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Rakuten Kobo App vs Google Play Books: catalog facts
Rakuten Kobo App	Google Play Books
Free The app is free; ebooks and audiobooks are bought separately.	Free Free to use; ebooks and audiobooks are bought individually.
Android	Android, iOS, Web
Large catalogue of ebooks and audiobooks Works alongside Kobo eReaders	Reads and plays books in a web browser as well as on mobile Ebooks, audiobooks, comics and textbooks in one library
Tied to the Kobo store Site uses tracking for advertising and analytics	Requires a Google account Purchases are tied to Google's store
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Web application
Closed source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.