Alexis Kestler
Reading eBooks on your Android phone or tablet is a great way to keep yourself entertained and informed on the go. The ePUB format has become the most popular for eBooks due to its versatility and open source nature. To read ePUB files on your Android device, you need a good eBook reader app.
In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss the 10 best ePUB readers for Android that you can use to read eBooks seamlessly on the move. We have tested and reviewed dozens of eBook apps to shortlist the very best ones for you.
Why is ePUB the Most Preferred Format for eBooks?
Along with ePUB, there are other eBook formats like MOBI and PDF which also do a decent job. However, ePUB has emerged as the most preferred format due to the following key advantages:
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Open Source: ePUB is an open source format that can be supported by any app or device. This makes it universally accessible.
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Reflowable: ePUB allows text to automatically reflow based on screen size. This makes reading eBooks fluid and comfortable irrespective of your device.
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Versatile: ePUB is compatible with all major eBook stores and can be read on any smartphone, tablet, eReader or computer.
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Lightweight: ePUB files are much smaller in size than PDFs, making them easier to download and store.
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Accessible: ePUB format supports accessibility features for vision impaired readers.
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DRM Supported: ePUB has inbuilt support for DRM which allows protected distribution of commercial eBooks.
For all these reasons, ePUB has become the de facto standard for eBooks. Even Amazon Kindle has started supporting ePUB format books in recent years.
What are ePUB Readers?
ePUB reader apps are specialized apps that allow you to open and read ePUB files on your Android device. They provide various reading focused features like:
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Support for ePUB and other eBook formats like PDF, MOBI, etc.
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Library management to organize your eBook collection
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Reading customization with themes, fonts, text size, etc.
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Annotations and highlights to take notes while reading
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Dictionary lookup to quickly find meanings of words
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Syncing between devices to pick up reading from where you left
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Text-to-speech to listen to books instead of reading
A good eBook reader enhances your reading experience and helps you read more. Let‘s now look at the 10 best Android apps for reading ePUB books that you can use.
1. Moon+ Reader
Moon+ Reader is one of the most feature rich and popular eBook reader apps on Android with over 50 million downloads. It supports a wide variety of formats including ePUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW along with comic book formats like CBR and CBZ.
The app provides complete control over your reading experience with options to customize themes, fonts, text size, brightness, page turn animations, etc. It has both day and night reading modes to suit your environment. You can read books in 40 different languages thanks to the built-in translation dictionaries.
Some of the standout features of Moon+ Reader:
- Five preloaded free books to get you started
- Online library access to download thousands of free books
- Listen to audiobooks and TTS support
- Notes, highlights and bookmarks to easily annotate
- Backup books to Google Drive or Dropbox
- Available in both free and paid versions
Moon+ Reader provides the perfect balance of features and usability. It‘s a must-have app for any book lover.
2. FBReader
FBReader is a popular open source eBook reader available entirely for free without any ads. It supports ePUB, ePUB3, PDF, MOBI, HTML, FB2, RTF, DOC and other text formats.
Despite being free, FBReader provides a robust set of features including:
- Customizable themes and fonts
- Multiple reading modes like scrolling, paged, two pages, etc.
- Brightness control and text size options
- 50+ free classic books built-in
- Dictionary with ColorDict integration
- Notes and bookmarks support
- External plugins to enhance features
- Available in over 20 languages
FBReader may not look as elegant as some paid apps but it gets the job done well for casual reading. The lack of ads and simplistic interface are a major plus. It‘s the perfect free eBook reading app.
3. Aldiko Book Reader
Aldiko Book Reader provides an efficient and no-frills reading experience. It makes organizing and reading your eBook collection a breeze.
Aldiko supports PDF, ePUB and Adobe DRM encrypted eBooks. It has a catalog of over 50,000 free eBooks that can be downloaded. Key features include:
- Intuitive bookshelf to easily manage your library
- Customizable font, text size, color themes and background
- Brightness control and multiple reading modes
- Notes, bookmarks and highlights for annotation
- Robust dictionary support with Wikipedia integration
- Cross-device syncing via Google Drive and Dropbox
- Free version with ads and paid premium version
For someone looking for a simple, ad-free eBook reading app without complex features, Aldiko Book Reader is a great choice.
4. PocketBook Reader
PocketBook Reader allows you to read both eBooks and listen to audiobooks within a single app. It supports a whopping 26 different file formats including EPUB, PDF, DJVU, FB2, MOBI, CBR, CBZ, etc.
Despite being free, PocketBook Reader is ad-free while reading and provides many useful features:
- Attractive interface with multiple themes
- Notes, bookmarks and built-in reader tools
- Text highlighting in multiple colors
- 100,000+ free books available for download
- Support for Adobe DRM protected books
- Sleep timer for audiobook listening
- Available in over 20 languages
For those who like to read as well as listen to books, PocketBook Reader is the perfect fit.
5. Google Play Books
Google Play Books is Google‘s own eBook reader that comes pre-installed on many Android devices. It allows you to access the Google Play Books store with over 5 million titles.
Google Play Books supports PDF, EPUB, and CBZ formats. Purchased books are stored in the cloud so you can access them from any device. Reading features include:
- Bright and clean UI with Material Design
- Read books online and offline
- Sync progress across devices
- Adjust text size, font, brightness and orientation
- Add bookmarks and highlights
- Built-in dictionary to lookup definitions
- Audio narration through text-to-speech
- Available in over 80 languages
For those invested in the Google ecosystem, using Play Books means easy access to your books library anywhere.
6. Lucidor Comic Book Reader
Lucidor is a powerful comic book reader for Android that supports CBZ, CBR and PDF files. It is designed specifically for reading comic books and manga with features tailored for an optimal experience.
Lucidor provides:
- Intuitive page scrolling, zooming and panel-by-panel reading
- Smart library management with Series support
- Reading history to easily resume from where you left
- Multiple viewing modes optimized for comic reading
- Manga reading mode with right to left scrolling
- Notes and highlights to mark key moments
- Customizable themes to enjoy reading in different styles
- No ads or annoying popups
For comic lovers, Lucidor offers the best reading experience on mobile with its comic friendly interface.
7. Cool Reader
Cool Reader is a fast, lightweight eBook reader that supports a wide range of formats like EPUB, FB2, DOC, TXT, RTF, HTML, etc. It is open source and entirely free to use without ads.
Some useful features provided by Cool Reader:
- Adjustable text size, fonts, line spacing and margins
- Multiple color themes to choose from
- Brightness control and três different page turning modes
- Supports books in ZIP, GZIP and TAR archives
- Custom CSS style sheets can be used for formatting
- Dictionary support with ColorDict integration
- Bookmarks, highlights and annotations
- Text-to-speech with voice speed control
Cool Reader may not have the most modern interface but it excels at fast and smooth reading experience across all file formats.
8. ReadEra
ReadEra is an elegantly designed eBook reader that makes reading a visually pleasing experience with its material design interface.
It supports EPUB, PDF, MOBI, DJVU, FB2, DOC, RTF, TXT and many more formats. Key features offered:
- Auto discovery of books on your device
- Quick one tap access to your library
- Adjustable text size, font family, margins, etc.
- Multiple color themes including OLED black
-ancia, line spacing and margins - Bookmarks support
- Reading statistics and progress tracking
- No distracting ads or popups
ReadEra offers a clean and minimalistic reading environment optimized for reading immersion. It‘s a top choice for EPUB and PDF books.
9. Gitden Reader
Gitden Reader is a full fledged eBook reader and manager that makes it easy to catalog your library. It has a beautiful and intuitive bookshelf to access your collection.
Gitden supports all popular formats like EPUB, MOBI, PDF, DJVU, DOC, RTF, FB2, HTML, TXT, CHM etc. Reading features include:
- Customizable themes with different background textures
- Multiple text and page viewing options
- Gesture controls for highlights, bookmarks and navigation
- Integrated dictionary to lookup any word
- Personal bookshelf to easily manage books
- Notes and highlights exportable as TXT
- Available in free and paid premium versions
From casual to power readers, Gitden Reader appeals to all with its highly functional bookshelf centric interface.
10. Freda Ebook Reader
Freda is a versatile eBook reader that supports EPUB, MOBI, FB2, PDF and HTML formats. It provides all essential reading features you would need.
Some key highlights of Freda:
- Auto detects sideloaded books on device storage
- Customizable text size, font family, margins and spacing
- Multiple themes including OLED black
- Gestures for quick page turning and navigation
- Bookmarks and highlights support
- Integrated dictionary lookup
- OPDS catalog browsing to find free eBooks
- Ad-free reading experience
Freda offers a no-nonsense, hassle free interface focused purely on reading eBooks. It‘s great for minimalists looking for a clutter-free experience.
Finding Free eBooks for your Android eBook Reader
Once you have installed a good eBook reading app, you need eBooks to read on it. Here are some useful sources to get free eBooks:
- Project Gutenberg: Library of 60,000+ free eBooks
- Open Library: Borrow and read free eBooks
- ManyBooks: Library of 50,000+ free eBooks
- Google Play Books: Free classics and bestsellers
- Baen Free Library: Sci-fi & fantasy eBooks
- Standard eBooks: High quality eBook editions
Make use of these resources to build a nice collection of free eBooks to read on your Android device anywhere, anytime.
Conclusion
EPUB has become the most popular and convenient format for reading eBooks on mobile devices. With a good eBook reading app, you can have access to thousands of free books right on your Android smartphone or tablet.
We looked at the 10 best eBook reader apps like Moon+ Reader, FBReader and Aldiko that provide a comfortable reading experience and support EPUB, PDF and other eBook formats. Each app has its own advantages so pick the one that best matches your needs and interests.
Now you can start building your personal library to read books on the go. Ditch paper books and enter the convenient world of eBooks using these excellent Android apps. Let us know your favorites for reading ePUB files on Android in the comments below!
