Most ebook buyers never look beyond the store built into their phone or e-reader. That's understandable: it's easy. But it means one company decides what you see, what you pay and where your books can be read. Independent stores offer a different kind of shop, and often books you won't find featured anywhere else.
This guide explains the main kinds of independent ebook store, how they compare on formats and DRM, and how to use one alongside the apps you already have.
Why buy ebooks from an independent store?
| Reason | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Discovery | Curated shelves and books the big algorithms don't push |
| Supporting creators | More of your money reaches authors, publishers or booksellers |
| Portability | Some independent stores sell DRM-free EPUBs you can read anywhere |
| Deals | Daily deals, bundles and author offers |
| Not all eggs in one basket | Your library isn't tied to a single company |
The main kinds of independent ebook store
| Store type | Examples | How you read | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookseller-backed | Bookshop.org | Its app or browser; DRM-free titles anywhere | Supporting local bookshops |
| DRM-free indie store | Smashwords Store | Any EPUB reader | Independent authors, portable files |
| Publisher or author direct | Publisher and author websites | Usually a downloaded file or delivery link | Supporting a favourite author |
| Public domain library | Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks | Any EPUB reader | Free classics |
| Independent marketplace | BooksOasis | Oasis Reader in any browser | Deals, series and reading on every device |
Bookshop.org: ebooks that support local shops
Bookshop.org began as an online alternative to Amazon for print books, sharing money with independent bookstores. It now sells ebooks too, with around a million titles including books from major publishers. You read them in the Bookshop.org app for iPhone and Android or in a browser reader.
Titles sold with DRM stay in Bookshop.org's own reading apps. DRM-free titles can be downloaded and opened in other readers. If supporting your local bookshop matters to you, it's a natural first stop.
Smashwords Store: a million DRM-free ebooks
Smashwords is one of the oldest independent ebook stores. It is now a Draft2Digital company and runs purely as a store, with over a million ebooks from independent authors and small publishers, many of them free. Its books are sold without DRM, so they open in any EPUB-compatible app or e-reader, now or in the future.
It's a strong choice for genre fiction, independent authors and readers who want files they control.
Buying direct from publishers and authors
Many authors and small publishers sell ebooks on their own websites, often with bundles, signed print editions or early releases you can't get elsewhere. You usually receive a download link or a delivery email with the file.
These stores vary a lot. Check what format you'll get, whether it has DRM, and how to load it onto your reading app before you buy. Our guide to buying ebooks direct covers this in detail.
Free classics: Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks
For books in the public domain, you don't need a store at all. Project Gutenberg offers tens of thousands of free classics. Standard Ebooks takes public-domain texts and produces carefully formatted, typographically polished editions, also free. Both work in any EPUB reader.
BooksOasis: an independent marketplace for every screen
BooksOasis is an independent bookstore for ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers, with books from independent authors and its own house titles across history, faith, business, personal growth and more.
- Read anywhere: Oasis Reader runs in any browser on iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac or Chromebook.
- Offline: download a book once and read without a connection.
- Deals: a daily deal, weekly offers and series bundles.
- Print too: many books come as a paperback and hardcover.
What BooksOasis does not do
- Ebooks are read in Oasis Reader, not downloaded as files for other apps.
- It doesn't send books to Kindle, Kobo or Nook e-readers.
- It has no subscription.
- Its catalogue is smaller than the big stores', focused on independent and house titles.
DRM: what it means for independent ebooks
DRM (digital rights management) ties a book to a store's own apps and devices. Books without DRM are plain files you can open in any compatible reader.
| With DRM | DRM-free | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you read | The store's apps and devices | Any compatible reader |
| If the store closes | Depends on the store | You still have the file |
| Convenience | Syncs automatically | You manage your files |
| Examples | Most big-store purchases | Smashwords, many direct sales, public domain |
DRM-free doesn't mean free to share. The book is still under copyright, and the author is still paid only when people buy it. It simply means you can read your own copy on whichever device and app you prefer, and keep a backup.
Neither is simply better. DRM-free files give you control; a store's own reader gives you convenience, syncing and no file management. Many readers happily use both.
Reading independent ebooks on the device you have
| Device | How to read DRM-free EPUBs | How to read store-app books |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone or iPad | Apple Books or another EPUB app | The store's app or browser reader |
| Android | Google Play Books or another EPUB app | The store's app or browser reader |
| Kobo e-reader | Copy the EPUB across | Only Kobo's own store |
| Kindle e-reader | Send to Kindle | Only Amazon's own store |
| Computer | Calibre or Thorium Reader | A browser reader, such as Oasis Reader |
How to add an independent store without the hassle
- Keep your current app.There's no need to move anything you already own.
- Pick one independent store to try.Start with the one that fits your reading: local bookshops, DRM-free files, or deals and series.
- Buy one book you already wanted.Check the reading experience on the devices you use most.
- Save favourites.Come back when they appear in a deal.
- Add a second, if you like it.Most readers settle on two or three stores.
Finding books the big stores don't show you
Big stores rank books by sales and advertising, so the same titles fill every shelf. Independent stores surface books differently: by staff picks, by genre shelves that go deeper, by series you can see whole. On BooksOasis you can browse history from ancient Rome to the Islamic Golden Age, devotionals and hymn studies, business scandals, leadership and personal growth, often in complete series. Our reading guides, such as books on ancient Rome and hymn devotionals, are a good way in.
What to check before buying from a store you don't know
- Format. Is it EPUB, PDF or read in the store's own app? Make sure it works on the devices you use.
- DRM. The book page or help section should say whether the file is DRM-free.
- Delivery. Will it appear in a library, arrive by email, or come as a download link? Save it somewhere safe.
- Payment. Look for a secure checkout and clear contact details.
- Refunds. Read the refund policy before you buy.
- Your account. Can you sign back in later and download or read the book again?
Reputable independent stores make all of this easy to find. If you can't find answers to these questions, buy elsewhere.
If you listen to audiobooks too
Independent options exist for audiobooks as well. Libro.fm sells audiobooks and shares the proceeds with the independent bookshop you choose, much as Bookshop.org does for ebooks. Libby lends audiobooks free through your library. BooksOasis focuses on ebooks and print, so listeners usually pair it with one of these.
Keeping a library across several stores
Once you buy from more than one store, a little organisation helps. Keep a simple list, in a notes app or spreadsheet, of which books you own and where. Keep DRM-free files together in one folder or cloud drive, and back it up. For books you read in a store's own app, remember which account you used.
It sounds like effort, but it takes minutes, and it means your reading life no longer depends on one company's decisions about prices, apps or devices.
Three readers, three stores
A bookseller's regular buys print books from her local shop and ebooks through Bookshop.org, so her ebook money still supports the shop she loves.
A fantasy reader who hates lock-in buys DRM-free series from the Smashwords Store and reads them on a Kobo, keeping every file in a backed-up folder.
A history enthusiast who reads on the train and at home buys BooksOasis series bundles on Rome and the Mafia, reads on his phone on the commute and on a laptop in the evening, and picks up print editions of the ones he wants on the shelf.
Independent stores by reader type
| Reader | Try first |
|---|---|
| Wants to support local bookshops | Bookshop.org |
| Wants files they control | Smashwords Store |
| Loves the classics | Standard Ebooks and Project Gutenberg |
| Follows a favourite author | The author's own store |
| Loves series and deals, reads on many devices | BooksOasis |
Books to start with
The bottom line
You don't have to buy every ebook from one giant store. Bookshop.org supports local shops, Smashwords sells DRM-free files, authors and publishers sell direct, the public domain is free, and BooksOasis brings independent books, deals and series to any browser. Add one independent store alongside the app you already use, and your library gets both wider and safer.
Questions
What is an independent ebook store?
A store that isn't one of the big platform stores run by Amazon, Apple, Google or Kobo. It might be run by a bookseller, a publisher, an author or an independent company.
Can I read ebooks from independent stores on a Kindle?
It depends. Books sold without DRM as EPUB files can often be sent to a Kindle with Send to Kindle. Books with DRM usually need the store's own app.
Does Bookshop.org sell ebooks?
Yes. Bookshop.org sells EPUB ebooks read in its app or browser reader, and a share of sales supports independent bookstores. DRM-free titles can be downloaded to other apps.
Is Smashwords still open?
Yes. The Smashwords Store is now a dedicated ebook store, with over a million DRM-free ebooks from independent authors and publishers.
Where can I find free classic ebooks?
Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks offer free public-domain books. Standard Ebooks focuses on carefully formatted editions.
Are independent ebook stores more expensive?
Not necessarily. Prices are often similar, and many independent stores run deals and bundles.
Do BooksOasis ebooks have DRM?
BooksOasis ebooks are read in Oasis Reader, which works in any browser on your phone, tablet or computer. They are not downloaded as files for other apps.
Why buy from an independent store?
To support authors, booksellers and publishers directly, to find books the big stores bury, and to avoid depending on a single company for your whole library.
Can I use several ebook stores at once?
Yes. Each store keeps your purchases in its own library. Many readers use two or three stores and one or two reading apps.
Do independent stores sell print books too?
Many do. BooksOasis sells ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers, and Bookshop.org sells print books that support local bookshops.
Are independent ebook stores safe to buy from?
Established stores like Bookshop.org, Smashwords and BooksOasis use secure checkouts and publish clear help and refund pages. With a store you don't know, check its contact details, refund policy and how you'll receive the book before paying.
Do independent ebook stores have apps?
Some do. Bookshop.org has apps for iPhone and Android, BooksOasis's Oasis Reader runs in any browser and can be added to your home screen, and DRM-free files from stores like Smashwords open in any EPUB app you choose.
Shop an independent bookstore
Ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers, with a daily deal and series bundles.