Kindle review
Read your Amazon ebooks on any phone, tablet or browser
- Amazon
- Free
- iPhone & iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Web
Does it deserve #6?
Is Kindle worth it?
For most people, yes. Kindle scores 8.3/10 and ranks #6 in Reading & News. It's best for readers who already buy ebooks from Amazon or own a Kindle. Skip it if you want DRM-free files or prefer to keep your reading data private. Price: Free app; you buy books one at a time, and Kindle Unlimited is optional.
The verdict
If you buy ebooks from Amazon, the Kindle app is how you read them anywhere. It syncs your place, highlights and notes across phone, tablet, computer and the web, and adds X-Ray, dictionary and Wikipedia lookups, translation, real page numbers and a switch to the Audible version if you own both. The store has over six million titles. The trade-offs are Amazon's lock-in and a privacy label that ties a lot of data to you.
- Sync across devices
- X-Ray and instant lookups
- Real page numbers
- Switch to Audible narration
- Continuous scroll
Score breakdown
Overall = features 30% · design 20% · speed 20% · value 15% · privacy 15%. Why these weights?
What's new
- Jun 2026You can now search for images inside a book
- May 2026Kindles from 2012 or earlier lost store access, but their books stay readable in the app
- May 2025A Get Book button on iPhone sends you to the browser to buy
Privacy 6.0/10
App Store label lists location, contact info, search history, IDs, usage and purchases linked to you, including for Amazon's own advertising and marketing.
What we like
- Huge store with over six million titles
- Syncs your place, highlights and notes
- Free to read on almost any device
What could be better
- Can't buy books inside the iPhone app
- Books are locked to Amazon's ecosystem
- Ties lots of data to you, including for marketing
Readers who already buy ebooks from Amazon or own a Kindle
you want DRM-free files or prefer to keep your reading data private
Questions about Kindle
Is Kindle worth it in 2026?
For most people, yes. Kindle scores 8.3/10 and ranks #6 in Reading & News. It's best for readers who already buy ebooks from Amazon or own a Kindle. Skip it if you want DRM-free files or prefer to keep your reading data private. Price: Free app; you buy books one at a time, and Kindle Unlimited is optional.
Is the Kindle app free?
Yes. The app is free; you pay for books individually, and Kindle Unlimited and Prime reading are optional extras.
Can I buy Kindle books in the iPhone app?
Not directly. A Get Book button opens your browser so you can buy on Amazon's website, and the book then appears in the app.
Can I read Kindle books in a web browser?
Yes. Kindle for Web lets you read your library in a browser after signing in to Amazon.
What are the best alternatives to Kindle?
The closest alternatives are Libby, The StoryGraph and NetNewsWire. See all of them ranked on our Kindle alternatives page.
Where does Kindle rank?
Kindle ranks #6 of 7 in our Reading & News ranking, with an overall score of 8.3 out of 10.