Google Play Books

An app that stores your own EPUB and PDF files in the cloud for free.

Read & listenEbook readersAudiobooksFree plan

Get Google Play Books Build your own reading appFree plan

What Google Play Books does

Google Play Books is Google's reading app for ebooks, audiobooks and comics. Besides its store, it lets you upload your own EPUB and PDF files and read them on Android, iPhone, iPad or in a browser, with your place synced.

Upload up to 1,000 of your own EPUB and PDF files

Ebook, audiobook and comics store

Read on Android, iPhone, iPad and the web

Offline reading and custom shelves

Notes that sync to Google Drive

The quiet strength of Google Play Books is uploads. You can add up to 1,000 of your own EPUB and PDF files, and they sync to every device you sign in on, including a web browser. That makes it one of the easiest free ways to carry your own book collection between an Android phone and a laptop.

It's also a full store for ebooks, audiobooks and comics. There's no subscription, so you pay per title. You can make shelves, read offline, and keep notes that sync to Google Drive. On iPhone you can't buy books inside the app, so you buy on the web and read in the app.

If you only read what you own, it's a strong free pick. If you want free library books, use Libby or hoopla next to it.

Alternatives to Google Play Books

EverandAudiobooks and ebooks in one monthly subscription

AudiobooksEbook readers

From $11.99/mo30-day free trial

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KindleRead your Kindle books on any phone, no Kindle device needed

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Free, paid from $11.99/moFree plan

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LibbyBorrow ebooks and audiobooks from your library for free

Free books and librariesAudiobooks

FreeFree plan

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hooplaBorrow ebooks, comics and movies free with your library card

Free books and librariesAudiobooks

FreeFree plan

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BlinkistKey ideas from nonfiction books in about 15 minutes, to read or hear

Ebook readersFree plan

Free, paid from $8.33/moFree plan

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Apple BooksApple's built-in place to buy, read and listen to books

Ebook readersFree plan

Free, with paid extrasFree plan

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Who it's for

People who switch between Android, iPhone and a computer

Readers with their own EPUB and PDF collection

Skip it if: Anyone who wants an all-you-can-read subscription.

Pricing

Free plan

Free, with paid extras

Google Play Books is free. Store books are sold one at a time, and there's no subscription. Uploading your own EPUB and PDF files costs nothing.

Prices can vary by country. Checked 16 Oct 2026.

What people like

Free cloud home for your own books
Works on almost any device, even a browser
No subscription to manage

Watch out for

You can't buy books inside the iPhone app
Fewer reading controls than dedicated EPUB readers
No subscription library for borrowing

Want a book shelf app that fits your collection? Build your own.

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Try this idea: “an app where I keep a list of books I own, where each one is, and who I lent it to”

Questions people ask

Can I upload my own books to Google Play Books?

Yes. You can upload EPUB and PDF files, up to 1,000 of them, and read them on any device you sign in on.

Can I buy books in the Google Play Books iPhone app?

No. Buy on the Google Play website, and the book shows up in the app.

Is Google Play Books free?

The app is free. You only pay for books you buy from its store.