What is Kobo used for?

Kobo is an online store for e-books and audiobooks, with e-reader apps and devices for reading purchased titles. It is a good fit for buying and reading e-books on a dedicated e-reader.

No. Kobo is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Kobo include Calibre-Web, Audiobookshelf and Grimmory.

What are some alternatives to Kobo?

Kobo competes with Audible, Libro.fm and Everand. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Kobo alternatives.

Kobo: features, pricing and alternatives

About Kobo

Kobo is an e-book and audiobook retailer that also supplies apps for reading and listening to what customers buy. It competes with other large digital bookstores and is generally known alongside its dedicated e-reader hardware.

The vendor website blocked automated reading when this entry was prepared, so catalog details, subscription offers, supported devices and prices could not be confirmed. It is a consumer product rather than business software, and the store and its reading apps are hosted by the company.

Key features

Online store for e-books
Audiobook purchases and listening
E-reader apps for phones and tablets
Library of purchased titles across devices

Good fit for

→Buying and reading e-books on a dedicated e-reader

Tags: ebooks; audiobooks; e-reader; bookstore; reading; mobile-app

Kobo: questions and answers

What is Kobo used for?: Kobo is an online store for e-books and audiobooks, with e-reader apps and devices for reading purchased titles. It is a good fit for buying and reading e-books on a dedicated e-reader.
Is Kobo free?: Yes. Kobo has a free plan.
Is Kobo open source?: No. Kobo is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Kobo include Calibre-Web, Audiobookshelf and Grimmory.
What are some alternatives to Kobo?: Kobo competes with Audible, Libro.fm and Everand. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Kobo alternatives.