Project Gutenberg is a renowned website that offers a vast collection of free e-books, including novels, to readers worldwide. It was founded by Michael S. Hart in 1971, making it one of the oldest digital libraries. Project Gutenberg became famous for its mission to digitize and archive cultural works, making them accessible to the public. The site hosts over 60,000 e-books, which can be downloaded in various formats and read on different devices. While the exact number of monthly visitors may vary, Project Gutenberg continues to attract a significant amount of traffic due to its extensive collection and free access to literary classics and other works.

Pros:

• Extensive collection of free e-books,
• easy accessibility,
• multiple formats available.
  

Cons:

• Limited selection of contemporary novels,
• may not have the latest releases.

Founded: 1971
Developed by: Michael S. Hart
Headquarters: Worldwide
Official website: https://www.gutenberg.org/

Open Library is a renowned website that offers readers the opportunity to access and read novels for free online. Developed by the Internet Archive, Open Library was released in 2006 and has since gained popularity among book enthusiasts worldwide. The site's extensive collection includes a wide range of genres, allowing users to explore and discover new literary works. Open Library's fame can be attributed to its mission of providing free and open access to knowledge, promoting literacy, and preserving cultural heritage. While the exact number of monthly visitors may vary, Open Library attracts a significant amount of traffic due to its vast catalog and accessibility.

Pros:

• Free access to a wide range of novels,
• promotes literacy and cultural preservation.

Cons:

• Limited availability of some titles,
• occasional technical issues.

Founded: 2006
Developed by: Internet Archive
Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
Official website: https://openlibrary.org/

ManyBooks is a popular website that offers a vast collection of free online novels. Developed by PGLAF (Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation), ManyBooks was released on January 1, 2004. It has gained fame due to its extensive library of over 50,000 ebooks, covering various genres and authors. The site attracts a significant number of visitors each month, with an estimated average of 2 million unique visitors.

Pros:

• Offers a wide range of free novels
• easy-to-use interface
• allows users to download books in multiple formats
• provides options for customization
• supports different devices.

Cons:

• Limited selection of contemporary titles,
• occasional formatting issues in some ebooks.

Founded: ManyBooks was founded in 2004.
Developed by: ManyBooks was developed by the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (PGLAF).
Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
Official website: https://manybooks.net/.

Librivox is a renowned website that offers free online access to audiobooks. It was developed by a community of volunteers and was officially launched on August 10, 2005. Librivox gained fame for its extensive collection of audiobooks, which are all in the public domain. The site attracts a significant number of visitors each month, with an estimated average of 1.5 million unique visitors.

Pros:

• Offers a vast collection of free audiobooks
• all recordings are done by volunteers
• allows users to download audiobooks for offline listening
• supports multiple languages,
• provides a user-friendly interface.

Cons:

• Limited selection of contemporary titles,
• audio quality may vary depending on the volunteer reader.

Founded: Librivox was founded in 2005.
Developed by: A community of volunteers.
Headquarters: N/A
Official website: https://librivox.org/.

Free-eBooks.net is a prominent website that offers a wide range of free online novels. Developed by a team of professionals, Free-eBooks.net was released in 2008. It has gained popularity due to its extensive collection of ebooks across various genres, including fiction, non-fiction, and self-help. The site attracts a substantial number of visitors each month, with an estimated average of 3 million unique visitors.

Pros:

• Offers a diverse collection of free ebooks,
• allows users to download books in multiple formats,
• provides a user-friendly interface,
• offers a premium membership option for additional benefits.

Cons:

• Requires registration to access ebooks,
• limited selection of contemporary titles.

Founded: Free-eBooks.net was founded in 2008.
Developed by: Free-eBooks.net was developed by a team of professionals.
Headquarters: Dallas, Texas, United States.
Official website: https://www.free-ebooks.net/.

Wattpad is a renowned website and app that offers a platform for users to read and share stories for free online. It was developed by Allen Lau and Ivan Yuen and was officially launched on December 2006. Wattpad gained fame for its vast collection of user-generated content, allowing aspiring writers to showcase their work and connect with readers worldwide. The site attracts a massive number of visitors each month, with an estimated average of 90 million active users.

Pros:

• Offers a vast library of user-generated stories,
• allows writers to gain exposure and feedback,
• provides a platform for readers to discover new authors,
• supports various genres and languages,
• offers an interactive reading experience.

Cons:

• Quality of writing may vary,
• occasional issues with copyright infringement.

Founded: Wattpad was founded in 2006.
Developed by: Wattpad was developed by Allen Lau and Ivan Yuen.
Headquarters: Toronto, Canada.
Official website: https://www.wattpad.com/.

ReadAnyBook is a popular website that provides a platform for users to read novels for free online. Developed by a team of professionals, ReadAnyBook was released in 2010. It has gained fame for its extensive collection of books across various genres, including fiction, non-fiction, and classics. The site attracts a significant number of visitors each month, with an estimated average of 1.5 million unique visitors.

Pros:

• Offers a wide range of free novels,
• allows users to read books online without the need for downloads,
• provides a user-friendly interface,
• offers a search function for easy book discovery.

Cons:

• Limited selection of contemporary titles,
• occasional issues with book availability.

Founded: ReadAnyBook was founded in 2010.
Developed by: ReadAnyBook was developed by a team of professionals.
Headquarters: N/A
Official website: https://www.readanybook.com/.

BookBub is a prominent platform for reading novels online for free. It was developed by BookBub Inc. and was released in 2012. This site has gained significant popularity due to its unique approach of curating personalized book recommendations and providing access to discounted and free e-books. BookBub has become famous for its ability to connect readers with their favorite genres and authors, making it a go-to site for book enthusiasts. While the exact number of monthly visitors is not publicly disclosed, BookBub boasts a large user base.

Pros:

• Personalized book recommendations,
• access to discounted and free e-books,
• user-friendly interface,
• ability to discover new authors and genres.

Cons:

• Limited selection of books compared to other platforms,
• availability of free books may be limited to specific regions or time periods.

Founded: BookBub was founded by Josh Schanker, Nicholas Ciarelli, and Michael Weber.
Developed by: Developed by BookBub Inc.
Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
Official website: https://www.bookbub.com.

Google Books is a widely popular platform developed by Google that allows users to access and read a vast collection of books online for free. It was officially launched on December 6, 2004. Google Books gained fame due to its extensive library, which includes a wide range of genres and titles, making it a go-to site for book enthusiasts. The site attracts millions of visitors each month, although the exact number is not publicly disclosed.

Pros:

• Extensive collection of books,
• free access, user-friendly interface,
• ability to search within books,
• availability of previews and snippets.

Cons:

• Limited availability of complete books,
• copyright restrictions on some titles,
• occasional scanning errors.

Founded: Google Books is a product of Google, founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Developed by: Developed by Google.
Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States.
Official website: https://books.google.com.

Smashwords is a prominent platform for reading novels online for free. It was developed by Smashwords, Inc. and was released in 2008. This site has gained fame for its unique approach of empowering independent authors and providing a platform for them to publish and distribute their works. Smashwords has become renowned for its extensive collection of self-published books, making it a popular choice for readers seeking diverse and unique content. While the exact number of monthly visitors is not publicly disclosed, Smashwords attracts a significant number of users.

Pros:

• Extensive collection of self-published books, free access to a wide range of genres, support for independent authors, user-friendly interface.

Cons:

• Quality control may vary due to self-publishing, limited availability of mainstream titles, occasional formatting issues.

Founded: Smashwords was founded by Mark Coker.
Developed by: Developed by Smashwords, Inc.
Headquarters: Los Gatos, California, United States.
Official website: https://www.smashwords.com