Since 2007, Amazon Kindle has satisfied millions of readers and is now arguably the most popular book e-reader today.
However, Kindle isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and many people use other e-reader alternatives. One of the most well-known Kindle alternatives is Apple Books. Apple Books became even more popular and used after an update in 2018 when Apple added more features and changes to their product line.
Apple Books and Amazon Kindle both have incredible features and business models. However, there are things that differ between them.
In this article, we’ll discuss the features of both Apple Books and Amazon Kindle, their strengths and weaknesses, and similarities and differences. At the end of this piece, you should be able to know which one of the two is a better choice for you.
Let’s jump in.
Apple Books
When Apple Books launched in 2010, it was originally called iBooks — and it is a combination of functional ebook-reading and store applications that are supported on iOS, macOS, and iPadOS. Apple Books — and some other Apple features — are not available on non-Apple (read: Android) devices.
Here are a few features of Apple Books and how they relate (or differ) from Amazon Kindle.
Library
Apple Books has a large reservoir of books. On the app, you can search for bestsellers, discount deals, and books that are coming out soon. Top Charts shows books that are selling well on Apple Books, and there are sections with brand new, trending books.
Ease of use
With Apple Books, you don’t need any extra apps or subscriptions. It also offers the cleanest and smoothest user experience across Apple devices because of its simple interface.
Apple Books are synced across all users’ platforms using iCloud. So not only can you read books, but you can also share them with anyone that is a member of the apple family.
Note: You can listen to audiobooks right from your Apple Watch.
Reading goals
Apple reader also allows you to set reading goals for the day (or even a year) and keep track of your progress. It will also show you how much time you have spent reading throughout the day.
Kindle
Kindle is one of the many branches of Amazon, and it has a lot to offer book readers. The Kindle app works across several operating systems including iOS/iPadOS, Mac/PC, and Android. Kindle also has a physical e-reader resembling a tab where people can read books.
Here are some key features of Amazon Kindle:
Library
Kindle offers a comprehensive reading platform consisting of e-books, audiobooks, and printed/hardcopy books. It also comprises e-books, magazines, newspapers, and other digital channels.
It also has a TBR (to-be-read) shelf consisting of books that you have yet to read. You can also leave reviews on books you’ve read on Kindle.
Subscriptions
Unlike Apple Books, Kindle had separate apps you need to download to have a great reading experience. Kindle also offers Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading which give you access to many ebooks and audiobooks in different genres and languages on a fixed monthly due.
To listen to audiobooks, you need to download Audible, and if you want to read and write reviews and create your TBR (to-be-read) shelf, you’ll need to download GoodReads.
Read more: Kindle Unlimited vs Audible: The Ultimate Guide
Ease of Use
In my opinion, Amazon Kindle is a bit less easy to use than Apple Books. The Kindle app sometimes runs slow on iPhones. Also, if you’re using the Kindle app on an Apple device, you won’t be able to make purchases through any of Amazon apps. This is because Amazon doesn’t want Apple to get part of its sales. So you’ll either have to use a non-Apple device or use your web browser to download books from Amazon.
The upside of Amazon Kindle, though, is that it syncs with any device that has an Amazon account logged in, so you can share your Kindle books with family members and others.
You can also download books from your local library with Kindle — but you can’t do this with Apple Books.
Apple Books vs Kindle: Which is better?
Unfortunately — or fortunately depending on how you look at it — we can’t make this decision for you. You’ll have to choose based on your reading habits.
Now that you know the features and availability of both Apple Books and Kindle, which will you choose?
If you’re finding it difficult to choose or your needs overlap across the two of them, why not use both? Choosing both will help you find books even faster and easier because you might find a book that you can’t get in the Kindle app or vice versa.
Both will offer you tremendous features with the availability of millions of books to choose from, and both are great apps for readers of all ages. But if you decide to pick one, be sure it caters to your reading needs.
