Where to buy ebooks not amazon

Struggling to find ebooks outside of Amazon’s ecosystem? You’re definitely not alone! While Amazon’s Kindle store often feels like the default for digital books, there’s a whole world of other retailers, platforms, and even free resources out there just waiting for you to explore. Whether you’re trying to support independent authors, avoid DRM restrictions, or simply find a better price, knowing where to look can make a huge difference. You might be surprised at the variety and even the quality of reading experiences you can find, often for a lot less than you’d expect. So, if you’re ready to break free and discover new places to get your digital reads, stick with me because we’re going to dive into all the best alternatives for buying ebooks not on Amazon. And don’t worry, if you love your Kindle e-reader, you often don’t have to give it up to enjoy books from other sources – we’ll cover how to get those onto your device too, sometimes with just a few clicks!

Beyond the Amazon Jungle: Where to Buy Ebooks Not Amazon

Amazon holds a significant chunk of the ebook market. Some reports show their market share in global ebook sales is around 68%, and that number jumps to an even higher 83% when you include Kindle Unlimited. In the US alone, Amazon controls about 67% of digital book sales. But that doesn’t mean it’s your only option. Many readers are looking for alternatives, whether it’s to support different businesses, find specific genres, or simply have more control over their digital libraries. Let’s break down where you can find fantastic ebooks without relying on the retail giant.

Major Ebook Retailers: The Big Players Beyond Bezos

You might think Amazon is the only big game in town for ebooks, but there are several other major platforms with extensive catalogs and their own dedicated e-readers. These are often great starting points if you’re looking for a similar breadth of selection but want to spend your money elsewhere.

Kobo

If there’s one direct competitor to Amazon in the ebook space, it’s Kobo. Owned by Rakuten, Kobo is often cited as the second-largest digital bookstore in the world. They offer a vast catalog of millions of ebooks and audiobooks, making them a strong alternative for finding bestsellers and niche titles alike. What’s really cool about Kobo is their range of e-readers, like the Kobo Clara Colour or Kobo Libra H2O, which are often seen as solid alternatives to Kindles. Kobo devices natively support the EPUB file format, which is the most widely supported ebook format across almost all devices except Amazon Kindle. This means books bought from Kobo are often easier to read on a wider range of non-Kindle devices. They also have a rewards points system, which is a nice perk for frequent buyers. Plus, Kobo often integrates directly with library services like OverDrive, letting you borrow library books right from your e-reader.

Barnes & Noble Nook

Remember Barnes & Noble, the classic brick-and-mortar bookstore chain? They’re still a significant player in the with their Nook e-reader line and an extensive ebook store. Barnes & Noble’s ebook store boasts over 4 million paid titles and a million free ebooks, making it a strong competitor in terms of sheer volume. Their Nook e-readers are often seen as the primary alternative to the Amazon Kindle. Similar to Kobo, Barnes & Noble ebooks primarily use the EPUB format. This means you’ll typically need to convert them and potentially remove DRM if you want to read them on a Kindle, but they’re great for Nook devices or other EPUB-compatible readers and apps. If you’re someone who likes to physically hold a device before buying, Barnes & Noble offers the unique advantage of being able to try out their Nook e-readers in their stores.

Google Play Books

For Android users, Google Play Books is a super convenient option, but it’s available on iOS and through web browsers too. Google Play Books offers access to over five million titles, making it one of the largest ebook collections globally. What’s neat is that you can buy and download ebooks and audiobooks directly from the Google Play Store, and your progress syncs across your various devices. They primarily offer books in EPUB and PDF formats, which, as you know, are broadly compatible. While Google Play Books doesn’t have a subscription service like Kindle Unlimited, it often features discounts on popular titles. Plus, their app is tightly integrated with the Android ecosystem and other Google services, which can be a big plus if you’re already living in that world.

Apple Books

If you’re an Apple enthusiast, then Apple Books formerly iBooks is probably your go-to. It’s a robust platform for iOS and Mac users, offering a massive selection of titles. Apple Books shines with its seamless integration into the Apple ecosystem, making purchasing and reading a smooth experience on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Authors who publish directly through Apple Books for Authors often get a straightforward 70% royalty on their sales, regardless of price, which can be more appealing than Amazon’s tiered royalty system. While Amazon might have a larger overall audience, Apple Books caters to a specific, often higher-end, segment of buyers, and can offer higher-quality readers and more control for authors. They also have audiobooks built right into the app, which is a nice convenience.

Supporting Indies & Niche Markets: Ebooks with a Conscience

Sometimes, it’s not just about finding an alternative. it’s about making a choice that aligns with your values, like supporting independent bookstores and authors. These platforms offer unique ways to get your ebooks while making a positive impact.

Bookshop.org

Bookshop.org is a fantastic initiative that directly supports independent bookstores. Their entire business model is designed to help indie bookstores sell ebooks and physical books! and earn a commission from sales. Since launching in 2020, Bookshop.org has raised over $35 million for independent bookstores in the United States alone. When you buy an ebook through Bookshop.org, you’re contributing to a broader ecosystem that values local, independent businesses. It’s a great way to put your money where your heart is, knowing your purchase helps keep local bookshops thriving.

Smashwords

If you’re into discovering new voices and supporting independent authors directly, Smashwords is an absolute goldmine. It’s known as the world’s largest distributor of independent ebooks, allowing budding authors to publish their work for free and reach a wider audience. From a reader’s perspective, Smashwords hosts almost 800,000 books, with about 100,000 of them available for free! A huge benefit here is that most books on Smashwords are DRM-free Digital Rights Management, which means you truly own the file and can read it on any compatible device without restrictions. They also offer some unique filtering options, like searching by word count, which can be great for finding exactly what you’re looking for, whether it’s a quick novella or an epic tome.

Publisher Direct Sales & Other Indie Platforms

Many independent publishers and even some larger ones are now selling ebooks directly from their websites. This often means authors get a larger share of the revenue, and sometimes, you can even find DRM-free versions of books here. For instance, Baen Books is widely celebrated for offering many of its science fiction and fantasy titles DRM-free. Tor Books is another major publisher known for offering DRM-free books in certain genres, allowing you to read them anywhere on any device.

Beyond individual publishers, platforms like BookFunnel, Payhip, and Gumroad are increasingly popular among indie authors for delivering ebooks directly to readers. These platforms give authors more control over pricing and distribution, and often allow for direct interaction with their readership. Keep an eye out for authors you love on social media. they might be selling their ebooks directly through one of these services!

Ebook Subscription Services: All-You-Can-Read Models

Just like streaming services for movies and podcast, there are subscription services for ebooks that give you access to a vast library for a monthly fee. These can be fantastic value if you read a lot.

Scribd now Everand for many

Scribd, often now operating under the name Everand for its reading services, is like a treasure trove of digital content. It offers a much wider range than just ebooks, including audiobooks, magazines, podcasts, sheet podcast, and even various documents. Scribd generally operates on an “unlimited access” model, letting you read as many books as you want per month, which can be a huge draw compared to services with borrowing limits. While it might have fewer titles than Kindle Unlimited overall, Scribd works with major publishers, so you’ll find a good selection of bestsellers and professionally edited works. It’s an excellent option if you want a diverse media library all in one place, though it’s primarily designed for reading on its app on tablets or mobile devices, not dedicated e-readers like Kindle or Kobo.

Kobo Plus

Kobo also offers its own subscription service called Kobo Plus. Similar to Kindle Unlimited, Kobo Plus provides unlimited reading for a flat monthly fee across its catalog of ebooks and audiobooks. If you’re already invested in the Kobo ecosystem with one of their e-readers, this can be a very convenient and cost-effective way to get through a lot of books. It integrates directly with Kobo devices and apps, offering a seamless experience.

The Free & Fabulous: Your Local Library & Public Domain

Who doesn’t love free books? Your local library is an incredible resource, and thanks to the , accessing their ebook collection has never been easier. Plus, there’s a whole world of free classics just waiting to be read.

Libby by OverDrive

This is arguably one of the best ways to get ebooks and audiobooks without spending a dime. Libby is a free app, powered by OverDrive, that connects you to your local library’s digital collection. All you need is a library card, and you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks instantly. The best part? There are no late fees because titles are automatically returned at the end of the loan period. Libby is super user-friendly and works on almost any device – phones, tablets, computers, and even your Kindle! Yes, you heard that right, Libby has a “Send to Kindle” feature for U.S. libraries that lets you send library books directly to your Amazon device, making it a fantastic way to get non-Amazon content onto your Kindle. By using Libby, you’re not only getting free books but also supporting your local libraries!

Project Gutenberg

If you have a soft spot for classics, Project Gutenberg is an absolute goldmine. This pioneering project offers over 75,000 free ebooks, all of which are in the public domain. This means their copyrights have expired, making them legally free to download and share. You can find some of the greatest works of literature here in various formats, including EPUB and Kindle-compatible formats. These aren’t just scanned PDFs. many are carefully formatted digital editions. It’s a fantastic resource for students, classic literature lovers, or anyone looking to build a free digital library of timeless reads.

Standard Ebooks & Open Library

Beyond Project Gutenberg, there are other excellent free resources. Standard Ebooks is known for taking public domain books and giving them a beautiful, modern typographical treatment, making them a joy to read. Open Library, a project of the Internet Archive, aims to create a web page for every book ever published. It allows you to borrow recent mainstream titles as well as public domain books, making it one of the largest digital libraries out there with over 20 million books. These platforms are wonderful for expanding your reading list without touching your wallet.

Understanding Ebook Formats & DRM: Navigating the Digital Maze

When you step outside the Amazon ecosystem, understanding ebook file formats and Digital Rights Management DRM becomes really important. It sounds technical, but it’s actually pretty straightforward and can save you a lot of headaches.

EPUB: The Versatile Standard

EPUB Electronic Publication is pretty much the industry standard for ebooks. It’s an open standard, meaning it’s not owned by a single company, and it’s supported on a huge range of devices and apps—think Kobo, Nook, Apple Books, Google Play Books, and most reading apps on your phone or tablet. One of its best features is “reflowable” text, which means the text adjusts and optimizes itself to fit whatever screen size you’re reading on, giving you a comfortable experience. However, there’s one big exception: Amazon Kindles generally don’t natively read EPUB files, though Amazon has started allowing EPUB files to be sent to Kindle devices through their “Send to Kindle” service.

PDF: The Layout Preserver

PDF Portable Document Format is something we all know from work or school. While ebooks can be in PDF format, PDFs are really designed to preserve the exact layout and formatting of a document. This is great for textbooks, comics, or graphic-heavy books where the visual design is crucial. But for typical novels, a fixed layout can be less ideal on smaller screens because the text won’t reflow, meaning you might have to zoom in and scroll around a lot. Most e-readers and apps can open PDFs, but the reading experience for text-heavy content might not be as smooth as with EPUB.

MOBI/AZW/KFX: Amazon’s Proprietary Formats

Amazon primarily uses its own proprietary formats for Kindle books, historically MOBI Mobipocket and more recently AZW, AZW3, and KPF. These formats are designed to work seamlessly within the Amazon ecosystem, supporting features like Whispersync, which syncs your reading progress across all your Kindle devices and apps. The catch is that these files are generally not compatible with other e-readers unless you convert them. While MOBI was widely used, Amazon no longer supports sending new MOBI files via its Send to Kindle service, preferring EPUB instead for non-Amazon content.

DRM Digital Rights Management

DRM is a technology that publishers use to control how you can use the ebooks you buy. It’s like a digital lock on the file. If an ebook has DRM, it usually means you can only read it on specific devices or apps authorized by the retailer you bought it from. For example, many ebooks from Amazon come with DRM, tying them to your Kindle account and devices. Ebooks from Barnes & Noble also often have DRM.

The main implication of DRM is that it can limit your “ownership” of the book. If you want to read a Barnes & Noble ebook on a Kobo, or a Kobo ebook on a Kindle, DRM can prevent you from doing that directly. This is why many readers actively seek out DRM-free ebooks, which give you the freedom to move your files between different devices and platforms you own, allowing for true digital ownership.

Calibre: Your Ebook Swiss Army Knife

This is where a free, open-source software called Calibre comes into play. It’s a powerful ebook management tool that can convert ebooks between different formats like EPUB to AZW3 for Kindle and organize your digital library. Many users also rely on Calibre for removing DRM from ebooks they legally own, which allows them to read their purchases on any device they choose. However, it’s important to remember that the legality of DRM removal can vary by region and is typically intended for personal use and backup purposes only. Still, Calibre is an indispensable tool for anyone building a diverse ebook library outside of a single ecosystem.

Getting Non-Amazon Ebooks onto Your Kindle: The Great Escape

So, you love your Kindle and let’s be honest, they’re pretty great e-readers like the Kindle Paperwhite, but you’ve found a fantastic ebook outside of Amazon. Can you actually get it onto your device? Absolutely! While Amazon generally wants you to stay within their store, they’ve made it increasingly easier to add non-Amazon content.

Send to Kindle Service

This is probably the easiest and most convenient method. Amazon offers a “Send to Kindle” service that lets you email ebook files directly to your Kindle device or app.
Here’s how it typically works:

1. Find Your Kindle Email Address: Every Kindle device and app has a unique email address. You can usually find this in your Amazon account settings under “Content & Devices” > “Preferences” > “Personal Document Settings.”
2. Add Your Sending Email: To prevent spam, you need to add your personal email address the one you’ll send the ebook from to Amazon’s “Approved Personal Document E-mail List.”
3. Email the Ebook: Attach your EPUB, PDF, or even Word document to an email and send it to your Kindle’s email address. Amazon will automatically convert many file types to a Kindle-compatible format.
4. Use the Web Page: Alternatively, you can go to amazon.com/sendtokindle and upload files directly from your computer. This supports EPUB, PDF, DOCX, and several image formats, up to 200MB.

Once sent, the ebook will appear in your Kindle library, often synced across all your Kindle devices and apps, just like a purchased book!

USB Transfer

This is the old-school, reliable method. If you prefer to physically transfer files, you can connect your Kindle to your computer using a USB-C cable or Micro-USB cable depending on your Kindle model.

1. Connect Your Kindle: Plug your Kindle into your computer. It should show up as a removable drive, similar to a USB stick.
2. Locate the “Documents” Folder: Open the Kindle drive, and you’ll usually see a folder named “documents.”
3. Drag and Drop: Simply drag your ebook files preferably in a Kindle-compatible format like AZW3, or EPUB if your Kindle supports it directly via transfer into this “documents” folder.
4. Eject Safely: Once transferred, safely eject your Kindle before unplugging it.

The books should then appear in your Kindle library. Just be aware that books transferred this way might not sync reading progress across multiple devices via Whispersync.

Conversion Tools Like Calibre

Sometimes, you might get an ebook in a format that isn’t directly compatible or has DRM that needs to be handled for personal use. This is where tools like Calibre come in. You can use Calibre to convert EPUB files to AZW3 a common Kindle format before sending them to your device. If you need to deal with DRM, Calibre, with the right plugins, can help remove it from legally purchased books, allowing you more freedom with your files. Many people on Reddit have shared their success with using Calibre for this exact purpose.

Why Branch Out? The Benefits of Diversifying Your Ebook Sources

Beyond just knowing where to go, understanding why you might want to look beyond Amazon can be really motivating. There are some compelling reasons to diversify your ebook purchasing habits:

• Supporting Independent Authors and Bookstores: When you buy from platforms like Smashwords or Bookshop.org, or directly from an author, a much larger percentage of your money often goes to the creator or an independent business. This helps foster a more diverse and vibrant literary .
• True Ownership DRM-Free: With DRM-free books, you genuinely own the file. You can back it up, move it between devices, and be confident that you’ll always have access to your purchase, regardless of what happens with a specific retailer or account. This is a huge reason many seek out “where to buy ebooks not amazon reddit” discussions, looking for DRM-free options.
• Broader Selection & Niche Content: While Amazon has a massive catalog, other retailers and indie platforms can offer unique selections, especially in niche genres or from authors who choose not to publish on Amazon’s exclusive programs. You might discover hidden gems you wouldn’t otherwise find.
• Better Pricing: Sometimes, smaller retailers or authors selling directly can offer better deals or unique bundles. Keeping an eye on various platforms can lead to significant savings.
• Avoiding Monopolies: Some readers prefer not to contribute solely to one dominant company. By spreading your purchases around, you support competition in the market, which can ultimately benefit consumers and authors alike.
• Device Flexibility: While Kindle users can import non-Amazon books, buying from Kobo, for example, means you’re building a library that’s inherently more flexible and compatible with a wider range of non-Amazon e-readers, should you ever decide to switch devices.

Ultimately, exploring alternatives for buying ebooks isn’t just about finding another place to click “buy.” It’s about empowering yourself as a reader with more choices, supporting a diverse literary world, and having greater control over your digital library. So go ahead, explore these options, and happy reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put non-Amazon ebooks on my Kindle?

Yes, absolutely! Despite Amazon’s dominant ecosystem, you can definitely put ebooks purchased from other retailers onto your Kindle. The easiest way is often using Amazon’s “Send to Kindle” service, which lets you email EPUB, PDF, and other compatible files directly to your Kindle’s unique email address, or upload them through the Send to Kindle web page. For more hands-on control, you can also connect your Kindle to your computer via USB and drag and drop compatible files like AZW3 or EPUB, once converted if necessary into the “documents” folder on your device.

What is DRM and why does it matter for ebooks?

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management, and it’s a technology used by publishers to control how you can use the digital content you’ve purchased. Essentially, it’s a digital lock that restricts where and how you can read an ebook. For example, an ebook with Amazon’s DRM can typically only be read on Kindle devices or apps. This matters because DRM can prevent you from truly “owning” your digital books in the same way you own a physical book. If you want to read an ebook from one store on an e-reader from another brand, DRM can make that difficult or impossible without removing it which can be a legal gray area depending on your region and intended use. Many readers prefer DRM-free ebooks for greater flexibility and true digital ownership.

What are the best free alternatives to buying ebooks?

Your local public library is hands down one of the best free alternatives! Using an app like Libby by OverDrive, you can borrow thousands of ebooks and audiobooks for free with just your library card. Another fantastic resource for free reads is Project Gutenberg, which offers over 75,000 public domain ebooks, including countless classics, available in various formats. Additionally, platforms like Standard Ebooks and Open Library provide beautifully formatted public domain titles and offer borrowing services for a wider range of books.

Are ebooks cheaper than physical books?

Generally, ebooks are often priced lower than their physical counterparts, especially new hardcover releases. This is because ebooks don’t have printing, shipping, or physical storage costs. However, pricing can vary significantly depending on the publisher, the popularity of the title, and the retailer. Sometimes, you’ll find promotional deals on ebooks that make them much cheaper than even paperback versions. While the average price might be lower, it’s always worth comparing prices across different ebook retailers, as they don’t always price match. Your Ultimate Guide to Getting a .PK Domain

What’s the best ebook format for wide compatibility?

The EPUB Electronic Publication format is widely considered the most versatile and compatible ebook format across most devices and reading apps. It’s an open standard, which means it’s not tied to a single company, and it features “reflowable” text that adapts to different screen sizes for optimal reading. This makes it ideal for reading on Kobo, Nook, Apple Books, Google Play Books, and most third-party e-reader apps. The main exception has traditionally been Amazon Kindle devices, which use their own proprietary formats AZW, KFX, though Amazon has recently started supporting EPUB for content sent via their “Send to Kindle” service.

0.0 0.0 out of 5 stars (based on 0 reviews) Excellent0% Very good0% Average0% Poor0% Terrible0% There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write one. Your review Your overall rating Select a Rating5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star Title of your review Your review Your name Your email This review is based on my own experience and is my genuine opinion. ​ Submit Review

Amazon.com: Check Amazon for Where to buy Latest Discussions & Reviews: