Google Play Books & Audiobooks
Books & Audiobooks
How much does Google Play Books & Audiobooks cost?
Prices are current as of 10 Oct 2026.
Google Play Books & Audiobooks has no in-app products on record in the United States.
10+ alternatives to Google Play Books & Audiobooks
| Google Play Books & Audiobooks |   Kobo Books & Audiobooks |   Chirp Audiobooks |   Everand: Audiobooks & Ebooks |   BookPlayer |   LibriVox Audiobooks |   AnyStories-Top Novels & Books |   Manta - Manga, Manhwa, Novels |   Inkitt: Books, Novels, Stories |   ReadNow: Novels & Stories |   Readict - novels and more | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating / 5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.7 |
| Reviews | 32K | 242K | 93K | 55K | 53K | 53K | 51K | 45K | 25K | 16K | 15K |
| Released | 2010 | 2009 | 2018 | 2012 | 2016 | 2013 | 2020 | 2020 | 2015 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Monthly price | — | — | — | $11.99 | $4.99 | $1.99 | $39.99 | $4.99 | — | $12.99 | $14.99 |
| Annual price | — | — | — | — | $49.99 | $9.99 | — | $49.90 | — | — | — |
| One-time price | — | — | — | — | $4.99 | $24.99 | $9.99 | $4.99 | — | $9.99 | $14.99 |
The going rate for each plan in United States, in its own currency, shaded from the cheapest price on the row to the dearest. Plans fewer than four in ten of the priced apps sell are left out.
Google Play Books & Audiobooks reviews
4.3 out of 5, based on 32,138 reviews.
What people like
- Great for sharing books with friends
- Useful built-in translation features
- Excellent free public domain collection
What they complain about
- Keeps crashing and freezing often
- Highlights disappear when you edit them
- No dark mode on iOS devices
- Pages fail to load properly
The 🐐
🫶
Margin size
The giant margin size is a problem. This didn’t used to be a problem, but now on my iPad, the margins are huge and it makes the size of the screen pointless. The ability to update the margin size and control that for an E pub is really important for a decent reading app. Please give us the ability to update the margin size ASAP. Thank you!
No Dark Mode
While I do like using the Google Play Books app on iOS the ONE thing I don't like is the lack of a dark mode, unlike on Android. Google, please add this.
Something wrong with
Man, what can I say? new version on iOS 18.3.2, I cannot download the books I uploaded, and I also cannot open the ones I already downloaded.
Good but can be better
Audio bookmarks on the app used to include a blurb so you know what you’re going to listen to but that has gone away. For someone who has a lot of audio bookmarks it’s difficult to tell what you’re going to hear when you click a bookmark.
Great option
So far, I like the features of this app better than Kindle. I also love how Google books allows you to share e-books and audiobooks with friends just like you can do with physical books - audible does not let you do that. That said, I haven’t read using a Kindle device but only on iPads. So I can’t make a comparison there.
Won’t let me highlight text
Every time I try to highlight text it disappears
Good reading app… but
I can’t find a dark mode. The bright white pages are very bright at night. Google, can you create a dark mode?
Formatting is Poor
Good selection of books and audiobooks but formatting of books is broken. 2 inch margins bracket an absurdly small column of text.
Prefer ebook readability on other apps
I like the app in general. The interface is really good with audiobooks and when I’m manually reading e-books, but I find it lacking when I need hands free reading. Apple Books and Kindle allow automatic page turning using the screen reader, but Play stops at the end of every page and I have to change the page manually. It ruins my experience. I’ve searched the help function and enabled it, but nothing has changed. It’s a real bummer. Would appreciate any assistance available. Thanks.
It’s good I just wish for
For discounts like the other ebook platforms but I search all three so it works.
Keep losing my spot.
500 pages into a book and it kept losing my spot to where I had to look where I left off, I eventually gave up and just bought a physical copy of the book and a book mark. Horrible app.
I love the app but…
Since the new iOS update, the split screen function no longer works. Please fix this.
Skips back randomly
It’s a real pain to do a book study with this app because if you pause it the app will randomly back up. Sometimes 1 sec, sometimes 5 sec, sometimes 60 sec and everything in between, sometimes it doesn’t back up at all. It’s a real hassle.
Frozen upon open apps
I love Google Play, however, recently it keeps crashing and frozen upon open Apps. I would love to give 5-star if it got fixed.
5 stars
Amazing book app. I’ve been using this app since I believe 2014 for school and reading. Means a lot to me. Thanks.
Books disappear
This app needs major fixing Google
Last line on each page not visible
It's effectively "skipping" a line each time I flip a page in EPUB uploads. In fact the top of characters in that line is visible, but the most part of them is covered by the footer (reading progress etc.) making the line unreadable.
Need update
I am using an iPad. After updating to the recent iOS version, when I open the app in window mode, the text is pushed to one side, so I cannot see the full content properly. Please fix this issue.
Read aloud
There no read aloud option of iPhone users
Google Books is Amazing
I’ve enjoyed the finest works in some of the choicest prints in all of recorded history and it’s thanks to Google books. I could cry for how poorly my iPhone 15 pro handles the app but I genuinely consider the older prints on this app the finest free resources on the planet (from fiction to philosophy to history to biography etc!). I just hope they continue to expand the free catalogue of public domain works from prior to the 20th century cause it’s beyond compare for enriching one’s life.
Purchase
I read the sample of a book I liked. I tried to purchase it, and there was no link anywhere to purchase it.
Android is better
I specifically downloaded Google playbooks on my Apple because on my android I was able to get the app to read my ebooks aloud to me. Come to find out, that on apple they don’t have that function. So it’s basically just as good as Apple Books and there’s really no difference between the 2.
split screen broken
App is generally good, but the text is not centered when you use the split screen function in ipad os and pin the book the left or right of your screen. This used to work. Now the text goes off the screen.
What is hiding and where did that book go?
Why remove the ability to delete books and replace it with this ridiculous "hide" option? So I'm hiding it from my devices, but.., it's still there? So what is the point of hiding it? Why not just delete it? Where did it go?
Read listen view
Fun to read as for audio reading pictures many options
Bubble Zoom is constantly broken
This would be the greatest app ever for reading comics except that the bubble zoom feature breaks constantly.
just one thing for me
when i open the app i can’t make purchases inside the app and have to open the app in a web browser to purchase books. it’s not the worse thing to have to do but would feel more complete if i were able to just make purchases inside the app.
🚮
Horrible app. Buffering never stops. Have to reset my phone or turn it on and off just to pick up where I left off.
Google Books Needs Easier Translation Tool
You need to hold, highlight, and press translate. On Kindle, you just need to long-press, and it will translate automatically
Great App
This is better than apple books. Would love to have a app for watch to use.
SINGLE COLUMN PLEASE
AND OTHER FEATURES THAT ANDROID VERSION HAS HAD FOR YEARS
Deserves 4.5 stars
One problem it has, the bookmarks screen is really messy. It would be a real improvement if you could write a short note explaining WHY a bookmark is placed on that page.
Network error
Says I have network error but my wifi is on and functioning. Also sometimes it doesn't load the next page and I have to force close the app. Sucky app.
Bad for adding notes to readings
On ipad, I find the app not so user friendly for adding reading notes and navigate through them despite of having those option. However, it’s fine for stocking ebooks from different sources.
Good page flip animation
It is a little silly on iPad however, where in landscape mode it’ll flip two pages as if they are on the same piece of paper. Also unlike on iPhone, the home bar and the status at the top of the screen can’t be hidden, creating unnecessary distractions.
cant open any books
it no longer lets me open books, says network error
Pop up dictionary problem
nice app especially the translate option that you can translate a paragraph in any language you want, however before it was like kindle app that the dictionary would pop up when you selected a word, now you have to click on the define button everytime you wanna see the meaning which with e-readers is tiring
Good but Buggy
The app unfortunately is pretty buggy particularly with highlights. Previous highlights will disappear when making new ones, not reappearing until you reopen the app. Similarly, if you try to edit a highlight from the “Highlights & Notes” toolbar, the rest disappear.
Lost my money while buying books overseas
Since the books can be purchased only in the currency of the country where the email is registered, I lost my money in failed transactions which were deducted from my account but never acknowledged by google. Contacting the play store did not help either.
Better then apple
This is amazing omg the animation of the pages when turning on my iPad are amazing absolutely love
Welp so much for convience
Can’t listen to the audiobook unless I go into the web browser. Not only that. I can’t use the nice slick looking mobile webpage… I have to use the sloppy desktop site that doesn’t fit on the screen, can’t shut my screen off, ohh and on the app it doesn’t even say I have the book or the option to repurchase just for the quickness and easiness. I’m going back to audible. And Apple. Thanks google..
Missing some features
It can’t handle ToC with multiple levels, and doesn’t allow me to adjust the margins. Otherwise it would be great.
Unsatisfied
Doesn't work well on iphones, I can't get local books to sync into the app. It syncs though if I upload it the the books on my Samsung phone
Need an update
Please solve the problem of taking notes. With your last update it is impossible to take notes
2010
I’m going out
Blank pages
My book keeps getting blank pages and freezing the app. I have tried everything to fix it. How frustrating.
Maybe more colours for highlighting?
I love the app but it always lags a lot as soon as I open it (but maybe that’s because I downloaded so many books with it). Anyways, it’s very helpful but if possible could there be more than 4 colours to use when highlighting?
Problems with Pages
I’ve noticed on this app some pages don’t load. Certain pages in the books I PAID FOR, mind you, will not load until I’ve restarted the app, and then restarted my device several times. And to add to that since I recieved a response: it is up to date. That’s the first thing I check. It’s simply a problem with your app.
Technical issue
The app has worked great until a couple weeks ago now when I open an ebook the app kind of blinks or flashes when I touch the screen. All my other apps work great and the app works great for my iPad the issue is on my iPhone only. I’ve also done all available updates for the app and phone as well
Google Play Books & Audiobooks FAQ
- Is Google Play Books & Audiobooks free?
- Yes. The app is free, in all 75 countries it sells in, and it sells nothing inside it.
- Does Google Play Books & Audiobooks have a free trial?
- No. None of its offers (US) come with a free trial.
- What are the best alternatives to Google Play Books & Audiobooks?
- Kobo Books & Audiobooks (4.5 from 241,863 reviews), Chirp Audiobooks (4.8 from 92,652 reviews) and Everand: Audiobooks & Ebooks (4.3 from 55,083 reviews, premium from $11.99).
Google Play Books & Audiobooks download
Last updated 1 month ago.
Google Play Books & Audiobooks sells in 75 countries. It was released 15 years and 10 months ago, on 5 Dec 2010. It holds a 4.3 rating from 32,138 reviews.
Supports 39 languages: English, Afrikaans, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Chinese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese.
How much does Google Play Books & Audiobooks make?
Third-party estimates for the last 30 days, worldwide — not the store's own figures, which Apple publishes for nobody.