{
    "products": [
        {
            "slug": "apple-books",
            "name": "Apple Books",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.apple.com/apple-books/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/apple-books",
            "tagline": "Apple's built-in app for ebooks and audiobooks",
            "summary": "Apple Books is Apple's app for reading ebooks and listening to audiobooks on iPhone, iPad and Mac. The app is free and has no subscription, and books are priced individually. Apple says thousands of free ebooks and audiobooks are available.",
            "developer": "Apple",
            "platforms": [
                "ios",
                "ipados",
                "macos"
            ],
            "pricing": "free",
            "price_note": "Free app with no subscription; books priced individually",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Free app with no subscription",
                "Offline reading and audiobook playback",
                "Works across iPhone, iPad and Mac"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Works only on Apple devices",
                "Closed source, so the code cannot be checked"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Apple Books reads ebooks and plays audiobooks on iPhone, iPad and Mac, . Apple's page says books can be downloaded for offline reading, and the app works with CarPlay and Apple Vision Pro. Apple's support answers say the app is free and has no subscription.\n\nBooks are priced one at a time, and the app also offers free titles. Apple Books is closed source, and it works only on Apple devices, which makes it a simple choice for people who buy from Apple's store. Readers who want to load their own EPUB or PDF files across platforms may prefer KOReader, Readest or Calibre."
        },
        {
            "slug": "kindle",
            "name": "Kindle",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/fd/kcp",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/kindle",
            "tagline": "Amazon's free reading apps for Kindle ebooks on phones and computers",
            "summary": "Kindle is Amazon's free reading app for iOS, Android, Mac and PC. It reads Kindle ebooks bought from Amazon's store. The apps cost nothing, and books are bought separately.",
            "developer": "Amazon",
            "platforms": [
                "ios",
                "ipados",
                "android",
                "macos",
                "windows"
            ],
            "pricing": "free",
            "price_note": "Free apps; Kindle books are bought separately",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Free apps on phones, tablets, Mac and PC",
                "Built around Amazon's ebook store"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Closed source, so the code cannot be checked",
                "Books are tied to Amazon's store"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Kindle is a reading app that runs on iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, Mac and PC. Amazon's apps page describes them as free, and they open Kindle books bought from the Kindle Store. The apps let you read on a screen you already own, without a dedicated reader.\n\nThe Kindle apps are closed source and are tied to Amazon's store, so the books you buy there are read in Amazon's format. Compared with apps that open open formats such as EPUB, Kindle suits readers who already buy from Amazon. Readers with many non-Amazon books may prefer KOReader, Readest or Apple Books."
        }
    ],
    "differences": [
        "Only Kindle runs on Windows.",
        "Only Kindle runs on Android."
    ],
    "shared_rankings": [
        {
            "list": "ebook-reader-apps",
            "name": "Ebook reader apps",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/ebook-reader-apps",
            "of": 10,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "apple-books",
                    "rank": 2,
                    "score": 88,
                    "verdict": "Free app with no subscription, offline reading and audiobook playback on iPhone, iPad and Mac. It works only on Apple devices, and books are priced one at a time.",
                    "best_for": "Apple users who buy ebooks and audiobooks from Apple",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "iOS, iPadOS, macOS",
                        "phone_app": true,
                        "open_source": false,
                        "cost": "Free app, books priced individually"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "product": "kindle",
                    "rank": 1,
                    "score": 90,
                    "verdict": "Free apps on iOS, Android, Mac and PC that read the Kindle Store library. Books are bought from Amazon, and the apps are closed source, so the choice suits Amazon customers.",
                    "best_for": "Reading books bought from Amazon",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "iOS, Android, macOS, Windows",
                        "phone_app": true,
                        "open_source": false,
                        "cost": "Free apps, books bought separately"
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "ranks_higher_in_closest_shared_list": "kindle",
    "page": "https://listme.name/compare/apple-books-vs-kindle",
    "json": "https://listme.name/api/v1/compare/apple-books-vs-kindle.json",
    "notes": [
        "Scores are editorial and only comparable inside one list. Products with connected_to_publisher true receive a disclosed ranking lift: https://listme.name/methodology"
    ],
    "source": "https://listme.name",
    "license": "Free to read and cite with attribution to listme.name.",
    "docs": "https://listme.name/developers"
}