Summary
- Independent e-reader apps provide a customizable experience, and are compatible with both EPUB and PDF files.
- Expand your reading options by exploring the many indie-developer e-reader apps available on the market.
- Yomu, eBoox, PocketBook, KyBook 3, and PureLibro all offer a unique and big tech-free reading experience.
If you’re an avid bookworm, then you’re probably already familiar with the e-reading apps available from big tech giants. Amazon Kindle, Google Play Books, Apple Books, and more all provide a well-polished user experience, but at the expense of locking you into their associated company’s ecosystems.
Thankfully, there are a number of extremely well-designed e-reader apps available from the independent developer community. Each of the following indie apps makes it easy to load and consume universal (and DRM-free) EPUB and PDF book files directly on your phone, while providing slick interfaces in the process.
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1 Yomu
A well-crafted e-reader app with a focus on distraction-free design
Yomu EBook Reader
Yomu is an independent eBook reading app which focuses on providing a clutter-free user interface.
Yomu is a lovingly crafted eBook reading app with excellent attention to interface detail. The app’s aesthetic is clean and minimal, with a focus on getting you right into the reading experience. Support for all the standard eBook file formats is on deck, as is an assortment of library organizational tools. Yomu itself is free to download, but you’ll need to pay for the pro version in order to unlock the company’s cloud service feature, as well as to store more than 10 books at the same time.
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2 eBoox
Possibly the cutest e-reader app on this list
eBoox – fb2 ePub book reader
eBoox is an indie-built e-reader app with a cute and highly charming user interface.
Boox has by far the most charming interface design out of all the options on this list. Its UI is oozing with both character and personality, and the app is simply fun to interact with as a result. Sorting options, broad file format support, and auto-syncing are all included here, and the app is free to download without any ads or subscriptions in sight. Boox isn’t the most feature-packed e-reader out there, but it excels at what it sets out to do.
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3 PocketBook
An e-reader app with support for countless book file formats
PocketBook Reader
PocketBook Reader is a full-featured eReading application with tons of customization options and broad file format support.
PocketBook Reader is a fully-featured eBook application that offers a ton of customization tools and settings to tinker around with. You can bookmark and annotate pages with ease, and there are even advanced options to change such things as the page-turning animation. PowerBook is free to download and install, though many of the books available in its store catalog require a one-time purchase to access.
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4 KyBook 3
A modern eBook reader with tons of features on offer
KyBook 3 Ebook Reader
Kybook 3 is an eBook reader app with support for all the major book file formats, a cloud storage option, and more.
KyBook 3 offers all the eReading essentials, from robust book format support, to reading mode themes, and just about everything in between. The app balances a feature-rich experience with an interface that’s pleasant to look at and easy to navigate through. The app is free in both the monetary and the advertisement sense. There is, however, an optional subscription plan available that enables access to the built-in cloud service, among other advanced tools.
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5 PureLibro
A full-featured eReader app that provides access to reading statistics
PureLibro: ebook reader
PureLibro is a powerful-yet-simple e-reading app which offers rich format support, book management tools, and much more.
As an e-reader app, PureLibro is both charming and delightful. The free version offers everything from automatic chapter splitting, to customizable text and paragraph spacing tools, to a book cover modifier. There’s also a pro version available, which adds a list of extra features, including password protection, in-depth reading statistics, user data backup, and a dedicated comic book mode. Even if you stick with the free version of PureLibro, you’ll be getting an ad-free experience out of the box.
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