb key concepts, and use Nitro PDF Pro for professional documents that need editing, signing, or annotation.

If you're building a complete digital reading workflow without apps them separately, Setapp offers the best reading apps like Headway, Nitro PDF Pro and MarginNote  plus 240+ others for one subscription. It's especially valuable if you're also using productivity, creative, or development tools on your Mac.