Many people are fleeing the Amazon Kindle ecosystem due to several controversies. For example, Amazon killed the ability to use USB File Transfers to back up Kindle books on a local computer. Kindle for PC used to allow for the same thing, but Amazon forced an update, so this functionality was lost, too. Not to mention, they discontinued all the services, like Kindle Vella and Kindle Flashcards. If you are considering giving up on Amazon and going with a trustworthy company, what ones are worth your time?
Rakuten Kobo
Kobo is the second largest digital bookstore in the world, second to only Amazon. Buying a new Kobo e-reader allows you to buy digital content on the device, as well as borrow library books from Overdrive supported libraries. Kobo has more color e-resaders that they sell, in addition to traditional black and white e-paper displays. The company has dozens of retail partners all over the world, making it easy to “try before, you buy.”
Kobo has apps for iOS and Android. However, Kobo is one of the only ones that allow users to buy e-books in their iOS apps, not even Amazon or Barnes and Noble has this functionality. Users can buy e-books in any country they are traveling in and Kobo will not lock you out of the account. Kobo books can easily be backed up locally, making it easy for users to either maintain their offline book collection or strip the DRM to sideload it on other devices.
Rakuten Kobo is facing a bright future. The company is trusted and will not go out of business anytime soon. On the flip side they have abysmal customer service and RMA from online purchases are equally terrible. It is better to buy it from a physical store with a better return and warranty policy.
Google Books
Google Books is one of the largest bookstores, stocking the same big titles and backlist content. It might not have some of the independence self-published authors that Amazon and Kobo have, but this is a good thing. The company does not make e-readers but is app reliant. They have apps for Android and iOS. Their flagship Android app is preinstalled on millions of devices, giving them as huge competitive advantage. They also have an extensive selection of manga.
There are dozens of e-readers and e-notebooks that came out every year and are running a modern version of Android. Most have Google Play and Google Play Services preinstalled. Casual users will likely do business with the app they know,rather then browsing Play, to find an alternative.
Google has an online tool that allows you to download in EPUB, any book you have purchased from them. This is good for people who want their own backups or to sideload onto other devices using Adobe Digital Editions. Google is the only one that makes it that easy, without the need for a huge learning curve.
Apple Books
You can thank Apple and their digital bookstore for the concept of agency pricing. This is a system where the publishers determnine the prices of e-books, rather than the retailers. Early on in the e-book space, Aamazon regined supreame. They charged less than the comnpetition to get market share. When Apple launched books, they colluded with publishers to implement a uniform pricing, so Apple could compete. The US Justice Department filed a multiyear lawsuit and everyone had to pay massive fines.
Apple Books is installed by default on every iPhone, iPad or Mac that is sold. Apple is one of the only ones that sells digital content on these devices, giving them a larger competive advantage over Android. Amazon, Kobo, B&N and most other retailers do not allow users to pay for things in-app, since Apple charges them a fee.
Apple not only sells the same books as everyone else, but also Audible audiobooks. They have a huge selection of comics and manga too. They have the same books as everyone else, but lacks the same self-published stuff that Amazon and Kobo has. They also have Apple News+ where they offer thousands of magazines that are apart of the subscription, with a more extensive catalogue than Kindle Unlimited.
I do not see Apple getting out of digital books selling anytime soon, but it has become less of a priority in recent years, with little to no new features in each update Apple issues for all of their devices.
Barnes and Noble
Barnes and Noble has been selling digital content for as long as Kobo has. They are the largest bookseller in the United States with over 600 locations. They sell a series of e-readers and tablets called the NOOK. You can buy audiobooks and e-books on their book readers. They have the same audio, e-books, manga and comics as everyone else, so you will find some good stuff.
The company has an iOS and Android apps, but you can’t make purchases in the app. You have to visit their website, make purchases and sync. Their apps are glorified readers, similar to Amazon. You can backup your e-books easier with Nook, for offline backups or to sideload via Adobe Digital Editions on any e-reader or e-note that supports Adobe Digital Editions.
The Nook and investing in the ecosystem only makes sense if you live in the United States, since you need a USA address and billing to buy anything. It is possible to make purchases from outside the USA, but it is hard, and not really worth it.
Since Barnes and Noble was sold to Elliot a couple of years ago, they went from a publicly traded company to a private one. The same CEO as Waterstones, the largest bookstore in the UK, plays double duty as the CEO of B&N. The guy loves books and has changed the culture across all of their physical bookstores. The future of Nook is bright and the company will not stop selling e-books anytime soon.
Bookshop.org
Bookshop.org has just launched an e-book section of their website, and their entire business model is to help indie bookstores in the United States to start selling e-books directly to customers and earn a commission for doing so.
Through Bookshop.org’s E-Book platform, indie bookstores can compete with Amazon’s Kindle apps. Built to bolster revenue streams for brick-and-mortar bookstores, Bookshop.org’s digital books initiative is a monumental addition to its multi-award-winning giveback model and an advancement for the book industry. Empowering local bookstores to sell digital products and earn 100% of the profits from those sales highlights Bookshop.org’s ongoing commitment to supporting local bookstores in the digital age
Launched in January 2020, during a pivotal moment for bookstores, Bookshop.org has raised over $35 million for independent bookstores in the United States alone. As a certified B Corp, Bookshop.org allocates over 80% of its profit margin to over 2,200 independent bookstores in the US.
The Rest
Libby – Why books when you can borrow them from your local library. Big cities tend to stock the most e-books and lots of copies for the latest bestseller. Hold times can range sometimes for months, but there is no shortage of free content.
Libgen, Annas Archive, Sci-Hub, Z-Library A pirates wet dream, these are the largest free way to download millions of books for free. Some specialize in certain segments such as e-textbooks, or research papers or old books that are out of print. However, they all have the latest e-books by bestselling authors and are more secure than downloading stuff from the Pirate Bay.
Various lawsuits and IP seizures haven’t made a dent in the popularity of shadow libraries. They simply get s new IP and domain, announce it on social media or through communities such as Reddit, Discord of Telegram,
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
