Best e-reader apps for iPad in 2021

If you're stuck working from home for a while, you may want to read a book to pass some time (you're going to have a lot of it). While reading paper books is always a great feeling, avid readers know that ebooks are way easier to travel with. The large screen of your iPad provides an awesome way to read your favorite books, magazines, and other content — you just need the right app! Here are our favorite e-reader apps for the iPad.

• iBooks
• Kindle
• Bluefire Reader
• Scribd
• Google Play Books
• OverDrive
• Kobo Books

Apple Books

In case you didn't know, your iPad already comes loaded with Apple's own e-reader app called iBooks that works seamlessly with iOS.

Of course, iBooks gives you access to the entire catalog that Apple's iBooks Store provides, and automatically syncs with your iCloud account so you can access your purchases across all your iOS devices.

The app also gives you the ability to highlight sections of text, write comments, change the font size, change the background color, and a few other useful options that allow you to customize your reading experience. Plus, it's also compatible with PDFs, so if you're looking for a place to read documents, iBooks can help you out as well.

iBooks comes pre-installed on any new iPad, but if you deleted it, you can download it again from the App Store.

iBooks: The ultimate guide

Kindle

Although Amazon is now a huge online store that sells almost everything imaginable, back in its early days, it started as an online bookstore, and the Kindle app provides access to Amazon's massive catalog of books.

Kindle can do just about anything you want from an e-reader, including changing the font, background color, highlighting text, making annotations, and more. Plus, Kindle has a very robust library management system that makes it super easy to find pages in any book with only a couple taps of the screen.

If you're new to e-reading, I highly suggest downloading Kindle and giving it a try. After prompting you to log in to your Amazon account, Kindle will ask you to select some genres of books you like to read and rate a handful of titles. Kindle uses this information to help you discover books you might like in the future, but it also downloads some samples for you to try. While these free samples are only part of a book, it gives you a chance to try the interface out for yourself to see if you like it.

Bluefire Reader

If you're looking for an e-reader app that can access your Adobe content, look no further than Bluefire Reader.

On top of Adobe DRM content, Bluefire Reader can handle EPUB and PDF files allowing you to transfer your own files from other places and have them conveniently in one place. Plus, Bluefire allows users to easily bookmark locations, highlight text, make annotations, and even use night mode across all your iOS devices, so you'll be able to read how and when you want.

Scribd

If you're the type of person who likes an unlimited subscription service for your content and doesn't mind shelling out some cash every month, Scribd has other been called the "Netflix for books".

Much like its nickname would indicate, Scribd, has a huge library of books, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, and more that you can access for a monthly subscription fee, which varies in price depending on what tier you choose.

The app itself is extremely well organized and easy to navigate, plus all the typical functionality of great e-reader apps are included. You'll be able to annotate, highlight text, and use bookmarks whenever you please, all while being able to customize the look.

Google Play Books

If you're locked into the Google ecosystem, you can still read all your favorite books on your iPad with Google Play Books.

With thousands of books, audiobooks, comic books, magazines, and other content to choose from, Google Play Books syncs across all your devices using your Google account. Perfect for people who choose the iPad as their preferred table but choose to carry around an Android phone.

OverDrive

Some public libraries across the country already have a digital media lending system that doesn't cost you any extra money and OverDrive brings that media directly to your iPad.

OverDrive allows you to borrow books, audiobooks, and other content from the digital collections of participating libraries, without having to leave the comfort of your home, office, cabin, or anywhere else you and your iPad find yourself.

Kobo Books

Kobo has been around for a long time and has a well-established library of books and audiobooks, all of which you can access through the KoBo Books app on your iPad.

It's a store and e-reader in one, meaning you can buy, download, and read all your books right from the app. It has a ton of different themes you can set your background too from light and bright white tones, to blacks and dark grays, meaning regardless of the lightning around you, you should be able to read comfortably. Plus, it even has a Night Mode to make it a bit easier on your iPads battery.

Which e-reader apps do you use?

Let us know in the comment below!

Updated March 2020: Added Kobo Books to the list.