Comparison of iOS e-reader software


The following tables compare general and technical features for a number of iOS e-book reader software. Each section corresponds to a major area of functionality in an e-book reader software. The comparisons are based on the latest released version.

Navigation features

ProductDeveloperPaginationRotation LockAuto-scrollProgress indicatorBackward/forwardTable of ContentsBookmarksResumeCloud synchronisationGo ToFull text search
BlioK-NFB Reading Technology, Inc.
Bluefire ReaderBluefire Productions
Apple BooksApple
KindleAMZN Mobile LLC
Kobo Reading AppKobo Inc.
StanzaLexcycle
ProductDeveloperPaginationRotation LockAuto-scrollProgress indicatorBackward/forwardTable of ContentsBookmarksResumeCloud synchronisationGo ToFull text search

Display features

ProductMulti-column modeStyles Page Turn EffectsThemesDay/Night modeEnable/Disable sleep modeBrightness ControlIndent paragraphEnable/Disable CSSEnable/Disable hyphenationCustomize marginsCustomize text alignmentCustomize fontCustomize spacing: line/paragraph
Blio
Bluefire ReaderLine only
Apple Books
Kindle
Kobo Reading App
Stanza
ProductMulti-column modeStyles Page Turn EffectsThemesDay/Night modeEnable/Disable sleep modeBrightness ControlIndent paragraphEnable/Disable CSSEnable/Disable hyphenationCustomize marginsCustomize text alignmentCustomize fontCustomize spacing: line/paragraph

Edit/tool features

ProductHighlightAnnotateEdit meta-dataOnline dictionaryOffline dictionaryLookup WikipediaTranslateShareTTS support DRM supportExport to iTunes
Blio
Bluefire Reader
Apple Books
Kindle
Kobo Reading App
Stanza
ProductHighlightAnnotateEdit meta-dataOnline dictionaryOffline dictionaryLookup WikipediaTranslateShareTTS support DRM supportExport to iTunes

Book source management features

ProductBook storeBook searchIn-app Epub importImport via in-app BrowserOPDS catalogOther import viaTag booksSort books
BlioeMail
Bluefire ReadereMail
iTunes File Sharing
Built-in Web Server
Apple BookseMail
KindleiTunes File Sharing
Kobo Reading AppeMail
StanzaCalibre
eMail
iTunes File Sharing
ProductBook storeBook searchIn-app Epub importImport via in-app BrowserOPDS catalogOther import viaTag booksSort books

Supported File Formats

See Comparison of e-book formats for details on the file formats.
Producttotal # of formats.cbr/.cbz.chm.djvu.epub.fb2.html.mobi.pdb.pdf.rtf.txt
Blio2
Bluefire Reader2
Apple Books2
Kindle2
Kobo Reading App2
Stanza5+
Producttotal # of formats.cbr/.cbz.chm.djvu.epub.fb2.html.mobi.pdb.pdf.rtf.txt

License

ProductFreeLicense
Blio
Bluefire Reader Proprietary
Apple BooksProprietary
Kindle
Kobo Reading App
StanzaProprietary

Special features

ProductSpecial features
BlioSupport for the visually impaired
Bluefire ReaderOptional PDF password protection
Localized in English, French, German, Norwegian, Icelandic, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Danish
Support for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language epub3 format including Vertical writing mode and R2L page order
Supports multiple concurrent Adobe user account activations, both Adobe ID and Vendor ID accounts
Export notes and highlights to email
Collections Feature for organizing user Library
Apple BooksApple Books can read text aloud to the user.
KindleEbooks can be emailed to an auto-generated Amazon email address
Kobo Reading AppStrictly enforces registration with Kobo
Support for magazine subscriptions.
Extensive social media support via Facebook.
Reading statistics and achievements.
StanzaCover Flow
Extensive options for library sorting
Customizable background picture & transparency settings
Has some stability problems on iOS >= 5.0
Stanza is not being updated any more
ProductSpecial features

Discontinued software

  • The Readmill app, introduced in February 2011, read numerous formats on Android and iOS devices but shut down on July 1, 2014.
  • Also the Blio, DL Reader and Stanza app are no longer available.