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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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Amazon Kindle alternatives

Amazon Kindle users often seek alternatives due to frustrating app updates that remove key features, persistent ads, and issues with library book access. Many look for better ways to manage their reading, discover new books, or access audiobooks.

Why users look for alternatives to Amazon Kindle

The alternatives

Amazon Shopping
4.8★ · 8,408,904 ratings · Free

Amazon Shopping is primarily for purchasing physical goods and managing Amazon Prime benefits, offering a convenient way to buy items with fast delivery and easy returns.

Better for: It suits users who prioritize quick and easy online shopping for a wide range of products, especially those who are Amazon Prime members and value fast delivery and hassle-free returns R52R60. It's also for those who need to manage their Amazon subscriptions and orders efficiently R60.

Head-to-head: Amazon Kindle vs Amazon Shopping
Audible
4.9★ · 5,545,865 ratings · Free

Audible provides a vast selection of audiobooks, allowing users to listen to books while busy or on the go, making reading accessible for those who prefer listening over traditional reading.

Better for: Audible is better for individuals who prefer listening to books rather than reading them, especially those with busy schedules who want to consume content while multitasking R72R74. It's ideal for users who enjoy a wide variety of audio content and appreciate well-written and enjoyable stories R66R69.

Head-to-head: Amazon Kindle vs Audible
Libby
4.9★ · 4,367,345 ratings · Free

Libby allows users to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from their local public library for free, offering a wide selection and the convenience of reading or listening anywhere.

Better for: Libby is ideal for budget-conscious readers who want free access to a large selection of ebooks and audiobooks through their local library R80R85R86. It's particularly well-suited for those who enjoy discovering new books and appreciate the ability to read or listen on the go R85.

Head-to-head: Amazon Kindle vs Libby
Goodreads
4.8★ · 737,344 ratings · Free

Goodreads functions as a book tracking and social networking app, enabling users to log their reading progress, set goals, discover new books through recommendations, and connect with other readers.

Better for: Goodreads is best for avid readers who want to track their reading, organize their 'to be read' (TBR) lists, and set yearly reading goals R94R97R98. It's also excellent for those who enjoy discovering new authors and series through personalized recommendations and connecting with a community of book lovers through reviews and discussions R94R98R103.

Head-to-head: Amazon Kindle vs Goodreads
Wattpad
4.7★ · 705,771 ratings · Free

Wattpad offers a platform for reading and writing original stories, providing a space for users to discover new narratives and engage with a community of writers and readers.

Better for: Wattpad is for users interested in reading original stories, often from emerging writers. It suits those who enjoy a community aspect around reading and writing, and who are looking for content that might not be available through traditional publishing channels.

Head-to-head: Amazon Kindle vs Wattpad
Stick with Amazon Kindle if

You should stick with Amazon Kindle if you value the convenience of having a vast selection of titles, including many varieties and series, readily available through a subscription R14. It's also a good choice if you appreciate the ability to adjust text size and background brightness for comfortable reading anywhere and find the app generally easy to use for reading .

Evidence note: Wattpad has too few reviews to judge its specific strengths and who it suits better, so the pitch is based on general knowledge of the platform.

Frequently asked

Why are users looking for alternatives to Amazon Kindle?
Users are looking for alternatives due to frustrating app updates that remove key features like 'continue series' and 'upcoming releases' R2R7R9R22, persistent ads and review requests R1R6R13, and technical issues like crashes and glitches R12R18R19.
What are the main issues with the Kindle app's updates?
The main issues with Kindle app updates include the removal of useful tabs like 'continue a series' and 'upcoming releases' R2R7R9, difficulty accessing book details for series R7R9R22, and general navigation problems R7R34.
Is Amazon Kindle good for library books?
Some users find it difficult to access their books from Libby through the Kindle app and report issues with returning library books R10R56.
Does Amazon Kindle have ads?
Yes, users report constant pestering about reviews R13R33 and annoying 'ads' for new books R6, with one user specifically mentioning ads after every two songs R1.
What is Audible good for?
Audible is good for listening to audiobooks, especially for those who are busy and prefer to consume content while multitasking R72R74, offering a wide selection of enjoyable stories R66R69.
How does Libby compare to Kindle?
Libby offers free ebooks and audiobooks from local libraries R85R86, which contrasts with Kindle's subscription model R3R14 and purchase options. While Kindle users sometimes struggle to access Libby books R10R56, Libby itself is praised for its ease of use and wide selection R80R86.
What are the benefits of Goodreads?
Goodreads is beneficial for tracking reading progress, setting annual reading goals, organizing 'to be read' lists, and discovering new books through personalized recommendations R94R97R98. It also allows users to connect with other book lovers through reviews and discussions R94R98.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 106 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Amazon Kindle 5/5 · US Home Screen: I normally love this app, but they just changed the home screen. It usually had a tab where it would say continue a series you have started and another tab where it said upcoming releases for you and I looked at those religiously and now they’re gone and I hate it sometimes I don’t write down books that are coming up because of those tabs and now I’m scared that I’m going to miss one
  2. [R7] Amazon Kindle 2/5 · US Needs improvement: I hate the new update. It is no longer user friendly. I can’t find the continue series option anymore and when I open a book description it no longer takes me to the website when I select see more details and click on the hyperlink for the series. It makes me want to find a new option for reading e-books. I would also like a way to filter out samples without having to remove t
  3. [R9] Amazon Kindle 3/5 · GB Frustrating update: Have used this app for years and had no problems accessing my books and getting new books. Since the latest update you can no longer see the “book details” which means if you want to get the next book in a series you have to specifically search for it. Very frustrating
  4. [R14] Amazon Kindle 5/5 · US Keeping me sane!: So many titles included with the sub to keep my curiosity fed without need of an expansion to my house for physical books! The app also keeps track of the series that I’m reading and lets me know when the next one is available. LOVE it. And I’m one of the people who swore that she would never read from a “device”.
  5. [R1] Amazon Kindle 1/5 · US TERRIBLE: Ads after every two songs so you’ll by Premium. AINT GONNA HAPPEN!!!
  6. [R6] Amazon Kindle 3/5 · US Mostly ok but the “ads” for new books are annoying: Please and the ability to view PDF books on scribe and regular kindles
  7. [R13] Amazon Kindle 1/5 · US App is ok: But the constant pestering about a review, even after doing it, is aggravating
  8. [R33] Amazon Kindle 3/5 · GB Rarely reviews stuff: Bored with being asked to provide reviews
  9. [R12] Amazon Kindle 3/5 · GB iPad app seems glitchy: I use the iPad app a lot but find it annoying. When swiping to next page or sometimes just having a finger near the screen selects a section of text or creates a highlight and one has to stop reading to cancel it. The worst situation is when a highlight is created because it is requires a lot of key presses to undo. Also the Home Screen is rather cluttered and less user fri
  10. [R18] Amazon Kindle 3/5 · GB latest update sucks: after the latest update the app won’t open, sack the testers!
  11. [R19] Amazon Kindle 1/5 · US Crash On Launch: When attempting to launch the app it bounces once in the dock and then stops. It doesn’t make it to a launch at all I think.
  12. [R21] Amazon Kindle 3/5 · GB Slow: Very easy to read and manipulate pages, sizes, fonts etc and good battery life. But I find it very clunky and uncooperative when trying to load new books away for home despite using WiFi. It usually refuses to load them at all.
  13. [R10] Amazon Kindle 2/5 · US Library books difficult to access: It can be very difficult to access my books from Libby.
  14. [R56] Amazon Shopping 3/5 · US Libby library returns: Issues Libby library return Kindle books There is an issue in returning library books through Libby app. Amazon is not working with Libby app to return Kindle there seems to be an error and issues. Please get it fixed.
  15. [R4] Amazon Kindle 1/5 · US This needed a chatbot why?: You know what I don’t need while reading? Someone keeping track of how fast I read. Know what else I don’t need? A chatbot interface to an LLM. You already had a dictionary feature. There was already a search function. Why can’t I remove the chatbot? Why aren’t any of these features optional? Kindle is like leasing a book while a salesperson silently reads and watches
  16. [R3] Amazon Kindle 3/5 · US Kindle Books: I like KU but the slow release of subsequent books is annoying and just a way for Amazon to drag out your subscription
  17. [R15] Amazon Kindle 3/5 · GB No Polish Dictionary in 2026: The Kindle app is good for reading and works reliably, so I’m giving it 3/5. However, it is very disappointing that there is still no Polish dictionary available in 2026. Poland has a large number of readers and Kindle users, yet we still do not have this basic feature. Somehow, countries with much smaller populations already have this privilege. For people who read i
  18. [R31] Amazon Kindle 1/5 · US Exports don’t work: Exporting notes doesn’t work. With the budget and number of developers Amazon has, it’s obviously by design.
  19. [R34] Amazon Kindle 2/5 · US navigation: The navigation within Kindle is terrible. I never know after years of use how to move around my library or the book. Also, the download from Kindle vs Amazon still confuses. On my phone I can use colors to highlight but on Kindle, only gray.
  20. [R50] Amazon Kindle 1/5 · US You don’t own the book: You can’t lend it to a friend. You can’t leave it your kid. They can take it away at any time. You don’t own the book in any way.
  21. [R52] Amazon Shopping 5/5 · US Amazon: Love this site fast delivery and no Hassel returns
  22. [R53] Amazon Shopping 3/5 · US Delivery: Always say next day delivery for prime members NEVER have had that!! False advertising! I hate this but have to do it as homebound! Lying but charge a huge fee!
  23. [R55] Amazon Shopping 4/5 · US Stick with shopping forget Haul: Shopping Amazon is easy fast and convenient Their Haul side is beyond ridiculous You can search through pages of finds, add them to your shopping cart, and then find out they don’t have a buy button so you just wasted a bunch of time for nothing.
  24. [R60] Amazon Shopping 5/5 · US My most used purchasing app!: Being an Amazon Prime member, this quickly beginning in 2018 when getting my 1st smartphone (Apple SE 1st generation 32GB) was one of the most used apps on my phone! It’s much faster than booting into a computer & since the phone is always with me, I won’t forget whatever, can get it done. Be it adding a new subscription, skipping one if overloaded, making a payment
  25. [R66] Audible 5/5 · US Excellent: This was excellent I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it
  26. [R69] Audible 5/5 · US Falling in love again…: Truly enjoyed this book!
  27. [R72] Audible 5/5 · US Best way to read: When your busy and have not time to read you can do both be busy and read.
  28. [R74] Audible 5/5 · US Los mitos que nos dieron traumas: Prefiero escuchar que leer
  29. [R80] Libby 5/5 · US Love it: Easy to use.
  30. [R83] Libby 5/5 · US Sunshine state books: It was my first year of sunshine state books and so, I wanted an interesting book to listen to. And guess what I did🤩🥳💕😀🥁! My mom though, she thought we would find good audio books on Audible but, I said can we try Libby? So we did and I found a great audio book called Growing Home 😊💖♥️💝🎉🪩
  31. [R85] Libby 5/5 · US Read or listen anywhere: I love the ability to try out so many different books. The ability to borrow books anytime, anywhere makes this invaluable for my life. It has enhanced my learning, my enjoyment and my quality of life.
  32. [R86] Libby 5/5 · US Libby is amazing: It works good and has a TON of books
  33. [R94] Goodreads 5/5 · US Great Book Tracker and Social Network: I Goodreads is a great app I use to find and share books. Tracking my reading progress and getting personalized recommendations makes it fun and easy. I enjoy connecting with other book lovers through their reviews and discussions, which often offer new insights. Plus, the annual reading challenge pushes me to explore different genres and discover new authors
  34. [R97] Goodreads 5/5 · US Great book source!: I use this to keep a list of my “TBR” and it’s great for keeping up with what I read in a year!
  35. [R98] Goodreads 3/5 · US Why I keep using Goodreads?: I’ve used Goodreads for years, and it’s still one of my favorite apps for readers. I love being able to track everything I read, set yearly reading goals, rate books, and keep my TBR organized all in one place. The recommendations have helped me discover so many new authors and series. I also enjoy reading other readers’ reviews before deciding on my next book. It’s ea
  36. [R103] Goodreads 5/5 · US Reminders of books read and loved: This app keeps me on top of the many books I enjoy and helps jog my memory for Book club when it has been months since I read the selection!
  37. [R22] Amazon Kindle 1/5 · US Issues with App: As stated below by somebody else, there’s major issues with this new update the most annoying one is that you can’t see the books in a series.

Synthesized from 106 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store