Stanza

Free

Reviewed

April 2012

Pros

Turns iPhone/iPod touch into an e-book reader
Works with iPad
Customizable e-book display
Desktop client syncs your documents
Reads wide variety of file types
Access to e-book stores, periodicals and free e-books
Dictionary and annotation features
Free

Cons

IPhone's small screen
Can't buy e-books from Amazon.com
Uncertain future
Must be updated to work with iOS5
Latest update not compatible with earlier iOS operating systems

Our Analysis

If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, reviews say the Stanza app can turn it into an excellent, full-featured (albeit very small) e-book reader for free, and it also works with the Apple iPad (*Est. $500 and up) and iPad 2 (*Est. $400 and up) . In test after test, Stanza outclasses big-name free apps like Amazon's Kindle for iPhone and Barnes & Noble's B&N e-reader. Like those other apps, Stanza allows you to choose from more than 100,000 free and for-purchase e-books, download them wirelessly and then read them on your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch in a book-like way, with print-like typefaces and pages you can turn with the flick of a finger. But Stanza wows experts by going several steps further, with niceties like a built-in dictionary and the ability to customize fonts, formatting and colors to your liking.

Most importantly, Stanza reads a wide variety of file types, a free desktop client allows you to transfer your own Microsoft Word, PDF and other documents to your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch to read on Stanza, or you can do it via iTunes. With Stanza, you can download free books from Project Gutenberg, Feedbooks and other sources, or buy from big e-book stores including Fictionwise and BooksOnBoard -- but not from Amazon.com, which reviews say often has the lowest prices (you'll need the free Kindle app for that). Otherwise, testers say Stanza has no major flaws, except the same one shared by all e-book apps if you use them on an iPhone or iPod touch: the small 3.5-inch screen. Although some people have no problem reading on it -- and even find it the most convenient way to read, as they always have their iPhone or iPod with them -- others prefer the bigger, more paper-like E Ink screen of a dedicated e-book reader like the Amazon Kindle (*Est. $80 and up) .

However, the latest iOS5 update has raised some compatibility issues for the app. Those were fixed by an update, but subsequent user feedback indicates that the update does not play well with earlier versions of Apple's mobile-device operating system. In addition, reports relay that Amazon -- which now owns Stanza -- has been telling users that it does not plan to update the app in the future.

Stanza repeatedly excels in tests of free e-book apps at expert review sites including Macworld, Laptop Magazine, PCMag.com and CNET. It's also a favorite at two reliable app-testing websites, 148Apps.com and The Unofficial Apple Weblog. The Stanza app has collected thousands of user reviews at Apple's iTunes Store; while earlier versions were well liked, the current one draws poorer reviews over compatibility concerns.

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Our Sources

1. Macworld Details/Subscribe

Stanza ties with the Amazon Kindle app for the highest rating of any free e-reader app at Macworld, which tests and rates all of the major apps. After testing it with both the iPhone and iPad, Lex Friedman finds Stanza easy to use and easy to customize, with the ability to access a variety of free book sites and e-bookstores, but the book-buying experience isn't as well integrated as with the Kindle app. In a separate article, Macworld reports on recent compatibility issues between the app and the iOS operating system, and that Stanza might not be updated again in the future.

Review: Stanza, Lex Friedman, June 28, 2010

2. Laptop Magazine Details/Subscribe

Stanza is "one of the most impressive eReader apps we've tried," K. T. Bradford says. It's easy to navigate and can read a wide range of file types. You'll be able to read free e-books and public library e-books and buy e-books from major sources like Fictionwise.com and BooksOnBoard.com, although these stores won't have as many best sellers as Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.

Review: Stanza, K. T. Bradford, June 21, 2010

3. PCMag.com Details/Subscribe

Michael Muchmore calls Stanza "the most versatile e-book application for the iPhone," awarding it the Editors' Choice designation. After a full test, he rates Stanza higher than iPhone apps from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Review: Stanza (for iPhone), Michael Muchmore, Dec. 23, 2008

4. CNET

Stanza beats eReader Pro and Kindle for iPhone in this review, earning the title of best iPhone e-reader app. Unlike the Kindle app for iPhone, Don Reisinger points out, you can read newspapers and websites on Stanza.

Review: Kindle is Not the Best iPhone E-reader, Don Reisinger, March 6, 2009

5. 148Apps.com

Stanza outclasses apps from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, earning a top rating on this app-testing website. Perrin Stewart likes that Stanza reads a wide array of file types and "flawlessly" displays e-books. As for drawbacks, Stewart finds only minor quirks that "are sure to be handled in future iterations of the app."

Review: Stanza, Perrin Stewart, Dec. 24, 2008

6. The Unofficial Apple Weblog

David Winograd calls Stanza "the most amazing e-book app I've come across." You can customize it to show e-books the way you like, and it has impressive features like a built-in dictionary and the ability to annotate. By syncing to its unique desktop client, Winograd says he is now able to read all of the Word, PDF and other documents from his desktop computer on his iPhone through Stanza.

Review: E-book Roundup: 8 Apps for iPhone Readers, David Winograd, Aug. 13, 2009

7. iTunes StoreDetails/Subscribe

More than 2,900 users had rated the current version of Stanza when we checked. Its overall rating of 2.5 stars reflects Stanza's issues gaining and maintaining compatibility with current and past versions of the iOS operating system.

Review: Stanza, Contributors to iTunes

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