Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Is it worth paying for

Apple Books

65
Value score / 100 Worth paying? Depends It depends

Apple Books is a generally well-regarded app for reading and listening to books, offering a clean interface and a wide selection, but it faces significant criticism for its pricing, intrusive ads for recommended books, and occasional technical issues.

Free to download seen up to $68 4.4★ lifetime (84,099) since 2010

Apple Books provides a practical and relaxing platform for reading and audiobooks, with many users appreciating its clean interface and extensive library R5R19R36. However, the app receives strong criticism for requiring payment for most books, displaying unremovable ads for recommended titles within purchased libraries, and having higher prices compared to competitors R1R9R14R27.

Free vs paid

The free version of Apple Books allows users to access samples of books and audiobooks, and it supports importing personal books R6R14R36. To read or listen to full books, users must purchase them individually, with prices ranging from $1 to $68 R9R14R18. While some free books are available, they are often aimed at young adults R34R42.

Value complaints

  • Many users complain about having to pay for books, wishing all content was free.R2R9R14R47
  • Books are perceived as too expensive, sometimes more costly than on other platforms.R18R27R34R37
  • Intrusive recommended book ads appear in the library of purchased books and cannot be removed.R1

Where it delivers

  • The app offers a wide variety of books and genres, with many free options available.R6R7R19R42
  • Users appreciate the clean, neat, and customizable interface, which enhances the reading experience.R5R44R36
  • The app provides useful features like highlighting, note-taking, and searching words, and it supports offline reading.R25R30R33R42
  • Audiobooks are generally well-received for their quality and ability to provide a relaxing, ad-free listening experience.R13R21R39
Worth paying if

It is worth paying for books on Apple Books if you value a clean, customizable reading experience without ads or interruptions during actual reading, and if you are comfortable with the prices and the Apple ecosystem R13R36. It is also suitable for those who appreciate the ability to highlight text, make notes, and search words within books R30R42.

Skip / stay free if

You should skip paying for books on Apple Books if you are on a tight budget, as many users find the prices too high and prefer free content R2R9R14R18. Those who dislike intrusive advertisements for recommended books in their library or prefer cross-platform compatibility should also consider alternatives R1R31. If you experience frequent app crashes or issues with audiobook playback, it may not be worth the investment .

Evidence note: The reviews show a strong dichotomy between users who love the app's functionality and those who are frustrated by its monetization practices and occasional bugs. Recent reviews highlight issues like intrusive ads and app crashes, which might skew the perception negatively compared to the lifetime rating.

Frequently asked

Are books on Apple Books free?
No, most books on Apple Books require payment, with prices ranging from $1 to $68, although there are samples and some free books available, often aimed at young adults R6R9R14R34.
Does Apple Books have ads?
Yes, Apple Books includes recommended book advertisements directly in your library of purchased books, and there is no way to remove them R1.
Can I read books offline with Apple Books?
Yes, Apple Books allows you to read books offline, which is a feature appreciated by users R33R35.
Is Apple Books better than Kindle or Kobo?
Some users find Apple Books superior to Kindle due to its interface, but others criticize it for being clumsy, difficult to navigate, and only available on Apple devices, unlike Kobo and Kindle R28R31.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 50 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] 1/5 · GB Curvy: I want all the books to be free and no download
  2. [R9] 2/5 · GB NEEDS TO BE FREE: I really wanted to read the woman in black but then realised I had to pay £2.99. This really upset me but what can I say . If u have the money for it , then great
  3. [R14] 4/5 · GB Omg: This app is so good I love it but there is one thing…. The payment. I’m not aloud to spend money on books, well mostly because i have them in real life. In conclusion pls not make me pay for the books and audiobooks. PS for the time being I’m stuck using the samples🥺
  4. [R47] 1/5 · GB Apple Books: I don’t like how you have to do at for the books
  5. [R18] 3/5 · GB money: its good but when it gets to money its you know to much😊
  6. [R27] 1/5 · GB Complicated app: I reset my phone and can’t find what I brought already or archived in the main list, so I have to guess and pay hoping it will tell me to just download it again. Also the info is online only so it’s difficult to get it when traveling with no WiFi. Books are also generally more expensive than on other apps.
  7. [R34] 4/5 · GB Good, bug could be better: It would be a five but if more books were available or cheaper it could be even better, also some of the samples is literally copyright, to say a thank you and the chapters. Some samples are not available and the book is priced more. But overall some of the books I have read have been amazing would recommend for mainly young adults as most of the free books are aimed for
  8. [R37] 5/5 · GB It is ok: It’s a good platform to read from the only thing you charge a bit too much for the books
  9. [R1] 1/5 · GB Ads: Absolutely ridiculous that they include recommended book (adverts) in your library of purchased books and there’s no way to remove them. Apple has become such a joke of a company - user experience means nothing now, it’s just about how they can get as much money out of you as possible. Even companies that don’t pretend to be ethical like Google and Amazon don’t stoop so low as to include ad
  10. [R6] 5/5 · GB I like it but not that much: I like it because there’s lots of books to read but the problem is that I never bought any of the books so I have to listen to the samples and not the whole book. but I still like it 📚📚📚📚📚
  11. [R7] 5/5 · GB Good luck: There are no other books that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in reading these books either if they are romance novels or fantasy novels or even fiction novels
  12. [R19] 5/5 · GB Apple Books 📕: It is very 👍 good because if you just want to have some time 🕰️ and reed a 📖 book you can just go on here and it can tell you a book 📕 or you can reed a book and there is a library and it lets you chose what ever book you 👍like BY JESSICA!
  13. [R42] 5/5 · GB Book: This app is now one of my favorites they have so many different genres and many free books that are amazing too!! A very detailed description but has no spoilers at all. Such good accessories, like being able to highlight, make notes, search words up, and more!! There are so many books to choose from as well that are all absolutely amazing. The Books app also gives credits to the authors. T
  14. [R5] 5/5 · GB The best: So practical
  15. [R44] 3/5 · GB My opinion on Apple Books: Very neat and tidy. Love it to keep track of what I want to read!
  16. [R36] 5/5 · GB Reading: Just such a clean customisable app I love it, especially how you can import your own books
  17. [R25] 5/5 · GB Reliable and good: Wish you can do more, like annotating epub, editing pdfs, extract pages etc.
  18. [R30] 5/5 · GB Please add a Button “copy: Hi I love the app and can’t live a day not spending in the books app, likewise I take notes into my separate journal of I call “knowledge” The current presider takes me a lot of time to copy the desirable information. 1 take a screenshot when selecting the text which a want to convert into notes. 2 go into my notes app and paste it there. Looks easy to do although th
  19. [R33] 5/5 · GB Best reading app ever: I like the app because you can able to use offline and I love the books because it is exciting and amazing.
  20. [R13] 5/5 · GB No Complaints: I have pretty bad anxiety, and the fact this app lets me just listen, no ads, no interruptions, just calm. Helps me get through things :D
  21. [R21] 5/5 · GB Apple Books: It is one off mine and my daughters to apps do say I can sett my time for 11mins a days and not get bored this is the best app bc I never like to read or listen to anything but music and listen to podcasts but this has made me fell like I have fallen in to the book or audio version so that is my response
  22. [R39] 5/5 · GB Harry Potter: He reads it very well
  23. [R35] 5/5 · GB Amazing: This is a great app to get books on. It was rlly helpful when I was on holiday and didn’t have any physical books so I used Apple Books for the first time and it was brilliant
  24. [R28] 2/5 · GB I love this app but!!!: I absolutely love this app! more than kindle, but I’ve noticed that it could be even more inclusive for individuals with dyslexia or ADHD. Introducing fonts like OpenDyslexic would make a huge difference and help so many people!
  25. [R31] 2/5 · GB Poor app compared to Kobo and Kindle: This ebook reader supports purchase of books without having to go to a browser to buy them. A big plus. Unfortunately, it is clumsy in use a very easy to lose your place, especially if searching back through the book. Furthermore, the app and purchases on it are only available on Apple devices.

Synthesized from 50 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store