MobileRead

What MobileRead does

MobileRead is a privately held online community forum founded in 2004 by Alexander Turcic and operated from Zürich, Switzerland. The platform serves e-book and e-reader enthusiasts through discussion boards covering hardware devices (Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook, PocketBook, Sony Reader, Onyx Boox), e-book management software (Calibre, KOReader, Sigil), and e-book formats (ePub, MOBI, PDF, LRF, IMP). Its user base is global, with dedicated sub-forums in German, French, and Spanish, and it maintains the Patricia Clark Memorial Library as a copyright-compliant repository of public domain e-books across multiple formats. The forum has accumulated more than 6,742 threads across 843 pages of content, supported by a complementary Wiki and an active moderator presence.

The platform's underlying technology is vBulletin forum software extended with custom modifications, including an e-book upload and indexing system that parses thread titles to generate format-specific download indices (MOBI, ePub, LRF, IMP), RSS feeds for content syndication, and a hierarchical sub-forum structure organized by device and software category. There is no mobile app, no public API, and no documented AI/ML capability. Distribution is exclusively through the self-hosted mobileread.com domain with social outposts on Facebook and RSS.

MobileRead's business model is advertising- and affiliate-driven. The platform is free to users with no paid tiers or subscriptions; revenue is generated through participation in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program (earning commissions on linked product purchases) and third-party display advertising served via Google AdSense and Sovrn. The company has no outside funding, no parent organization, and no disclosed financial metrics. Its single public figure is founder and operator Alexander Turcic, and headcount is stated in the 11–50 range, though the operation appears lean and largely founder-led.

Name

MobileRead

Legal name

MobileRead

Website

https://mobileread.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MobileRead is a private online community forum serving e-book enthusiasts with discussion boards, a wiki, and the Patricia Clark Memorial Library of public domain e-books. Founded in 2004, the Switzerland-based platform monetizes via Amazon Associates affiliate fees and display advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Community Forum

NAICS

Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

eBook & Digital Reading Platforms (BPAMAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

E-book Retail & Reading Platforms (Stores, Apps, Devices) (MPAJAMAA)

Keywords

• E-book community
• Online forum platform
• Digital reading discussions
• E-reader device forums
• Public domain e-books

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Advertising: MobileRead participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, earning advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com products mentioned in discussions.
2. Third-Party Display Advertising: Uses third-party ad serving companies including Google AdSense and Sovrn to display advertisements throughout the forum.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MobileRead operates an online community forum where e-book readers and device enthusiasts share information about e-readers (Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook, Sony, Onyx Boox), e-book software (Calibre, KOReader, Sigil), and e-book formats. The platform also provides a supplementary wiki knowledge base and the Patricia Clark Memorial Library, a community-curated collection of public domain e-books organized by format. Membership is free and open, with no paid tiers or subscriptions.

Product overview

MobileRead is an online community forum platform organized around e-book and mobile reading. The core product is the MobileRead Forums, a discussion platform covering e-readers (Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook, Sony Reader, PocketBook, Onyx Boox, and others), e-book software (Calibre, Sigil, KOReader), and e-book formats (ePub, MOBI, PDF). The platform also maintains a Wiki knowledge base and hosts the Patricia Clark Memorial Library for legal e-book uploads. The forum structure includes sub-forums for various device brands, software tools, book clubs, and self-promotion by authors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MobileRead Forums Main community forum platform for e-book enthusiasts, providing discussion boards covering e-readers (Kindle, Kobo, Nook, PocketBook, Sony, Onyx Boox), e-book formats, software (Calibre, KOReader, Sigil), and reading recommendations. Free, self-serve registration.
• MobileRead Wiki Supplementary knowledge base wiki containing information about e-readers, e-book formats, and MobileRead community policies.
• Patricia Clark Memorial Library Dedicated section for uploading public domain and legally licensed e-books, organized by format (ePub, Kindle/MOBI, LRF/BBeB, IMP), with strict copyright compliance enforced.

Quantifiable outcome

• Active discussions on major e-reader releases (e.g., 320 replies on Kindle deprecation news, 253 replies on Windows Kindle app discontinuation)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Amazon Services LLC Associates ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMobileRead participates in the Amazon Associates affiliate advertising program. Links to Amazon products mentioned on the site can earn advertising fees.
• Google AdSenseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThird-party advertising network used for display advertisements on MobileRead pages.
• SovrnminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThird-party ad network and advertising technology company serving display ads on MobileRead.
• FacebookminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMobileRead operates an official Facebook fan page for community engagement and content promotion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Smashwords: E-book self-publishing and distribution platform serving indie authors. Comparable in supporting the author/publisher segment of MobileRead's community through e-book format expertise and distribution discussions.
• The StoryGraph: Reader-led Goodreads alternative offering book tracking and community reading stats. Comparable as a community-driven reading platform, though newer and broader in focus than MobileRead's e-reader/device emphasis.
• Leanpub: Self-publishing platform with strong community and author-reader interaction features. Comparable as a platform serving indie authors and engaged readers, with overlap in MobileRead's self-promotion author segment.
• BookCrossing: Online book sharing community where members catalog and track books they release into the wild. Comparable as a niche community platform centered on book culture, though focused on physical book sharing rather than e-reader discussion.

Others

• Wikisource: Wikimedia Foundation project hosting public domain literary works in multiple formats. Comparable to MobileRead's Patricia Clark Memorial Library as a public domain e-book repository, though non-commercial and volunteer-run.
• Project Gutenberg: Largest free public domain e-book repository, offering formats including ePub and Kindle. Comparable to MobileRead's library function as a curated source of legal e-books, though operating at vastly larger scale and as a non-profit.

Broad incumbents

• Goodreads: Amazon-owned social reading platform and the largest book community globally. Comparable as a community-driven book discussion and discovery platform, though far broader in scope than MobileRead's e-reader-focused niche.

Direct peers

• LibraryThing: Independent book cataloging and community platform serving passionate readers. Comparable as a long-running, ad-supported community for book enthusiasts with deep user-generated content and cataloging features.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mobileread
• Xx.com/mobileread
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1744397

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MobileRead