The app

Never buy a book in the wrong format again

Type in any title. Get a Kindle or Audible verdict and a one-line reason, in about a second. Then set your own criteria so the answers match how you actually read.

  • Free, with no sign-up and no account
  • Works on any phone, straight from your browser
  • Adds to your home screen like any other app
The Read vs Listen app showing a Listen verdict for Lessons in Chemistry, with the reason underneath

What it does

Four things, and it does them without asking you to sign up for anything.

01

A straight verdict on any book

Search a title and the app reads its structure, pace, point of view and narration, then tells you whether it's a Kindle read or an Audible listen. Every verdict comes with the reason in one line, so you can decide whether you agree with it.

When a book genuinely works both ways it says "either works", and when there isn't enough to go on it says so rather than guessing.

The app showing a Read verdict for Fourth Wing
02

Your criteria, not ours

The verdicts on this site are based on what readers generally prefer to read or listen to. That's a good starting point, but it isn't everyone. If you follow jumping timelines on audio perfectly happily, or you'd rather read a thriller than hear it, you can say so.

Flip the signals that don't match you and every verdict in the app adjusts. It takes about twenty seconds and you can change it any time.

The app asking how you like to read, with a preset framework and an option to tune it
03

Picks matched to your mood

Not sure what you want next? Answer a few quick questions about mood, genre, format and how much of a commitment you fancy, and the app deals you one book at a time. Say no and it deals another, say yes and it saves it.

The app dealing a single book recommendation with a yes or no choice
04

A list you actually keep

Save anything you like to a running list, split by read and listen, so when you next have a free evening or a long drive you already know what's waiting. Browse by mood and genre when you want to go looking rather than searching.

The app browse screen with mood and genre filters

Get the app

It runs in your browser, so there's nothing to install from a store.

Download the free app

1

Open it in your phone's browser using the button above.

2

Tap Share, then Add to Home Screen on iPhone, or the menu then Install app on Android.

3

It opens full screen from your home screen, exactly like an app from a store.

An App Store version is on the way. Everything the app does today is free.

What it costs

Nothing. There's no account, no paywall and no ads. If you buy a book through one of the Amazon links we may earn a small commission, which is what keeps the site running. It never changes what you pay and it never changes a verdict.

Questions

Do I need to create an account?

No. Nothing in the app asks you to sign up, and your saved list lives on your own device.

Does it work for any book?

Search any title. If the app doesn't have enough to go on it will say so honestly rather than inventing a verdict.

What if I disagree with a verdict?

Then set your own criteria. The defaults are based on what readers generally prefer, and the app is built to be overruled.

Is it available on the App Store?

Not yet. The version above works on every phone today, and an App Store build is coming.