20 Places Where You Can Read Books Online for Free
Updated: Jun. 17, 2024
Reading just got even cheaper with these sites stacked with free books you can read online
The best places for free books online
My family used to travel four to five hours by train across borders in Eastern Europe just to access a library with books in our primary language. We checked them out for three months at a time before making the journey again. What a difference it would have made if we had known where to read books online for free.
A few years and continents later, I made a single, significant New Year’s resolution: I set out to read 52 books in one year. Although I already had a lot of books in my TBR pile at home, I also wanted to read some of the best books coming out each month. If you’re an avid reader too, you probably know that buying books can quickly get expensive—even buying second hand. Fortunately for all of us, we now live in a world where affordable books are a reality. You really can read books online for free, no hidden fees or surprises.
Too busy with life to sit down and read? I only got through my Year of Books by listening to some of them. You better believe I took advantage of free audiobooks. I actually exceeded that 52-book goal with 62 completed books, and I can’t stop—won’t stop—now! To embark on your own reading journey (without breaking the bank), check out the sites below, all of which offer free books online.
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Overdrive/Libby
Good for: Reading a wide selection of books
Overdrive may have started back in the ’80s, but it kept up with the times and now provides an app that lets you borrow books from your local library and then listen to or read them online, on your phone or on an e-reader or tablet via the Libby app.
I learned about Libby from a former colleague at Reading Is Fundamental who, besides being a rock-star full-time employee, was a hands-on mom of three without much extra time. She would listen to free audiobooks on her commute each day and gave me a personal tour of her app. I downloaded it that very day and have never stopped using it.
Pros:
- Web reader, plus easy-to-use app that works on any device and has amazing filters for browsing
- Ability to seamlessly send e-books to your Kindle
- Ability to add multiple library access cards to one account
- Ability to make a TBR pile, find practically all book genres you want, get on waitlists for high-demand books and keep a record of books you have read
- Selection of audiobook speeds, plus a sleep timer that lets you listen as you fall asleep (without missing the rest of the book)
Cons:
- Must have a library card to use the app (and don’t lose it; sometimes you need to re-input your library card ID)
- Available collection of books is limited to your library district’s digital catalog
- A VPN is necessary for reading internationally
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Hoopla
Good for: Borrowing graphic novels, e-books and audiobooks without a wait
Another library-based platform where you can read free books online is Hoopla. While it, like the Libby app, lets you borrow books with your library card, it has a completely different structure and vibe.
Styled more like Netflix for books, Hoopla allows you to browse on the website or app and check out e-books, audiobooks and graphic novels—as well as movies and CDs—without the hassle of a wait. Though select “flex borrows” will require you to place a hold if all of your library’s copies are checked out, they’re not the main draw here. The real perk of using Hoopla comes in the form of instant borrows, which you can read immediately, no holds or wait time required. Your library will give you a certain number of instant borrows per month, and you can use them up at your leisure (which means you don’t have to deal with multiple holds coming in at one time).
Interestingly, some libraries offer their digital content on both Hoopla and Libby but make certain books available only through one of the platforms. So it can be useful to have both.
Pros:
- No waitlists or holds necessary
- Offers both “instant” and “flex” borrows
- Full page plus automatic panel-by-panel viewing options for graphic novels
- Kid’s Mode on the app limits searchable content to recommendations for ages 12 and under
Cons:
- Limited search functionality
- Only one library card per account
- Number of monthly instant borrows is set by your library
Project Gutenberg
Good for: Pre-20th-century books
Explicitly intended to encourage the creation and distribution of e-books, Project Gutenberg added its first online book back in the ’70s, before reading books online for free became a thing. For more than 50 years, the site has helped high school and college students alike (including me and my sister!), and it’s been an invaluable resource to countless others who need (or simply enjoy) access to no-cost reading. The website is a wonderland of the world’s great public-domain classic books.
Pros:
- No app or account necessary to read
- Options to read the books by text or listen to audio
- Easy to filter the categories
- Over 70,000 books available
Cons:
- Because Project Gutenberg focuses on literature with an expired U.S. copyright, it does not have much in the way of modern reads
- Readers outside the United States need to double-check the copyright terms of any books in their own countries
BookBub
Good for: Contemporary books
BookBub is a must-visit hub for contemporary reads at steep discounts or completely free. You’ll need to create an account (also free) before you can take advantage of perks like limited-time offers on books from well-known publishers and critically acclaimed independent authors in more than 20 genres. Because BookBub asks for your reading preferences, those daily deals are curated to your taste. Like your fiction books a little bit bloody? Add horror or mysteries to your genre preferences and get ready for thrills.
You can also visit the website to pick from a robust selection of totally free books. To read, click the link for your preferred retailer to order the book for free, then use an app like Apple Books or Kindle to read on your computer, tablet, e-reader or phone.
Pros:
- Features more modern picks than other free book sites
- Offers books in a wide range of genres, so you’ll find everything from fiction to memoirs, self-help and cookbooks
- Tell BookBub about your favorite authors and get the scoop on discounts, new releases and preorders from them
Cons:
- Not all the books suggested are free; some are only available at a discount
- Books may be free for a limited time only, after which they revert to the usual price
Chirp
Good for: Audiobooks
If your quest to learn where to read books online for free hasn’t taken you down the audiobook route, you’ll want to rectify that, stat. It opens a world of possibilities when it comes to accessing free books online. When an audiobook I want to read has a yearlong waitlist on Libby, I head over to Chirp to see if I can find the free audiobook there before just adding it to my TBR list. This fantastic website is run by the same people who run BookBub, which means you can count on it for loads of contemporary reads, along with the classics. When you’re ready to listen, stream straight from the site or listen on your go-to device via the Chirp app (you can even listen on an Alexa-enabled device).
The site also features books that are available for a discount (as opposed to free), and if you find yourself lured by one of those titles, you can use the code DIGEST30 to get your first non-free audiobook for 30% off.
Pros:
- Great site design makes it easy to sort through the options for books
- No monthly subscription or package—enjoy what you want, when you want it
- Features both new releases and classic books
Cons:
- Not all the books suggested are free; some are only available at a discount
- Only available in Canada and the United States, unless you are using a VPN
Simon Teen
Good for: Young adult fiction
I may not be a teenager anymore, but I still love reading young adult fiction. And of all the places to read books online for free, Simon Teen is a personal favorite for the best books for teens. Run by publishing house Simon & Schuster, this website offers new and hot YA fiction both for sale and for free for limited periods. Fans of Simon Teen authors will also want to check here for extended excerpts and bonus short stories.
Pros:
- The hottest new YA books in many different genres
- Lots of diverse reads available
- Bonus book excerpts and extras
Cons:
- Limited selection
- Books are free for a limited time only
LibriVox
Good for: Audiobooks
With the somewhat whimsical-sounding goal of “acoustical liberation of books in the public domain,” LibriVox is an online curation of free audiobooks—many of which are read and recorded by the site’s volunteers. The platform operates as a nonprofit and sees itself as a library of audiobooks, all of which are in the public domain. It’s easy to browse books based on title, author, language or one of dozens of genres and subgenres, from fiction and nonfiction books for adults and children to poetry and plays. LibriVox has books available in over 30 languages on its completely free audiobook app.
Pros:
- Wide range of older books that you might not have otherwise read
- Full-length, quality book recordings by passionate readers
- Some of the books are read by only one person, some are collaborative and some are dramatic group readings
- Listen online, download the audiobook to your computer or use the mobile app
Con:
- Mostly classics, due to public domain limitations
Open Culture
Good for: Audiobooks, e-books and textbooks
Boasting a list of more than 1,000 free audiobooks, 800 free e-books and 200 free textbooks in addition to other free resources, Open Culture considers itself the purveyor of “the best free cultural and educational media on the web.” Books are available in multiple genres and include classic and modern books alike, so you have a chance of finding something from your favorite author here.
The site maintains a strict copyright policy, so you know you’re not reading stolen material. Once you find a book, reading is easy: Open Culture doesn’t host the books, so you’ll just click a link to read, listen to or download them for reading on your e-reader, tablet or phone.
Pros:
- Features some high-profile and well-known authors and audiobook narrators
- Goes beyond books with free courses, language lessons and movies
Cons:
- Complicated browsing: Book lists aren’t easy to sort or filter
- Links and listings are not always functional
The Online Books Page
Good for: Nonfiction and classic books
The Online Books Page is a simple website hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Libraries and run by a digital library planner and researcher at the college. It aims to help bookworms access any legally available free books online.
Don’t be put off by the stark site—it will connect you to more than 3 million free books. Over 80,000 of those have been curated by the organizers, while the bulk of the titles have been imported from elsewhere. (The site doesn’t host the books, however; it’s a central location for finding links to free books.) Though you can access some fiction through this site, the bread and butter of the Online Books Page is nonfiction books on a range of topics.
Pros:
- Connects users with more than 3 million free books
- Most of the books in the curated collection come from reader suggestions and are available in a variety of languages
- Includes lots of highly informative nonfiction books, which can be helpful for research papers or research in general
Cons:
- Most of the books are older and from the public domain
- The website is a little intimidating until you dig into it
Harlequin
Good for: Romance novels
In-the-know romance readers have the inside scoop on where to read free books online: Harlequin, the most recognizable name in romance. The publisher offers free, serialized stories by its authors, with new chapters posted every week. Aside from books in progress, the site boasts an extensive backlist of steamy stories you can read for free.
Almost as exciting as a good romance? An easy-to-use website, and Harlequin’s delivers. Not only can you sort options by how much time you’re willing to set aside for reading, but you can also filter by your mood: Do you feel like being seduced? Walking on the dark side? Sitting on the edge of your seat? Make your choice, then read a book that fits the vibe. Because honestly, who doesn’t love a good ride-into-the-sunset story or enemies-to-lovers tale?
Pros:
- Easy to pick a book that perfectly fits your mood and free time
- Will appeal to rom-com movie fans who are out of “the handsome chef at my failing small-town restaurant is a prince in disguise” films
- Weekly schedule means each new chapter is a treat for the week
Con:
- Must create a (free) account to read the free books online
Ereader News Today
Good for: Contemporary books
The self-proclaimed longest-running e-book newsletter, Ereader News Today delivers free and deeply discounted e-book deals—and has been doing so since 2010. The site features a large variety of books from both small publishing houses and major publishers in 20 different genres. Like BookBub, the service curates the selection and delivers it to your inbox; just click the link for your preferred retailer, where you’ll access the freebie.
All the books are available on Kindle, and you can either read them online via the Kindle Cloud Reader or on your e-reader, tablet or mobile device. Some books are even available on Nook, Google Play and Kobo.
Pros:
- Some of the promoted e-books are from bestselling authors
- Highly curated book recommendations
Cons:
- Only eight to 12 free books posted each day (not always in every genre)
- Features more independently published books than well-known titles, especially compared with competitors like BookBub
Free Booksy
Good for: Contemporary books
Looking for even more ways to read books online, free of charge? Subscribe to the Free Booksy newsletter and take advantage of the no-cost titles that land in your inbox daily. The free, curated email includes a personalized list of e-books, but you’ll also find the latest freebies on the site by browsing based on series, genre or best-of lists. There’s something for every bookish taste here, from fantasy books and science fiction to self-help, religion and even cookbooks.
Like other sites on this list, Free Booksy doesn’t host the books itself. Instead, you’ll click over to your preferred retailer to claim the book before reading.
Pros:
- Wide selection of free Kindle books
- Select books are available on Nook, Kobo, Apple Books and Google Play
- Quickly searchable site with lots of categories and curated collections
Cons:
- Not all the books suggested are free; some are only available at a discount
- Not all books stay free; they are tied to pre-existing book promotions
Manybooks
Good for: The classics, along with some contemporary books
With a library of more than 50,000 e-books, Manybooks is a great resource for anyone wondering where to read books online for free. While you’re more likely to find older, classic titles than contemporary ones, the platform still has a great selection (and you can access plenty of other e-books for a discounted price). Depending on the book, you can either read right in your web browser, download in a variety of formats or access via an e-book retailer. You can also see reader reviews for the book, which helps narrow down the selection.
Pros:
- New books uploaded daily
- Large variety of genres with both classic and contemporary reads
- Easy to filter by things like star rating, genre and language
Cons:
- Lots of pop-up ads
- Not as many new releases from big-name authors as some other platforms
Reedsy Discover
Good for: A sneak peek at pre-release books
If you have a #bookstagram account like me, dream of being the next big BookTok influencer or just love being ahead of the curve when it comes to reading, consider signing up for Reedsy Discover. Those who do gain access to new books before the rest of the world—but while the price is technically free, you do have to review what you read.
Pros:
- Reading books before they are publicly available takes it to a whole new level of book brag
- You get to help authors and books get discovered
- Depending on how appreciated your review is, you may even receive a few dollars tip for it, which can feed your bookish addiction
Cons:
- You have to apply and be accepted as a reviewer
- Once you get a book to read, you have a specific window of time to finish and review it
Storynory
Good for: Children’s audiobooks
Storynory is a podcast that produces audio stories. Most of the reads are aimed at an age group of around 7 to 11 years, but there is a small range beyond that. Content available on Storynory includes both original works and classic literature for children—think Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz and the like. You can read and listen right on the website or use the Storynory app.
Pros:
- Original and classic content available
- Free audiobooks for kids in a range of genres, including myths, fairy tales and educational stories
Cons:
- Searching for titles on the website is difficult
- Some stories are split into multiple parts online
Robin Reads
Good for: Contemporary books
Robin Reads is a book-promotion service that works with authors to get books into the hands of readers. And it does that by offering major discounts on contemporary titles, with lots of new releases included. Luckily for you, many of those are available for free. You have to act fast, though—once the daily deals are emailed to subscribers, they’re good for only 24 hours. To access your book, just click the link and use your Amazon account to either read in the Kindle Cloud Reader or download it onto your Kindle device or app.Â
Pros:
- Does the work of finding free books on Amazon, so you don’t need to
- New hand-selected deals available daily
- Many different genres are available, including romance, thriller, sci-fi and mystery books
Cons:
- Users must have an Amazon account (though it doesn’t have to be Prime)
- The authors and Amazon have the right to change the price at any time or end their free promotion, so books may stop being free at some point
Smashwords
Good for: A wide variety of genres
If you want free books to read online that aren’t just fiction, this is the website for you. Smashwords is an easy-to-use e-book site offering titles in various genres—you’ll find everything from Christian fiction to LGBTQ+ books, including poetry, classics, romance and biographies. It started as a publishing platform, although it now focuses on distributing books for independent authors and publishers. Just be sure to click the “free” tab when you search because not all books on the website are free.
Pros:
- An almost infinite number of genres to sort through
- Promotes lots of independent authors
- Some books allow you to choose your price, so you can opt to pay nothing or support the author
Cons:
- Not all 500,000-plus books are free
- The website is not optimized for mobile use
- Primarily independently published books
Library of Congress
Good for: Classics
If you’re looking for timeless books, the Library of Congress has you covered. With more than 60 classic books available on an easy-to-use interface, this is the perfect website if you have a specific title in mind. This archive includes some of the best children’s books ever written, such as Anne of Green Gables and Peter Rabbit.
Pros:
- Well-organized and a decent collection of digital books
- Books are digitized, so you get to see the actual book and cover, along with any markings on the pages from before they were scanned
Cons:
- Some readers find that the digitized format isn’t as user-friendly as a text scroll or tap-to-turn feature
- Limited selection
Wattpad
Good for: Discovering new writers
Wattpad is an e-reading website that connects a community of 80 million readers and writers. Original books are uploaded directly to the platform for users to read. You have to create an account to read the books, but once you find a free book you want to read, click on the cover, then click the “Read” button to get started.
Pros:
- Readers get to vote on stories and see how many others have read them
- Stories on Wattpad may later get publishing or film deals—and if you read them on Wattpad, you “discovered” them first
- It’s a great source of fantasy romance books, including books about werewolves and vampires
Cons:
- Some books are not available for free but require payment
- Not all books will be complete at the time you start them
- The quality of the stories varies
International Children’s Digital Library
Good for: Children’s books in various languages
The International Children’s Digital Library hopes to “support the world’s children in becoming effective members of the global community—who exhibit tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas.” The team does this by working to make the best in children’s literature available online for free. With a variety of books in languages other than English, the site is a global resource.
Pros:
- Whether you like to read aloud to children or give them reading to do for themselves, this is a great tool
- There are children’s books available in more than 70 different languages
Cons:
- The website is not very user-friendly
- Searching for a specific book is difficult
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At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. For this piece, Heather Hill tapped her experience as a longtime journalist and book lover (and #bookstagram contributor) to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Originally Published: March 03, 2021
