The Kindle app is where Amazon ebooks live; Libby and cloudLibrary borrow from a library instead. All three are free to install and list no in-app purchases on the US App Store.
| US App Store, Nov 9, 2026 | Kindle | Libby | cloudLibrary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | AMZN Mobile LLC | OverDrive, Inc. | OCLC |
| Books come from | Your Amazon purchases; Kindle Unlimited and Prime titles | Your library's OverDrive collection | Your library's cloudLibrary collection |
| You need | An Amazon account | A library card | A library card |
| Also handles | Free samples | Digital titles only | Print checkouts, library card display, due-date reminders |
| Rating | 4.9 (5.9M ratings) | 4.9 (4.6M ratings) | 4.8 (265K ratings) |
Paying versus borrowing
Books you buy on Amazon show up in the Kindle app, and Kindle Unlimited and Prime members can download titles in it. Libby is free: titles cost nothing to borrow with a valid library card, with "no subscription costs, no in-app purchases, and no late fees," and digital loans return themselves on the due date. cloudLibrary's listing also promises free ebooks and audiobooks, with features that depend on "their library's subscription."
Your library sets Libby's loan length and how many titles you can borrow at a time.
Getting a Libby loan onto a Kindle
Libby's help page calls reading on a Kindle ereader "available in the U.S. only," and the App Store listing says "Send ebooks to your Kindle (U.S. libraries only)." The steps:
- In Libby, tap Shelf, then Loans.
- Tap Read With..., then Kindle.
- Sign in to Amazon if asked, then tap Get Library Book.
The book then appears on the devices tied to that Amazon account. On a Fire tablet, Libby recommends installing Libby instead.
Whether your library has it
Libby only works if your public library lends through OverDrive; if it's missing, Libby suggests asking the library. cloudLibrary depends on your library subscribing to it, and it covers print checkouts and your library card, which Libby doesn't.
Sources
- Libby Help — What is Libby? (checked Nov 9, 2026)
- Libby Help — Reading Kindle Books on a Kindle ereader (checked Nov 9, 2026)
- Apple — Amazon Kindle (checked Nov 9, 2026)
- Apple — Libby (checked Nov 9, 2026)
- Apple — CloudLibrary (checked Nov 9, 2026)
- Apple — iTunes Lookup API (checked Nov 9, 2026)