Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Kobo Books & Audiobooks vs Amazon Kindle

Kobo Books & Audiobooks 4.5★ · Free + IAP 60
Winner Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle 4.9★ · Free + IAP 85

Choose Amazon Kindle for a more reliable and feature-rich reading experience.

Full reviews: Kobo Books & Audiobooks · Amazon Kindle

Amazon Kindle offers a superior reading experience with better reliability, a larger selection of books, and more user-friendly features compared to Kobo Books & Audiobooks. While Kobo has its strengths, particularly in user interface and audiobook options, it struggles with bugs and syncing issues that detract from the reading experience.

Head to head

features edge: Amazon KindleR5R11R62R65
Kobo Books & Audiobooks Kobo users appreciate the user-friendly interface and audiobook options, but many find its search and organizational features lacking R5R11.
Amazon Kindle Kindle users praise its vast selection of books and seamless integration with Amazon services, although some note issues with search functionality R62R65R87.
ease of use edge: Amazon KindleR2R17R69R96
Kobo Books & Audiobooks Kobo is noted for its ease of navigation and reading experience, but users report significant issues with syncing and purchasing R2R17.
Amazon Kindle Kindle users generally find the app easy to use and appreciate its portability, though some have encountered bugs after updates R69R96.
reliability edge: Amazon KindleR7R13R67R69
Kobo Books & Audiobooks Kobo users frequently report bugs, such as books not opening or syncing issues, which hinder the reading experience R7R13.
Amazon Kindle Kindle users also report bugs, but the overall experience is more stable compared to Kobo R67R69.
price/value edge: Amazon KindleR14R55R65R87
Kobo Books & Audiobooks Kobo offers a subscription model that some users find valuable, but others are confused by its pricing structure R14R55.
Amazon Kindle Kindle provides a wide range of free and paid books, and many users feel they get good value for their money R65R87.
support tieR15R39R76R92
Kobo Books & Audiobooks Kobo's support is described as responsive but sometimes unhelpful, with users expressing frustration over unresolved issues R15R39.
Amazon Kindle Kindle's support has received mixed reviews, with some users finding it slow to respond to issues R76R92.
Pick Kobo Books & Audiobooks if

you prefer a simpler interface and are focused on audiobooks.

Pick Amazon Kindle if

you want a more reliable app with a larger selection of books and better overall features.

Evidence note: Kobo's reviews are mixed, with many users highlighting bugs and syncing issues, while Kindle's larger user base shows a more consistent satisfaction despite some complaints.

Frequently asked

Is Kobo free?
Yes, Kobo Books & Audiobooks is free to download and use, but it includes in-app purchases. Users can subscribe for a monthly fee to access more content R14R55.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 110 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. [R5] Kobo Books & Audiobooks 4/5 · US Good App!: Easy to use with good features. My one complaint is that you can't mark a book as finished without having to thumb through the entire book. I have two iPads and download and read books on each one. The books will show on both devices in my library but will not show as finished on the device that I didn't use to read.
  2. [R11] Kobo Books & Audiobooks 4/5 · US Great app but confusing payment system: The app is great! Runs nicely, dark mode, nice UI, and also has a dictionary option to look up unknown words! The only thing is the payment system. From what I can tell, a subscription only covers some books, and not all in its collection. Some ebooks and audiobooks you just have to purchase.
  3. [R62] Amazon Kindle 4/5 · GB More book options: I love kindle but the supernatural dark books are brilliant - mostly - but there isn’t enough of them! Very limited compared to other series.
  4. [R65] Amazon Kindle 5/5 · GB Happy reader: I am so happy to have kindle on my all devices. Everything what I want I can find and read when I want. Try it and you will love it. Highly recommended.
  5. [R2] Kobo Books & Audiobooks 5/5 · US So happy I made the switch: Switching from Kindle to Kobo has to be the best decision I’ve made for my reading life. Aside from being a better device, the app is so clearly considerate of the reader’s experience. Recently, Kobo and Storygraph partnered too for simplified tracking similar to the Amazon/Goodreads connection but not as invasive as it would feel on kindle.
  6. [R17] Kobo Books & Audiobooks 5/5 · US Love it: I really enjoy using the Kobo app. It’s really easy and convenient to use.
  7. [R69] Amazon Kindle 3/5 · GB Keeps crashing: Every time I finish a chapter the book goes back to the book cover the page blanks out .was working fine before the last update not happy today because I just want to read so it’s a 3 star for now
  8. [R96] Amazon Kindle 5/5 · GB Awesome app!: Kindle is great!!!
  9. [R7] Kobo Books & Audiobooks 1/5 · US Book Doesn’t Open: Your ebook app fails to open books that have been purchased, and downloaded. I cannot justify to myself the use of something whose purported utility is gravely wanting.
  10. [R13] Kobo Books & Audiobooks 2/5 · US Buggy and unpleasant to use: I really want to like this app. I strongly support kobo’s storefront model as opposed to their… competitor. I have a Kobo Libra that I use about half the time. However, this app is a very notable step behind its main competitor from a reliability and stability standpoint. The main issues are: highlights flash on and off and disappear entirely; search works *maybe* half
  11. [R67] Amazon Kindle 1/5 · GB Disappointing piece of technology: I’ve bought many books over the years and I am unable to track them appropriately. A book read at 98% qualifies as unread in the system. I think I will give up on this and go back to normal physical books. A very disappointing experience.
  12. [R14] Kobo Books & Audiobooks 4/5 · US Kobo audiobooks: I like just paying a flat monthly fee and listen to as much as I’d like. The type of books I like are limited but still worth price compared to others. Wouldn’t pay more than current fee but I will continue to use for now.
  13. [R55] Kobo Books & Audiobooks 1/5 · GB What am I paying for?: I’m confused as to why you have to pay a monthly fee and then pay full price on top of that for books? Why would I do that?! I’ll stick with Kindle and Audible!
  14. [R87] Amazon Kindle 5/5 · GB Fantastic: I love everything about Kindle, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough
  15. [R15] Kobo Books & Audiobooks 3/5 · GB Helpful and speedy support but …: I had an initial problem with purchases showing up on my iPad but not on my iPhone. However, I got a response from Kobo support by return which fixed it. However, I find the inaccurate synching between tablet and phone infuriating.
  16. [R39] Kobo Books & Audiobooks 1/5 · GB Absolutely horrendous customer service: I’ve been a kobo customer for YEARS. But the customer services has got worse and worse to the point it wastes time and cases distress.
  17. [R76] Amazon Kindle 1/5 · GB My e reader is not working!: I contacted Amazon Kindle support 2 days ago and they have been unable to help.🥲Hopefully soon.
  18. [R92] Amazon Kindle 1/5 · GB Where have my collections gone: First the “Uncollected” collection meant missing. Followed the help desk advice to delete the app and reload. Now have lost ALL my collections. Not impressed and very annoyed. Come on Amazon sort it out and get your act together

Synthesized from 110 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store