Amazon and Apple are both behemoths in their own rights, with each having its own distinct business models. However, the one aspect where they both meet and compete with each other is their book business. In fact, for Amazon, Kindle and the ensuing book ecosystem happens to be one of the focus areas of their entire business structure. For Apple, selling or renting books is also important as it enables them to offer a complete service package that also comprises of movies, games, music, and such. While it’s true Apple does not offer a dedicated e-reader device as such, still, it makes for a worthwhile comparison as to which – Apple Books or Kindle – comes out on top.

Amazon Kindle

As already stated, the Kindle e-reader happens to be a key focus area for Amazon. As such, it is hardly surprising it aims to offer quite a comprehensive reading ecosystem comprising of e-books, audiobooks, as well as print books. It offers a plethora of subscriptions such as the Kindle Unlimited or Prime Reading where you get to read or listen to unlimited e-books and audiobooks respectively for a fixed monthly fee. The choice is among the largest you will have anywhere in the world across different genres and languages.

Then there also is the Audible which too is owned by Amazon and offers access to unlimited audiobooks against a monthly subscription fee. Again, the choice is varied and among the most comprehensive out there, while more titles are added continuously. Further, there is GoodReads which should suffice those who wish to read and then write reviews as well. Plus, GoodReads allows for the creation of a TBR or To-Be-read shelf as well.

Amazon also offers the Kindle e-reader devices as well as the Fire range of tablets. The retail giant makes it a point to offer these on the cheap and make money later from the various subscription it offers. Also, you don’t even need to have a Kindle device as well given that  Amazon offers Kindle apps for Android, iOS, and Windows so that users can make the most of all that the company has to offer.

Unfortunately, it is also here that the Kindle service falters a bit as purchasing a new e-book on an Apple device offers a less than ideal experience. That’s because there is no provision for users of Apple devices to purchase e-books via any of the Amazon apps. This is something that Amazon does deliberately to prevent paying Apple a cut of its sales. Rather, it encourages Apple users to purchase any literary stuff they need via the browser. Apart from this, the app too is a bit slow as well and is far from being as slick as it is on Android.

Apple Books

Apple Books comes across as the single yet comprehensive source of e-books and audiobooks from the Cupertino giant. Also, nothing perhaps comes close to the sort of reading experience that Apple Books come to offer for Apple device owners. The UI is clean and simple while having all that’d want out of it. For example, there is the Top Chart section that includes titles that are high in demand. Plus, there is also a section to showcase the latest trending titles. The search feature is excellent too while buying new titles right off the app is never a chore.

Apart from these, the app also allows users to set goals for the day or even the year and will track their progress. It will show how much time you have spent reading throughout the day. All of this applies to audiobooks as well which you can listen to via the Apple Books app itself.

Kindle or Apple Books?

Naturally, the next logical thing to do would be to pick one over the other. However, doing that would be disrespecting to both the apps which otherwise are great in their own ways. Both have their positives and negatives which again can be considered a reflection of the business strategies followed by their makers.

So, which one to opt for? The answer is simple depending on whether you are an Apple or Android device owner as sticking to the Apple Books or Kindle app respectively would perhaps make the most sense. Or maybe the best option would be to go for both and stick to the one that suits you best.

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