iOS eReader App Suggestions (ePub, mobi, PDF) TiReader, Yomu, KyBook, etc?

[Lparsons21]

I like the Apple Books app a lot, but I tend not to use it as much as I would like since it is Apple only and I read on both iOS and Android devices. Most of the time I use the Kindle app since it is cross platform and pretty consistent in look and feel across those platforms.

I've used some of the others mentioned in this thread, but always come back to the Kindle app.

[johnnyb]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Get GoodReader for PDF. Nothing else even approaches it. You really don’t need to read every format with a single app. Use the best tool for each task.

MapleRead is good for ePub.

I would argue that even the free Readdle Documents is easier to access, looks better and more convenient to use. Plus, it is free.

[ilovejedd]

For KyBook3 users, is it possible to set the tap zones to left & right taps for next page and swipe only for previous page? I've looked through the settings and I can't seem to find such an option.

[hollowpoint]

Has anyone compared MapleRead SE and Kybook3 Pro? Both have demo versions, I'm running the Kybook 3 one. Looks like you have to pay to get the full versions, and I don't want to buy both just to compare.

[hollowpoint]

I started comparing these. Registered MapleRead SE for $4.99 and compared to Kybook 3 demo. I'll try both a few days and see if there's a clear favorite. From a day zero view, looking at core app features and UI, MapleRead did a little better.

It had great performance opening larger files. The MR default styles and layout for content rendering were accurate and appealing, while KB3's defaults struggled with style or layout problems in some books; most issues I saw were in .mobi. As for UI, subjectively I lean toward MR. It was closer to my idea of 'clean and intuitive.' Things are where I want them to be. UI elements, locations, and functions are in accord with my user experience and expectations. Yet Kybook 3's fresh and less conventional approach, like using tabs in a reader app, is creative and grows on me. Both apps were easy to set up and import books, with many options for doing that. Another item, maybe trivial, is MR seems more thrifty with footprint on disk: 31.9 MB vs 55.3. Kybook 3 seems it has extra features though, such as .mobi support, which could contribute to larger installed size.

Both these apps are well designed and a blast to use on a new Ipad Mini. It'll be a hard decision.

[varaonaid]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience. I'll have to look at a couple of these options again.

I went into Kybook 3 to look around and read, thinking I'd likely go ahead and purchase and try to "settle in" to it, since it seems to have most is the features I'm looking for...

However, there was a "gotcha" that I wasn't expecting. I have no problem paying a few dollars for a good app but I don't like subscriptions. I found that while you get most things with the paid version of Kybook 3, of the the features that it's a must have to me, namely syncing across devices, costs $15 a year! And, that's the only feature they said you get beyond that $15 paywall. Everything else is included in the one time payment. The main reason a lot of people use the tanned iOS ecosystem is interoperability between devices. It's generally so slick and smooth. Taking that away and making that the only feature you get for $15 doesn't seem great to me. So that was disappointing. I'll look again at Aunt I'd the other apps. I do have not only Documents by Readdle but their PDF Expert too so I can use that for reading, if I'm willing to use a different app. It runs in my mind though that I ran across an app in the last few days that offered text reflow for PDF files in the iPhone. That would be a pretty cool feature, potentially. I'll have to try to find out which one it was.

Thanks again for all of your input. I'll try Yomu and TiReader again too to see if either seems worth keeping.

[hollowpoint]

Originally Posted by varaonaid

However, there was a "gotcha" that I wasn't expecting. I have no problem paying a few dollars for a good app but I don't like subscriptions. I found that whole you get most things with the paid version of Kybook 3, of the the features that it's a must have to me, namely syncing across devices, costs $15 a year! And, that's the only feature they said you get beyond that $15 paywall.

For sure, $15 a year is a lot to pay for book sync, and the app says you only get 3 GB of storage at that. I like how some other apps like MapleRead, and I think FB Reader, handle this. They'll include the sync feature in the one-time purchase cost of the app. They store the sync data for free on their server, and let you use your own cloud storage like Onedrive or Gdrive for the book files.

[kyteflyer]

I dont remember if I suggested Hyphen... its epub only but it syncs reliably between devices (iOS devices, not others). There's a free version, which is linked at the HYphen website http://hyphenreader.com/ and this is what I use *all* the time, in iOS, even though I have spent many dollars trying others out.

Then, its Kindle app for mobi/azw etc, and something else for PDF. Its not a massive effort to switch between apps for whichever you read.

[skillachie]

If your looking for not only a great iOS eReader but a cross platform eBook solution that runs on iOS, Android and Desktop(via Web). I would recommend BookFusion.

All your bookmarks, highlights, comments and reading progress are always synced across all devices. Additional, BookFusion has a Calibre plugin that allows you to easily send your eBooks to your mobile devices.

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bookfusion/id1141834096
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...android.reader

Calibre Plugin: https://www.bookfusion.com/reading/calibre

[hel]

I use GoodReader for pdf and for sync everything, Kybook 3 for epub/mobi/fb2, iBouquiniste and Marvin.

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by skillachie

If your looking for not only a great iOS eReader but a cross platform eBook solution that runs on iOS, Android and Desktop(via Web). I would recommend BookFusion.

All your bookmarks, highlights, comments and reading progress are always synced across all devices. Additional, BookFusion has a Calibre plugin that allows you to easily send your eBooks to your mobile devices.

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bookfusion/id1141834096
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...android.reader

Calibre Plugin: https://www.bookfusion.com/reading/calibre

Thats a no from me. I did download the apps, but as soon as I saw signup with google or facebook, or have a bookfusion account, I have deleted. I cant think of any reason that a reader needs my email address. And I absolutely refuse to use facebook or google for any signups anywhere.

I'm sorry, its probably a really good app, but no, not for me.

[odamizu]

Yup. I thought I'd give BookFusion a try, too, and the first thing that appears is a signup screen. No way to see if I even like the app without giving up personal info. No, thanks.

[santoshdts]

Currently using Marvin mostly for ePub and GoodReader for PDF.
How’s Hyphen or MapleRead ?

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by santoshdts

Currently using Marvin mostly for ePub and GoodReader for PDF.
How’s Hyphen or MapleRead ?

I love Hyphen. It has all the features I need without an overly cluttered interface.

MapleRead is my second choice. But it requires sign-in to the MapleRead servers if you want to use the sync feature. (Hyphen uses iCloud for syncing.)

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by odamizu

I love Hyphen. It has all the features I need without an overly cluttered interface.

I found Hyphen to be slow. I'm using Marvin, but it loses its place in landscape, so I have to keep remembering to bookmark the page before I leave it.