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Free computer reading programs for kids


45 Best Reading Websites for Kids (Teacher-Approved)

Fluent reading may be the most important skill anyone can master. Studies show it only takes 15 minutes of practice each day to build fluency, and these reading websites for kids can help. There are options for all ages, helping students learn to read, discover new books, track and share progress, and more. There’s a big selection of free options, but there are some excellent paid sites that schools and parents may want to check out too. All of them can help kids become lifelong readers!

  • Best Free Reading Websites for Kids
  • Best Paid Reading Websites for Kids

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)
  

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These free reading websites give kids practice that won’t break the bank. Get free e-books, games, activities, and more!

ABCya

This site hooks kids through fun games that meet learning standards. In addition to reading, students can brush up on math, science, social studies, arts, and music. A free account gives you basic access with ads. Paid Premium Family and Classroom plans are also available. (Grades Pre-K–6)

Between the Lions

Watch videos from the popular PBS series, including read-along folktales and fables, clever song videos of letter sounds, and more. (Grades Pre-K–1)

Biblionasium

Think of this like Goodreads for kids. It’s a safe place for reviewing and sharing books, making reading a social adventure. (Grades K–8)

Bookopolis

This is another site that bills itself as “Goodreads for kids,” and it offers similar features. Read kid-friendly reviews, post your own, find recommendations, track reading goals, and more. (Grades K–8)

Bookshare

This fantastic digital library service helps people with print-related disabilities read independently. (Grades Pre-K–12)

CommonLit

This library includes thousands of high-interest, standards-aligned reading passages and lessons. You can search for texts by book, genre, grade level, literary device, and theme. (Grades 3–12)

Dogo News

The kid-friendly news articles on DOGONews make it easy to assign reading. Each article has reading/interest-level guidelines, and you can access the site in English or Spanish. It’s free to assign articles for reading. Paid plans provide discussion questions and quizzes too. (Grades 1–12)

Epic

If you’re looking for reading websites with digital books, this site has thousands of them, along with audiobooks and videos. You’ll find endless popular titles from your favorite publishers. Teachers can track student progress as they read too. Epic is free for teachers and classrooms, with paid plans available for parents. (Grades Pre-K–8)

Explorer Magazine

This amazing compilation of nonfiction has all the quality of National Geographic magazine, leveled and accessible for young readers. (Grades K–5)

Fact Monster: All About Books

Kids who love books will want to check out this site. They’ll find fascinating facts about many of their favorite reads. (Grades 1–8)

Free Rice

Test your vocabulary while earning rice for those in need! Each time you play, you’re helping the United Nations World Food Programme provide food to those around the world who need it. (Grades 2–12)

FunBrain

In addition to learning games and videos, FunBrain has a selection of free books to read online. You’ll find favorites like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Judy Moody. (Grades Pre-K–8)

Harry Potter Reading Club

This is a must-see for any kid (or adult) who loves the Harry Potter books. Find regularly updated activities, plus videos, discussion guides, and more for hardcore Hogwarts fans. (Grades 2–8)

International Children’s Digital Library

A no-frills site from the University of Maryland, ICDL has more than 4,000 free e-books kids can read online. There are a variety of books in languages other than English too. (Grades K–8)

Into the Book

Into the Book is a reading comprehension site that focuses on reading strategies teachers work on every day. Kids get practice using prior knowledge, making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, summarizing, evaluating, and synthesizing. (Grades K–6)

Khan Academy

This is one of the most well-known free learning sites around, and their reading and language arts courses are top-notch. There’s nothing flashy, but kids will get good practice with accompanying lessons and quizzes. (Grades 2–9)

Khan Academy Kids

This reading app and site is designed especially for kids just learning to read. There are supplemental materials for parents and teachers too. (Grades Pre-K–2)

Lalilo

Kids learning to read can benefit from Lalilo’s phonics and reading comprehension activities. The adaptive exercises provide an individualized experience for each student. Free for teachers, with a premium paid edition available for schools and districts. (Grades Pre-K–2)

Oxford Owl

Created by Oxford University Press, this U.K. site has plenty to offer for any kid learning to read. There are free e-books and games, plus tips for parents and teachers. (Grades Pre-K–2)

Reading Bear

Reading Bear teaches beginning readers vocabulary and concepts while systematically introducing all the main phonetic patterns of written English. (Grades Pre-K–1)

Reading IQ

Gain access to several thousand leveled books, including favorites like Curious George and the nonfiction National Geographic Kids titles. Teacher and classroom access is free. (Grades Pre-K–7)

Read Theory

Read Theory offers online reading activities for all ages and ability levels. The program adapts to students’ individual ability levels and presents them with thousands of skill-building exercises that suit their needs. (Grades K–12)

ReadWorks.org

Get literacy lessons that include comprehension and short passages to analyze. Use them online, via your classroom projector, or print to send work home. (Grades K–12)

Roy: Tale of a Singing Zebra

Kids will enjoy the punctuation, reading, and spelling games on this cute, simple site. You’ll also find online guided reading stories and lesson plans for teachers. (Grades Pre-K–2)

Scholastic Kids Press

Students will love reading news articles written by other kids just like them! This regularly updated site includes articles on current events, with kid reporters from around the globe. (Grades 4–8)

Spelling City

If you’re looking for reading websites that help kids improve their spelling and vocabulary, this one takes only 10 minutes a day. Not only will they learn words, they’ll remember them long-term! (Grades 1–6)

Storyline Online

Storyline Online features videos of read-alouds by celebrities with creative illustrations. Each book also has a supplemental curriculum for teachers and parents to use. (Grades Pre-K–4)

StoryPlace

Get the experience of going to the library without leaving the house at StoryPlace. Find animated videos of stories, with activities, sing-along songs, and more. (Grades Pre-K–1)

Story Time From Space

What’s better than a read-aloud? A read-aloud done by someone in space! This reading website features real astronauts reading books they love, often with a STEM theme. (Grades Pre-K–5)

Teaching Kids News

TKN provides readable, teachable news articles for kids. You’ll also find media literacy activities and tips on how to discuss challenging news topics with kids. (Grades 3–8)

Tween Tribune by Smithsonian

The Smithsonian provides quality content on a variety of nonfiction topics, with something to engage every interest. You can change the Lexile reading level on each article to differentiate for student needs too. (Grades K–12)

Vooks

Vooks bills itself as the first streaming service dedicated to animated storybooks. There’s a small free collection of books, plus teachers get classroom access for one device at no cost. Parents can pay a monthly fee for access. (Grades Pre-K–2)
  

Sometimes it’s worth it to invest in a learning program. These are some of the best ones around, according to teachers and parents.

ABC Mouse

ABC Mouse offers learning that spans the curriculum. Their reading program starts at the very beginning with the alphabet and takes kids through to fluent reading and writing. (Monthly or annual subscription after 30-day free trial; Grades Pre-K–2)

Adventure Academy

Brought to you by the same folks who created ABC Mouse, Adventure Academy offers reading practice for older kids. They can also work on math, science, and more. (Monthly or annual subscription after 30-day free trial; Grades 3–8)

Amplify Reading

Students take on a series of personalized quests as they learn and practice reading. The characters and story lines keep them coming back for more.  (Contact for pricing; Grades K–5)

HOMER

HOMER promises to create a personalized reading program for every child, based on their interests and current skill levels. Membership also includes access to 200+ interactive animated stories, with a whole section dedicated to favorite Sesame Street characters. (Monthly and annual subscriptions after 30-day trial; Grades Pre-K–2)

IXL

IXL’s personalized learning experiences cover a variety of subjects. Their language arts curriculum includes spelling, vocabulary, phonics, and more advanced topics. (Family, Classroom, and School/District pricing available; Grades K–12)

MagicBlox

This collection of e-books includes titles from around the world in a variety of languages. It’s always growing as publishers and authors upload their new books. (Individual and school subscriptions available; Grades K–8)

PebbleGo

Teach younger students the right way to research with PebbleGo. You can be sure they’re using safe, reliable resources as they learn about subjects like animals, biographies, and more. (Annual subscriptions by school; Grades K–3)

Reading Eggs

Play games, sing songs, and practice reading, vocabulary, phonics, and more. Looking for help for older kids who need additional practice? Check out Reading Eggspress. (Monthly or yearly subscription after 30-day free trial; Grades Pre-K–6)

Starfall

This site teaches children to read with the help of phonetics. Kids sing songs to help them learn and get lots of practice putting it all together. (Yearly membership fees; Grades Pre-K–3)

TeachingBooks

Help students make deeper connections to books with author interviews, read-aloud videos, activities, and more. (Yearly license fees; Grades K–12)

TumbleBook

This is a cool reading website for schools, offering talking animated picture books that kids will truly love. School accounts provide access to every computer in every classroom. You can also offer home access through your school website. (Annual subscription; Grades K–8)

Vocabulary A-Z

Give kids vocab practice with customizable word lists. Students can play games online, while teachers can get lessons and printables to support the learning. (One-time purchase; Grades K–5)

Whooo’s Reading

Get your students thinking with open-ended quiz questions that provide a strong alternative to multiple-choice questions. Students get feedback as they write, including reminders to cite evidence and answer all parts of the question. (Free basic trial membership, with premium annual subscriptions for teachers and classrooms; Grades Pre-K–12)

What’s on your list of the best reading websites for kids? Share your ideas in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out the best reading apps for kids.

15 Effective and Engaging Online Reading Websites and Programs That Kids Need

Over the last few years, digital learning technology has boomed. Now, more than ever, you can find high-quality educational programs online — and many of them are free!

If your pre-k, kindergarten or elementary child needs extra reading practice, put those tablet screens to good use and check out an online reading program. 

These free or low-cost reading websites and apps feature digital libraries to help learners master letter sounds, sight words and reading comprehension without frustration.

Online reading programs are an excellent way to ignite a lifelong love of reading. Once a child can read, they can go anywhere on their reading journey. So let’s go!

Assess your child’s reading level before jumping in

Before you get started with an online reading program, it’s important to know your child’s current reading level, which may or may not line up with their grade level.  

If your child is in a traditional school, check with their teacher. They should be able to give you a breakdown of where your child is and what they need to work on. 

If you’re homeschooling, start slightly below where you think your child is. Jumping too far ahead is likely to cause frustration, but lessons kids can quickly run through are confidence-boosting when starting out. Since many programs are gamified and interactive, the excitement of “winning” will help encourage more reading time. 

Just be sure to not go too simple. If your preschooler is mastering digraphs (two-letter sounds like sh, ph, or oo), starting them on the more basic phonics can quickly get boring. Take some time to read with your child or watch them complete a few lessons of their online program and you’ll quickly gather an idea of where they are in their learning. 

No matter your child’s current reading level, don’t be afraid to tackle books above their level together. Reading aloud is a great way to expose children to new words and interesting stories.

A love of reading is built on fantastic stories. Reading with you, or even listening to audiobooks, are great ways to encourage a love of books — especially if your child encounters frustrations while learning to read solo.

The 15 best online reading programs to help build comprehension

Here are our top 14 picks for online reading programs. From phonics instruction to vast digital libraries, these online reading resources will keep kids excited about learning! 

1. Prodigy English

Prodigy’s brand-new adventure introduces kids to a world filled with adventures, wishes and more ways to practice reading and language skills. 

As your child plays, they’ll answer questions that help them gain more energy. Players can use their energy to gather resources from an open world, craft items, earn coins and build their very own village!

Prodigy English is a great way to motivate kids to practice their language skills in a fun, engaging environment. Create a free parent account to get started today.

Price: Free, with optional paid Membership

Sign up now

2. Starfall

Starfall is an excellent reading program for younger students, from pre-k through 3rd grade. It uses cute animated characters, songs and interactive games to teach phonics basics. 

Starfall is particularly great for helping kids with reading challenges, such as dyslexia. It’s untimed and stress-free, and uses plenty of positive reinforcement to help build up childrens’ reading confidence. 

Price: access some free content, or unlock all resources for $35 USD per year.

3. Epic

If your child is starting to read on their own, give them access to unlimited books with the Epic reading library. Epic is great for beginning readers, and will grow with your child as their reading improves. 

This online tool recommends books based on your child’s reading level and interests. It offers a selection of “read to me” books, with an easy-to-use dictionary feature to help their skills grow. Your child will be encouraged to continue reading as they earn badges for their achievements!

Price: basic membership includes one free book every day. Unlimited plans are $9.99 USD per month or $79.99 USD per year.

4. Storyline Online

You know the importance of reading aloud to your kids, but some days it’s hard to find the time. Not to worry — with Storyline Online, your child can enjoy books read by some of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood.

Each story includes an animated video to accompany the actor. There’s also an included activity guide to help you discuss the story together!

Price: Free

5. ABCYa

This reading program’s educational games cover a wide range of subjects, including early reading and language arts. Explore games by subject and age level, from pre-k to 6th grade.

Some features are available for free, but for ad-free play and an improved mobile experience, you’ll need a premium plan. Luckily, the website lets you explore all of its learning games before committing to a paid plan.

Price: ABCYa offers a free plan with ads, or purchase a premium plan for $9.99 USD per month or $69.99 USD per year.

6. ReadWorks

If you’re a teacher or a homeschooling parent, you need to explore this reading website. 

ReadWorks has a variety of engaging, well-written text to correspond with whatever your K-12 child is studying. These topics cover both non-fiction and literary assignments, complete with question sets and vocabulary practice.

And if your child is struggling with reading, ReadWorks provides a feature called StepReads. This presents the same information as the original text, but in a simpler way. Instead of “dumbing down” the topic, ReadWorks teaches the same material (including vocabulary words), no matter your child’s reading level.  

Price: free

7. StoryPlace

StoryPlace is designed to bring the library story time experience home. Perfect for pre-k children, this reading website combines stories with movement, activities and songs. 

The videos accompanying each book are bright and colorful, and a crafty hands-on activity is suggested with each story. If you have littles, give this free resource a look.

Price: free

8. Oxford Owl

If you want to help your child learn to read, visit Oxford Owl for some amazing, confidence-boosting guides for parents. These guides break down how phonics works, share learning at home tips and explain reading comprehension milestones from pre-k to age 11. 

And don’t forget to explore their free digital library with a huge variety of tablet-friendly reads!

Price: free

9. PebbleGo

PebbleGo is a research resource for early elementary children. It has a variety of texts on animals, science and history with a read-along feature for struggling readers. However, this online resource requires a school sign-on code. Check it out and suggest it to your local school to gain access to this wonderful online library.

Price: available at home for free with plans available for a schoolwide subscription.

10. Storynory

If your struggling reader loves a good story, keep that love alive with audiobooks.

From classic fairy tales to Greek myths, your child can explore the world with a wide variety of audiobooks from Storynory. 

Each book includes a transcript so kids can follow along. The website has quite a few ads, but all stories can be downloaded to keep your child listening ad-free. Or try their app for an ad-free display. 

Price: free 

11. Vooks

Vooks wants to help your child get excited about reading. It combines great stories with beautiful animation to help your child discover the magic of books. It’s the healthy, ad-free screen time you need.  

Price: sign up for a 7-day free trial, then pay $4.99 USD per month or $49.99 USD per year.

12. Khan Academy

Khan Academy is still one of the best online learning resources for, well, anything.

For early readers, explore the new Khan Academy Kids! This self-paced, personalized program is perfect for little ones ages 2 to 6. 

Or if your older child is looking for extra reading help, head to the original Khan Academy site. You’ll find personalized reading instruction for your 2nd grader and beyond. Practice reading comprehension in a self-paced, safe place and watch them grow. 

Price: free

13. Bookshare

Not everyone learns to read at the same time, and some people encounter more barriers to reading than others. Bookshare knows the most important thing is to enjoy the books and learning, no matter the format.

Bookshare provides audiobooks, with highlighted text, to its learners. Its library offers over a million titles to choose from, accessible on almost any device. 

Price: free for qualifying US students. Learn more on Bookshare’s website. 

14. Funbrain

This engaging reading website offers hundreds of interactive games, books, videos, and printables — all for free!

With popular titles (including those from the much-loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid multi-book collection), your pre-k to 8th grade child will have plenty to read and enjoy.

Browse by grade level and find what you need to keep your child engaged and learning at home.

Price: free

15. Read Write Think

Powered by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), this online reading program is full of amazing resources that are sure to excite homeschooling parents. 

Search by grade to find a great curriculum full of extensive lesson plans, activities and printables — all ready to go for your K-12 child.  

Price: free

How to encourage struggling readers

Every child’s reading journey looks different. For some, reading just takes longer to click. 

Keep your child encouraged and promote a love of learning with these tips.

1. Use picture books and visualizing

Even if your child is getting older, picture books will always have their place. Using pictures to improve understanding is a great way to boost your child’s reading confidence.

2. Use audio stories

Books tell amazing stories. From fantasy to nonfiction, there’s so much to learn from a great book. Play audiobooks as your child learns to read, to keep them interested in everything books have to offer.

3. Track student progress

It’s too easy to miss the steps your child has made towards reading if they’re struggling and behind their peers. Take some time to celebrate their progress as they figure it all out.  

4. Practice reading aloud

Many kids get nervous reading out loud to others. Encourage your child to practice with you to improve their reading skills. And continue reading out loud to your child to help them gain confidence.

5. Use quizzes and make them fun

If your child is struggling with reading comprehension, find out what’s not sticking with fun, trivia-style quizzes. 

Have prizes ready (ice cream is always a hit), celebrate correct answers with dance parties, and learn together as your child increases their comprehension skills.

6. Encourage kids to teach others

If you have pre-k kids in your home, or friends with younger children, get together for a child-led story time. 

Reluctant and struggling readers sometimes need a reminder of how far they’ve come. Suggest acting out the story as they go, to keep everyone active and increase comprehension.

7. Use questions and answers

Read together to help their reading stick, stopping often to review story highlights. 

Ask questions like, “how do you think this character is feeling?” or “what do you think will happen next?” to avoid them shutting down or just repeating back the words on the page.   

Use educational games to improve reading skills

Technology is a huge part of today’s educational landscape. Children are learning more online than ever before, and multi-sensory, interactive resources are perfect for learners of all types. 

Want more online resources to help your child develop their reading skills? Try Prodigy English!

In this all-new adventure, kids can explore and create a world of their very own as they meet new characters, earn coins and build a home. Create your free parent account today!

Sign up now

10 best free readers for computer

March 18, 2021LikbezmacOS

Reading e-books is convenient not only on smartphones and tablets.

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1. Google Play Books

  • Platforms: Web, Chrome.
  • Supported formats: ePub, PDF.

On the website of the popular Google Play Books service, you can add and read texts online. At the same time, the project has an extension for the Google Chrome browser, which provides access to downloaded books on a computer even without connecting to the Web.

The plug-in interface almost completely repeats the design of the web version. You can open books from your library, view their content, search by text, customize fonts and layout. To read offline, you must first download the necessary books to your computer's memory. Bookmarks, reading positions and other data are synchronized between all devices connected to a Google account.

Google Play Books →

Download

Price: 0

2. iBooks 9 software0009

  • Platform: macOS.
  • Supported formats: ePub, PDF.

Mac users who love books are lucky to get one of the best desktop readers out of the box. iBooks looks stylish, supports data synchronization between iOS devices, and offers only the most necessary tools - for those who like to read, not dig into the settings.

On the other hand, iBooks does not work with the very popular FB*2 format, which may not suit some users. But you can always convert FB*2 to ePub.

3. Bookmate

  • Platforms: Web, Windows.
  • Supported formats: FB*2, ePub.

This service, like Google Play Books, offers computer owners to read works on the site. In addition, Windows users can install the Bookmate desktop client, which allows you to add texts to your personal library and open them offline.

In both versions of the program, you can customize the font, background, indents and other visual elements. Bookmarks, reading positions, and other metadata are synced across devices. The application can slow down a little, but in general it is comfortable to use.

Texts added to the service by you can be read for free. Bookmate also offers a paid subscription to books from its online library, but you can opt-out.

Bookmate →

Download

Price: Free

4.

Caliber
  • Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • Supported formats: FB*2, ePub, DjVu, DOCX, HTML, AZW, AZW3, AZW4, CBZ, CBR, CBC, CHM, HTMLZ, LIT, LRF, MOBI, ODT, PDF, PRC, PDB, PML , RB, RTF, SNB, TCR, TXT, TXTZ.

Caliber is best known as a powerful free e-book editor. With it, you can edit metadata, text and other elements of book files, as well as convert documents from one format to another. But the program allows you to simply read the books added to it. The built-in reader has background settings, text, content viewer, search form and other tools for the user's convenience.

Caliber →

5. Sumatra PDF

  • Platform: Windows.
  • Supported formats: PDF, eBook, MOBI, XPS, DjVu, CHM, CBZ, CBR.

Despite its name, the program handles not only PDF files, but also a wide variety of ePub and MOBI books. And in addition - with comics CBZ and CBR. Sumatra PDF is able to work in portable mode, so you can save it to a USB flash drive and read different files anywhere.

Books open in tabs. This allows you to read several files in parallel, switching between them. Minimum settings: font size and page display. The rest of the application settings are controlled through a text INI file - this is complicated, but useful for advanced users.

Sumatra PDF →

6. STDU Viewer

  • Platform: Windows.
  • Supported formats: TIFF, PDF, DjVu, XPS, JBIG2, WWF, FB*2, TXT, CBR, CBZ, TCR, PDB, MOBI, AZW, ePub, DCX, BMP, PCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG , WMF, EMF, PSD.

One of the most polyformat programs can open not only books, but also images, and even Photoshop layouts. He is excellent at reading texts. There are a lot of settings and parameters that can satisfy even the most sophisticated user.

The program is optimized to work with both conventional computers and devices with touch screens. It can export individual pages as graphic files, search by text, change book page display options, and so on. At the same time, it consumes system resources very modestly.

STDU Viewer →

7. Freda

  • Platform: Windows.
  • Supported formats: ePub, MOBI, FB*2, HTML, TXT.

This program can be recommended to Windows 10 tablet owners because its interface is most optimized for touch screens. For those who read from a laptop or desktop PC, it is better to look at other applications.

Freda integrates with online directories such as Feedbooks, Smashwords, and Project Gutenberg. It provides free access to over 50,000 public domain classics. Freda also easily opens any books you manually save and lets you sync your library with OneDrive, Dropbox or Caliber.

Download

Price: Free

8. Icecream Ebook Reader

  • Platform: Windows.
  • Supported formats: ePub, MOBI, PDF, FB*2.

An extremely popular reader that supports common electronic literature formats. An interesting feature of Icecream Ebook is the ability to import and export your library, saving not only books, but also the progress of reading them. This is useful when transferring information from computer to computer.

There are several page themes (day, night or sepia), font settings and a convenient table of contents. True, some features - adding notes, importing multiple e-books at the same time, editing file metadata and copying text - are only available in the Pro version of Icecream Ebook Reader.

Icecream Ebook Reader →

9. Foliate

  • Platform: Linux.
  • Supported formats: ePub, MOBI, AZW, TXT, CBR, CBZ, CBT, CB7, FB*2, AZW3.

A new e-book reader that provides all the functions the user needs, but also has a nice and modern interface. Many page design themes, and you can add your own. There is a built-in translator using Google Translate. Foliate works with laptop touchpads - you can scroll through pages by swiping with two fingers on the touchpad. And finally, here you can create notes by highlighting text in books and leaving your comments.

Foliate →

10. Okular

  • Platform: Linux.
  • Supported formats: G3, CHM, DDS, DjVu, DJV, EPS, EPSI, EPSF, EXR, FB*2, GIF, XCF, HDR, PIC, JPEG, JPG, JPE, JP2, JPG2, MNG, MOBI , PRC, ODT, OKULAR, PBM, PCX, PDF, PGM, PNG, PPM, PS, PSD, RGB, TGA, ICB, TPIC, VDA, VST, TIF, TIFF, DVI, WWF, BMP, DIB, ICO, XBM , XPM, OXPS, XPS, CBZ, CB7, CBR, CBT, ePub, DOC.

If you're using KDE, you don't need to install anything - the cool Okular reader is already on your computer. This program is used as a file viewer and opens not only all popular e-book formats, but also PDFs, images, and documents.

There are many settings for the appearance of pages, the ability to comment and highlight text fragments, several options for scrolling files and other functions. Okular can be installed in any graphical environment - the program is located in the repositories of most popular distributions.

Okular →

The text of the article was updated on March 17, 2021.

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10 reader apps with access to free books

In addition to many dedicated e-ink readers, long battery life and other conveniences, there are many apps that turn your tablet or smartphone into a reader. Often, the application that suits your friends is not right for you, and you have to go through program after program, looking for the one with which it will be comfortable to spend time reading. To make it easier to find the most convenient program, we decided to select ten of the most popular reading applications with built-in libraries of free books.

1.Bookmate

The first thing that attracts in Bookmate is synchronization between devices. Read on a tablet, continue on a smartphone or laptop from the same page where you left off on the previous device. To do this, of course, the device must have Internet access. But you need it only for quick synchronization, you can read books offline by turning off all communication modules to save money.

The second is the payment system. You do not need to buy a separate book, you pay for a subscription for a month or a year and read everything in the library, which is more than 500,000 books from 600 publishers for 9languages.

But that's not all. The Bookmate service is divided into two parts. The first of these is the application with which you actually read. The second is a web service at bookmate.com, where you can upload any of your books in epub or fb2 format to your library and read it using the application with exactly the same synchronization between devices.

If you do not have your own books and you are not ready to pay for licensed books yet, then you can choose one of the many free books of world classical literature. These, of course, are not hits and novelties, but were priceless masterpieces ever so accessible? Yes, even lovers of reading masterpieces in the original should not forget about the possibility of instant translation of any word by double tap.

The creators of the service have not forgotten about the social component. By connecting one of your social network accounts to the service, you can find your friends who also use Bookmate, follow what they read, and share your books and favorite quotes with them.

Well, the last bonus is the opportunity to give a subscription to your friend. Just pay for a gift subscription and get a code, by entering which your friend becomes another happy Bookmate user for a certain time.

Screenshots Bookmate

Screenshots Bookmate

Play Store | App Store | Windows

2. Moon+ Reader

Yes, of course, this is not an "all-in-one" service like Bookmate, this is an e-book reader designed for those who like to customize everything "for themselves". Many preinstalled themes, swipe animation effects, fine-grained display settings, day and night mode, the ability to customize actions using screen taps, swipe gestures or hardware buttons, synchronization via the cloud (though only for the paid version). But this application got into the review not for its beauty and convenience, but for the ability to read many free books: Moon + Reader supports OPDS catalogs, you don’t even have to delve into what it is, everything is already set up in the program by default and it’s enough to find in the application, the "Network" item, select the section of free books in Russian in the "Moon +" catalog and indulge in reading. After downloading the book to your device, it is available for reading without the Internet.

Yes, since this program is primarily a "reader", it will easily find your books that are already on the device. Supported formats: epub, fb2, pdf, mobi, chm, cbr, cbz, umd, txt, html, as well as the ability to read books directly from rar and zip archives. The program has fewer opportunities than the subscription service, but you don’t have to pay anything either.

Screenshots of Moon+ Reader

Screenshots of Moon+ Reader

Play Store

3. eReader Prestigio

Another decent reading app with good features. After registering your PrestigioID, you get access to the bookstore, where free books are highlighted in a separate column, and in addition, synchronization between your android devices with the same PrestigioID. You can also read books not from the app store, but downloaded to the device memory in epub, pdf, html, fb2, fb2.zip, rtf, txt, epub3, Adobe DRM epub formats. The application has all the necessary settings for reading, not as flexible as those of Moon + Reader, but they are quite enough for comfortable use of the program. It is very convenient that, unlike Bookmate, you do not need to look for free books - they are already conveniently collected in a separate section. There is only one minus of the application - it is only available on Android.

Screenshots eReader Prestigio

Screenshots eReader Prestigio

Play Store

4. Wattpad

Quite an interesting application that allows you to read everything in the catalog for free. During registration, you will be asked to indicate your interests, this was done in order to make it easier to recommend books for you to read. Books written by Wattpad users themselves. You can follow the writing of books, read from chapter to chapter, immediately after the author publishes the next page. Moreover, you yourself can start writing for a wide audience, because Wattpad is a service for writers and readers, an opportunity to conduct a dialogue with the author. But this is precisely the feature of the application - the opportunity to read something new, to discover a new talent in literature. Or discover the literary talent in yourself, inspired by someone else's story. Definitely try this app if you like to experiment with book preferences or read something randomly.

There are not so many settings for the reader, but all the basics are present. Unfortunately, you can only read books from the catalog, the application does not support reading files from memory. Other than that, highly recommended if you want to try something new.

Screenshots Wattpad

Wattpad screenshots

Play Store | App Store

5. MyBook

A relatively young Russian service that provides access to its own online library by subscription. Registration is required, after which a catalog of more than 63,000 books becomes available, 8,000 of which are free - mostly classics. The catalog itself contains a wide variety of books, divided by genre. Yes, this service is still far from Bookmate in terms of the number of books, but you can already use it comfortably now - there is synchronization between devices and a quite comfortable "reader" with basic background and font settings. Unfortunately, there is no way to read books not from the catalog.

Screenshots MyBook

Screenshots MyBook

Play Store | App Store

6. LitRes Read! Free

The leading company in the sale of licensed books in the CIS countries has acquired its own application for reading and distributing electronic reading material. The LitRes catalog contains more than 750,000 books, making this online library the largest Russian-language library on the web. The application provides the possibility of free use of books for viewing ads. And you can even get used to this advertising in the bottom line, in exchange for a huge catalog of books, conveniently divided into categories. The application claims to synchronize bookmarks, notes and quotes. But I never managed to change the login, which is somehow assigned automatically. And synchronization is possible, which is logical, between applications with the same login. In general, the reading program is acceptable, and given the extensive library, it is more than suitable. It is spoiled only by strange synchronization (let's hope that they will finish it) and annoying ads, especially pop-up videos. However, ads can be turned off. Of course, for money.

Screenshots LitRes Read! Free

Screenshots LitRes Read! Free

Play Store | App Store

7. Home library

A simple application to access Russian classical literature for free. Minimum settings for maximum benefit. The app contains classic works by more than 700 writers, including Chekhov, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Gogol, Pushkin, Yesenin and many others. Everything that you once did not have time to read at school is now available for rethinking in electronic form.

Directly from the application, by clicking on the author's photo, you can go to his Wikipedia page and get acquainted with the biography. The rest of the functionality is concise to a minimum.

Screenshots Home Library

Screenshots Home Library

Play Store | App Store

8. Pile of Books.Ru

A small site with free literature did not begin to think about creating a single application for all genres, but released several clone applications. Do you like to read detective stories? Read only detectives. Do you want fantasy? Please. Love novels? Please. But each time you have to download a new application. Although, if you are an adherent of only one type of literature and are not going to change your taste preferences, that's it.

Recently, KuchaKnig.Ru has been thinking about licensing its library, previously collected from free sources, in connection with which it has acquired a partner in the person of LitRes, so it is not surprising that the settings of any application repeat the settings of the program for free reading from LitRes, and the desire to buy a book leads to the LitRes website, not KuchaKnig. Ru. This, in principle, for us, ordinary readers, does not matter at all, and such a division of genres into separate applications can be convenient if, as described above, you are an adherent of only one genre and you do not need to shovel through various catalogs in search of a new detective or a fresh book on esotericism.

Screenshots KuchaKnig.RU

Screenshots KuchaKnig.RU

Play Store

9. Free books - novels

Simple, convenient. Download and read.

Actually, everything is clear from the name of the application. The catalog contains a varied list of novels from science fiction to erotica. The program itself works nowhere easier - choose the right book, download and read. A couple of menu items can hardly be called settings, but for a simple "download and read" application, this is only a plus.

Screenshot Free books - novels

Play Store

10.

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