Reading books on my iPad is one of my favorite things to do when I’m on the go, or sometimes even when I’m relaxing after a long day (and playing some strategy games). To be honest, I usually prefer to read paper books over digital books, but that’s another day’s rant. The best thing about eBooks is that I can carry hundreds of books in one iPad. And, if you want to read a series of eBooks on your iPad and are looking for the best apps, then, look no further. Here are the 10 best free ePub readers for iPad and iPhone that you can use in 2022.
A collection of the best ePub readers for iPad and iPhone
There are plenty of options for anyone looking to read ePub on their iOS device, and almost all of these choices are good enough for most people. However, if you’re looking for some more advanced features, or features that other apps don’t offer, we’ll look for some more advanced ePub readers as well.
As always, you can use the directory to jump to any app you find interesting.
Apple Books
Best ePub Reader Recommendation: First of all, I would definitely recommend you to give the Apple Books app a try. It’s pre-installed on your iPad, which means it’s ready to go.
iPad and iPhone ePub Reader Download: It comes with its own store where you can find books to download and read. In addition, you can obviously sync your own ePub files to your iPad and read them in the Books app. The app offers a very clean interface with no unnecessary designs, which is great.
Plus, you get a nice dark mode, perfect for evening reading. There’s also a nice page-turning animation in the app that gives a more realistic feel. However, you can obviously choose to prevent this animation from happening as well.
Merit:
- Already available on iPad and iPhone
- ePub support
- Clean design, no ads
Shortcoming:
- Unable to connect to external ePub libraries such as calibre.
Marvin 3
Best ePub Reader Download: If Books isn’t the app you’re looking for, you should definitely give Marvin a try. Marvin 3 is a popular e-book reader for iPad and iPhone. The app supports reading DRM-free ePub books. Plus, if you like to read comics and comics, it also supports CBR and CBX comics on iPad, which is great.
Marvin also offers a lot of extra features that you won’t find in the Books app. You can sideload your own fonts, integrate them with GoodReads, and more. It also offers a karaoke feature for speed reading, full-book page numbering, a photo browser, and a fully customizable multi-column mode, among many other features.
Merit:
- Supports ePub, CBR, and CBX
- Karaoke feature for speed reading
- Customizable
- Integrates with Caliber, OPDS, and other libraries
Shortcoming:
- It hasn’t been updated in over 3 years
- It’s not completely free, and some features require payment
Download Marvin 3 from App Store (Free, Premium Features Rs 449)
KyBook 3
KyBook 3 is another best ePub reader for iPad that you can check out. Similar to Marvin, this app also offers a number of features that eBook lovers are sure to enjoy. On the one hand, the interface here is clean, which I’ve always appreciated.
In addition, KyBook provides support for OPDS directories, and you can select the directory you want to connect to from the directory section in the navigation bar.
When you’re reading a book, you can choose from a variety of page-turning animations, or you can use the default infinite scroll settings if you prefer. You also get support for dark mode in the app, as well as many other themes to choose from.
KyBook not only supports ePub but also cbr, cbz, cbt, fb2, mobi, kindle (azw3), and pdf formats. So, whatever you’re going to read, you should be able to open it in KyBook 3 without any issues.
Merit:
- Supports a wide range of formats
- OPDS directory support
- Support for Calibre servers
Shortcoming:
- The reading interface could be better
- Ads (can be removed with a subscription)
- There are plenty of pro features behind the subscription
Download KyBook 3 from the App Store (Free, subscription available)
MapleRead
Best ePub Reader Recommendation: MapleRead is another great ePub reader for iPhone and iPad for those who are looking for a truly customizable eBook experience.
The app offers features such as changing the font size in ePub files and setting separate fonts for headings and paragraphs. You can also edit the page layout, change the theme from day to night, and more. Support for highlighting, collecting vocabulary, and changing flip animations.
Collection of Best ePub Readers: MapleRead also offers a range of additional gestures that you can customize to suit your requirements. In addition, it supports OPDS catalogs, similar to KyBook 3. You can also use the Files app on your PC or iPhone and iPad to sync your books with the app.
However, unless you purchase the paid version of MapleRead, you can only read 5 books on the app. Another thing I don’t really like here is the interface that is just outdated.
Merit:
- Loss of customization
- OPDS Catalog
Shortcoming:
- The free version is limited to a lifetime limit of 5 books
- The interface and design look outdated
Download MapleRead from the App Store (free, with a pro upgrade)
Gerty
What are the best ePub readers? You should also check out Gerty for your ePub reading needs. If you’re looking for a free app with features like auto-scrolling eBooks, you can use Gerty. Gerty can also tell you how long it will take to complete a chapter while auto-scrolling.
Gerty also offers an interesting feature called placeholder books. You can use it in the Gerty Library as a placeholder for a book that isn’t on your device but is actually a physical book that you own. This way, your Gerty library can represent your entire reading collection, both physical and digital. It’s so cool.
The app also offers reading statistics, support for dark mode, export options, and much more. The only issue I’m seeing here is that the interface can be a bit difficult to understand.
Merit:
- Automatically scroll through eBooks
- Placeholder books
Shortcoming:
- The interface could be better
Download Gerty from the App Store (free)
Scribd
iPad & iPhone ePub Reader Download: Scribd is an app that doesn’t need any introduction. It’s widely known as Netflix for Books, and for good reason. The app offers an almost unlimited number of eBooks and audiobooks for you to read with a monthly subscription.
Scribd isn’t a typical ePub reader because you can’t sideload your own ePubs on the app to read them. However, if you’re an avid reader, Scribd should definitely be used on your iPad and iPhone to read eBooks.
It also offers a handy snapshot feature that gives you key talking points from non-fiction books so you can get their gist without reading them in their entirety, which is pretty cool.
Merit:
- A huge catalog of books to read
- Audiobook support
Shortcoming:
- No side loads
- Subscription only, no free tier
Download Scribd from the App Store (free download, subscription required)
Bluefire Reader
Best ePub Reader Downloads: If you want paid ePub readers for iPad and iPhone, you can also check out Bluefire Reader, which can read DRM-protected Adobe content as well as the usual ePub and PDF support.
The app also supports highlighting, annotation, and bookmarks, so you can read multiple books at the same time and use bookmarks to track your progress as needed.
As I mentioned earlier, this is a paid app, but if you’re looking for features like bulk importing ePub from the iPad Files app or supporting iTunes file sharing, this is definitely the app you can consider.
Merit:
- DRM-protected Adobe files are supported
- Highlighting, annotation, and bookmark support
Shortcoming:
- Paid only
Buy Bluefire Reader from App Store (Rs 349)
Google Play Books
If you prefer to use Google apps, or if you are already using an Android phone to enter the Google ecosystem, then you should consider this option. Google Play Books is one of the ePub readers for iPad and iPhone that lets you read eBooks on your iPad or iPhone and other Android devices.
Since Play Books has its own ebook and audiobook store to choose from (somewhat similar to Scribd, but not really), it also doesn’t allow you to sync your own ePub to read on the app. If you have a pre-existing ePub library, then this is not the right app for you.
It also doesn’t allow you to use an external server such as a calibre server or an OPDS catalog to fetch eBooks.
Merit:
- Sync across Android and iOS
- Audiobook and eBook catalogs
Shortcoming:
- Sideloading ePub is not supported
- Caliber or OPDS are not supported
Download Google Play Books from the App Store (free)
Kindle
iPad & iPhone ePub Reader Download: Amazon’s Kindle reader is one of the most popular eBook readers out there, and the Kindle app also lets you read eBooks on iPad and iPhone. However, you’ll need to sign in with your Amazon account.
The app basically needs an introduction, as it’s pretty much the first e-book reader that comes to mind. The reason this isn’t at the top of the list is that it doesn’t support ePub files. Instead, you’ll have to convert ePub to AZW3 or MOBI files to read on the Kindle app.
It’s still very good, though, with enough reading features to meet the needs of most users, as well as light and dark modes so you don’t have to strain your eyes at night. Plus, when you need more reading material, you can obviously buy books from Amazon.
Merit:
- Huge catalog to choose from
- Additional eBooks can be added
Shortcoming:
- ePub files are not supported
Download Kindle from the App Store (free)
Kobo Books
Best ePub Reader Collection: If you prefer Kobo readers over Kindle users, then there is also a Kobo Books app. Once again, since this is both an eBook reader and a store app, you won’t be able to sideload just any ePub files you have here. However, you can browse through the huge catalog of books available in the app.
There are both free and paid books, and more importantly, you can also start reading free books without creating an account. There are a lot of features, including a dictionary that pops up when you long-press a word, as well as features such as page transition animations, reading themes, and a variety of fonts to choose from.
Merit:
- Clean design
- No account is required to start reading
- Built-in dictionary
Shortcoming:
- Adding external ePub files is not supported
Download Kobo Books from the App Store (Free)
Best ePub Reader Recommendation: Use Overdrive to borrow eBooks from the library
Nowadays, many libraries offer their books to members as digital copies. If you’ve ever been a library lover (like me) and miss borrowing books from the library and reading them, then you should check out Overdrive. It’s not strictly an ePub reader for an iPad or iPhone, but it’s close.
This free app allows you to add a library system to your catalog and read books from their collection. Obviously, you’ll need to be a member of the library you’re borrowing from, but it’s a great way to support your favorite library while also having access to their collection of books and novels.
Download Overdrive from the App Store (free)
The best ePub reader for iPad to help you fix reading problems
What are the best ePub readers?There are a lot of eBook readers out there, but not all of them support ePub files. Take Kindle, for example, which is one of the most popular e-book readers, but it only supports AZW3 format and MOBI format. However, there are also ePub readers that support these formats, making them a better choice for reading apps on iPhones and iPads.
So, which app are you going to use to read ePub on iPad and iPhone? Let us know in the comments below.
