Unlike WhatsApp or Facebook, which sit on the alternatives list for this page, Google Play Books & Audiobooks does one narrow job: it sells and reads books. Google LLC released it on December 5, 2010, and Google Play shows over 1 billion installs. The rating there is 4.7 from about 3.3 million ratings. The app is free to install, carries no ads, and has a Teen content rating. It is available through Google Play only.
Pay per book, with no subscription
What defines this app is its purchase model. You buy only the titles you want, and no subscription is required. The store covers ebooks, audiobooks, comics and manga, so one library holds all of them.
The app offers in-app purchases, which here means the books themselves. Before spending, you can open a sample of a book to check it suits you.
Play Points can be earned on book purchases. Availability, award levels and multiplier rates differ by country, and the program is not offered everywhere.
A typical session: shelves, notes and offline files
A session usually starts in your library, which you can read on a phone, tablet or computer. In a car, Android Auto handles listening. Books can be downloaded first, so reading works offline.
Custom shelves let you group books by genre, author or any theme you choose. While reading, you can adjust font, text size and brightness. Smart notes sync with Google Drive and can be shared with others, which helps if you annotate for study or a book group.
Audiobooks can be controlled by voice through Google Assistant. Comics and manga use Bubble Zoom, a reading mode built for panel-based pages. Book insights give recaps and extra context from the page, but only on select English-language titles.
Kids' reading tools and the chat-app comparison
Kids can look up word definitions and have books read aloud to them. The reading practice tools only work in English, so check that before counting on them for another language.
The alternatives listed for this app are WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, Google Photos, X and Aegis Authenticator. None of them is a reading app, since they cover social networking, messaging, photo storage and authentication. Google Play Books sits in the books and reference category, and no rival ebook store is listed, so a direct feature comparison is not possible here.
Google Play Books & Audiobooks pros and cons
Pros
- No ads
- Pay per book with no subscription needed
- Offline downloads and Android Auto support
- Shelves and Drive-synced notes for organizing and sharing
- Bubble Zoom reading mode for comics and manga
Cons
- Reading practice tools for kids work in English only
- Book insights are limited to select English titles
- Play Points availability varies by country
- Book prices vary by title
Is Google Play Books & Audiobooks safe?
Google LLC publishes this reader, and it carries a Teen content rating with no ads on screen. Purchases happen inside the app when you buy a book, and nothing requires a subscription, so you pay only for titles you choose. Smart notes sync with your Google Drive and can be shared, so keep in mind who you send them to.
How to install Google Play Books & Audiobooks
- Press the Google Play button on this page.
- Check the listing in the Play Store and press Install.
- Open Google Play Books & Audiobooks when the install finishes. Updates arrive through Google Play.
