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Apple Books

An app that opens your EPUBs, PDFs and store books on iPhone and Mac.

Read & listenEbook readersFree planFor families
Get Apple BooksBuild your own reading appFree plan

What Apple Books does

Apple Books comes with every iPhone, iPad and Mac. It sells ebooks and audiobooks, and it also opens your own EPUB and PDF files. Your library syncs through iCloud, and Family Sharing lets your family read books you bought.

Opens your own EPUB and PDF files
Store for ebooks and audiobooks
Reading goals and reading themes
Syncs your library across Apple devices with iCloud
Family Sharing for purchased books
CarPlay for audiobooks

If you search for a way to read an EPUB on iPhone, the answer is probably already on your phone. Apple Books opens EPUB and PDF files you save or share to it, and keeps them next to anything you buy from its store.

It covers both reading and listening. You can buy ebooks and audiobooks, set reading goals, switch reading themes, and pick up where you left off on another Apple device. Family Sharing lets the people in your family group read what you've bought.

The limits are about where it works. It's Apple only, so there's no Android app, and the store catalog is smaller in some countries. If you want library loans, pair it with Libby. If you want deep reading controls, a dedicated EPUB reader gives you more knobs to turn.

Alternatives to Apple Books

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BlinkistKey ideas from nonfiction books in about 15 minutes, to read or hear
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Kobo BooksKobo's ebook and audiobook store, with an optional Kobo Plus plan
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EverandAudiobooks and ebooks in one monthly subscription
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Google Play BooksBuy books, upload your own EPUBs and PDFs, read on any device
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Serial ReaderRead classic books for free in short daily bites
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Who it's for

iPhone owners who want a reader with no setup
Families on Apple devices who share purchases

Skip it if: Anyone who also reads on Android or Windows.

Pricing

Free plan
Free, with paid extras

Apple Books is free and comes with Apple devices. You pay per ebook or audiobook in its store. Your own EPUB and PDF files cost nothing to add.

Prices can vary by country. Checked 16 Oct 2026.

What people like

  • Already installed and free
  • Handles your own EPUB and PDF files well
  • Clean, comfortable reader
  • Family Sharing for books you buy

Watch out for

  • Apple devices only
  • Store catalog is smaller in some countries
  • Fewer reading controls than dedicated EPUB readers

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Questions people ask

Can I read EPUB files on iPhone for free?

Yes. Apple Books opens EPUB files you save or share to it, at no cost.

Does Apple Books work on Android?

No. It only works on Apple devices like iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Can my family read books I buy?

Yes. With Family Sharing, people in your family group can read books you've purchased.