Ebooks have become hugely popular over the past decade, with many book lovers transitioning from physical to digital books. When it comes to ebook platforms, two giants stand out from the pack – Apple Books and Amazon Kindle. But which one should you choose for your e-reading needs?
I‘ve used both platforms extensively. In this comprehensive comparison, I‘ll break down the key differences between Apple Books and Kindle across hardware, software, library selection, pricing, reading features, and more. I‘ll also highlight the pros and cons of each to help you decide which platform might suit you best.
A Brief History
First, a quick history of both platforms.
The first Amazon Kindle e-reader launched in 2007, pioneering e-ink display technology that mimicked the look and feel of paper. In 2010, Apple released iBooks as both an ebook store and reading app for iOS devices. After 8 years as iBooks, Apple recently rebranded to Apple Books in 2018.
So Kindle had a big head start in the dedicated e-reader market. But Apple leveraged the popularity of iPhones and iPads to make Apple Books widely accessible across its devices.
Today, Amazon offers Kindle e-readers ranging from basic to advanced, as well as Kindle reading apps for iOS, Android, PC and Mac. Apple Books is preloaded onto Apple mobile devices and computers, with no standalone e-reader option.
Now let‘s explore some key differences between the two platforms.
Hardware Capabilities
A major distinction is that Kindle sells dedicated e-reader hardware, while Apple relies on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch for ebook reading.
Amazon‘s Kindle Paperwhite strikes an excellent balance between price and features like:
- 6.8-inch 300 dpi glare-free display
- Adjustable warm light
- Waterproof design
- Up to 10 weeks battery life
Higher-end Kindle Oasis adds features like:
- Adjustable warm light from white to yellow
- Automatic brightness
- Page orientation sensors
- Physical page turn buttons
The Kindle e-readers are purpose-built for long, strain-free reading sessions. However, they have limitations around taking notes and navigating documents, with sluggish performance compared to tablets.
In contrast, Apple‘s devices offer crisp, high-resolution Retina displays optimized for multimedia. Tablets and phones lack the long battery life and glare-free e-ink displays of dedicated e-readers, making them less comfortable for marathon reading sessions. But they‘re far more versatile overall.
So Kindle wins on pure long-form reading experience, while Apple leverages the power of iPhone and iPad to deliver strong general performance for an ebook app.
Software and User Experience
When it comes to software polish and user experience, Apple Books pulls ahead. The consistency across Apple‘s hardware and software ecosystem really shines.
Everything from browsing the Apple Books store to managing your library to actually reading books feels cohesive and smooth. You can seamlessly purchase new books directly in the Apple Books app, accessible via a dedicated "Store" section.
By comparison, Amazon does not allow Kindle book purchases directly through the Kindle iOS app. This is due to Apple‘s 30% revenue cut on iOS purchases, which Amazon avoids by sending users to its website for transactions.
It may seem trivial, but this extra purchasing step on iOS is representative of a wider software gap between the polished Apple Books experience and Kindle‘s functional but clunky app design. From organization tools to navigation menus and more, Apple Books just feels slicker to use.
However, folks already invested in Amazon‘s ecosystem may forgive the weaker app design for the perks of Whispersync synchronization across the wider array of Kindle apps and e-readers.
Library and Book Selection
When it comes to buyable ebook selection across paid and free titles, Kindle certainly leads. Amazon claims over 6 million Kindle titles, dwarfing the undisclosed size of Apple‘s ebook catalog.
Just about any popular book – from new releases to backlist classics – will be available on both platforms. But Kindle does have an edge here, fueled by Amazon‘s machine-like focus on stocking endless inventory (paid and free public domain books).
One advantage for Apple is in-app access to free iBooks textbooks and courses. But overall, hardcore readers will have no issue finding their favorite genres on Kindle thanks to Amazon‘s sprawling ebook library efforts.
Reading Features and Experience
Once you start reading books, Kindle pulls ahead in certain areas while Apple leads in others.
The Kindle app and e-readers offer a few nice exclusive reading features, like:
- X-Ray – deeper insights into plot, characters, concepts
- Word Wise – definitions that automatically appear above difficult words
- Vocabulary Builder – words you look up get added to a reference list
Meanwhile, Apple Books provides a few of its own exclusive reading perks:
- Beautiful page layouts – formatted closer to print books
- Multimedia integration – embedded video/audio content in books
- Dictionary integration – without exiting the app
Both platforms handle basics like notes, highlights, font adjustment well. But Kindle has an edge in enhanced language learning features while Apple leverages tablet power for multimedia content and design-forward page layouts.
Of course, those using a Kindle e-reader sacrifice some features to gain battery life, durability and glare-free e-ink. So Pick your priority – ultimate reading experience on Kindle Paperwhite/Oasis, or power features on iPad/iPhone.
Audiobooks
For listening options, both platforms offer robust audiobook libraries. But they take vastly different approaches.
Kindle ties directly into Amazon-owned Audible for all audiobook needs. You access the full Audible store, subscriptions and library management through a separate Audible app that’s deeply linked to your Kindle/Amazon account.
Apple Books sells individual audiobooks direct through its store, or via an Apple Audiobooks subscription at $14.95/month for unlimited access. The Apple Books app handles audiobook listening and library management.
So Kindle channels you into Audible for a more complete, subscription-focused audio experience. Apple Books keeps everything contained within one elegant app. Both work very well, so it comes down to which financial model you prefer.
Prices and Subscription Options
Pricing and monthly plans also illustrate key differences in Amazon and Apple’s ebook monetization strategies.
Apple Books has no subscription option for ebooks – you simply buy titles individually, with prices set by publishers. Many best sellers sell for between $12-$15 on Apple Books.
Amazon embraces subscriptions with Kindle Unlimited, a Netflix-like $9.99/month for unlimited access to over 1 million titles and thousands of audiobooks. Kindle ebook prices directly sold are often a few dollars cheaper than Apple.
So Apple Books is arguably simpler – you pay individual book prices at the premium end of market rate. Meanwhile Kindle pushes its unlimited subscription, plus discounts for Amazon Prime members and slightly lower a la carte ebook rates in general.
Over the long haul, Kindle Unlimited can save money for voracious readers. But Apple Books buys you simplicity and avoids lock-in.
Accessibility and Device Support
When it comes to accessibility, Kindle‘s cross-platform support makes it the easy winner.
The free Kindle app works on iPhone, iPad, Android phones & tablets, plus Windows 10 and macOS computers. So Amazon has all bases covered. Your Kindle library syncs across all supported devices.
Unfortunately, Apple Books is locked exclusively to Apple devices. Your book purchases and app data only sync across iOS/iPad/Mac devices registered to your Apple ID. No web, Android or Windows support here.
So while Apple offers incredible hardware and software integration for its own ecosystem, Kindle provides much more flexibility to use apps across various brands of phones, tablets and computers.
Integration with Other Apps
Both platforms integrate nicely with popular e-reading community app Goodreads, owned by Amazon. You can manage shelves, share reviews and track reading progress from either Apple Books or Kindle apps into your Goodreads profile.
Another perk of Kindle ecosystem ties is integration with Wikipedia and translation dictionaries. Tap any word or topic in a Kindle book to pull up external reference info without ever leaving your page. It‘s seamless and handy access to enriched background content.
Apple Books does link to a basic dictionary to view definitions in a pop-up panel. But no opportunities for Wikipedia integration or translation look-ups like you‘ll find in the Kindle app.
Pros and Cons of Each Ebook Platform
| Apple Books | Amazon Kindle | |
|---|---|---|
| Selection | Good | Excellent |
| Hardware | iPad/iPhone | Dedicated e-readers + apps |
| Software/UX | Polished | Functional |
| Reading Features | Multimedia | Language learning |
| Pricing | Individual titles | Subscriptions available |
| Device Support | Apple-only | Cross-platform |
To recap – Kindle wins on book selection, subscriptions, and supporting more hardware platforms.
Apple Books strengths lie in software refinement, slick reading apps for Apple devices, and rich multimedia book formats unavailable to basic Kindles.
Both handle basics like notes, audio narration and accessibility features very well across the board. It often comes down to where your personal device allegiance lies!
Conclusion
I hope this detailed breakdown of how Apple Books compares to Kindle for ebooks and audiobooks helps you evaluate the pros and cons of each platform.
While Kindle dominates ebook market share overall thanks to its early start and Amazon ecosystem tie-in, Apple offers premium software polish and multimedia capabilities for book lovers invested in Apple devices.
Most voracious readers would benefit from having both apps installed for library access flexibility. But budget-focused bookworms may want to pick Kindle Unlimited for exclusive subscription perks. And Apple die-hards will thoroughly enjoy the seamless iCloud sync and UI refinements of Apple Books.
Whether you want a purpose-built Kindle e-reader for distraction-free reading or leverage the power tablet like an iPad Pro, both platforms make it a joy to carry thousands of books wherever you go.
Happy reading!
