EPUB Converter

Convert DRM-free EPUB ebooks to PDF, plain text or one HTML file, or build an EPUB 3 from Markdown, HTML or text with a title, author and cover.

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About this tool

What is the EPUB Converter?

The EPUB Converter works in both directions. Open a DRM-free .epub and convert it to a PDF, a plain text file or a single self-contained HTML page. Or start from Markdown, HTML, plain text, DOCX, ODT or RTF and build a valid EPUB 3 ebook with a title, author, language, cover image and a chapter list generated from your headings.

When reading, the tool follows the book the way a reading app does: it finds the package document through META-INF/container.xml, reads the title and author, and walks the spine in reading order, pulling each chapter's text and images out of the archive. The summary shows the cover, the number of sections and whether the book is reflowable or fixed layout before you convert.

When building, it splits your text into chapters at each top-level heading (or at the second level too, if you prefer), writes each chapter as an XHTML file, adds a navigation document and an EPUB 2 style table of contents for older readers, and packages it all exactly as the EPUB container specification requires.

EPUB to PDF, plain text or a single HTML file
Builds EPUB 3 with nav document, NCX, cover and metadata
Chapter splitting at H1 or H1 and H2 headings
Reads EPUB 2 and EPUB 3, including chapters in subfolders
Detects DRM and fixed-layout books and says so
Runs in your browser; books are not uploaded

Read the guide: Inside an EPUB: Structure, Fixed Layout, Kindle Formats and DRM

How to use the EPUB Converter

To convert a book, open the "EPUB to PDF, HTML or text" tab and choose a .epub file. Check the title, author and section count in the summary.
Pick PDF, single HTML file or plain text. For PDF, choose the page size (A5 is close to a paperback), margins and font, and whether to start with the cover.
Click Convert book, check the preview, then download the result.
To make a book, open the "Create an EPUB" tab and upload or paste the text. Use # headings in Markdown or h1 in HTML to mark chapters.
Enter the title, author and language code, choose where chapters start, optionally add a cover image, then click Build EPUB and download the .epub file.

Worked example

Markdown manuscript to EPUB

Input

# Chapter 1

It was late...

# Chapter 2

The next morning...

Output

book.epub containing mimetype, META-INF/container.xml, OEBPS/content.opf, nav.xhtml, toc.ncx and text/chapter-001.xhtml and chapter-002.xhtml

Each level 1 heading starts a chapter, and the chapter titles become the table of contents shown by the reading app.

Background and insight

An EPUB is a ZIP archive with strict rules. The first entry must be a file named mimetype, stored without compression, containing only the text application/epub+zip, so that a reader can identify the file from its first bytes. META-INF/container.xml points at the package document (the .opf file), which lists metadata, a manifest of every file in the book and the spine, the order in which chapters are read. EPUB 3 adds a navigation document in XHTML; EPUB 2 used an NCX file. EPUB 3.3 became a W3C Recommendation in 2023.

Most EPUBs are reflowable: the text has no fixed pages and the reading app reflows it for the screen and font size. Fixed-layout EPUBs, marked with rendition:layout set to pre-paginated, position every element on designed pages, which suits picture books, comics and cookbooks. Converting either kind to PDF here reflows the text onto new pages, so a fixed-layout design is not reproduced.

Books bought from most stores are protected with DRM such as Adobe ADEPT, Apple FairPlay or Readium LCP. The chapter files inside those EPUBs are encrypted, and only an app holding the buyer's licence can decrypt them, so this tool detects the protection and stops. Kindle formats are a separate family: MOBI derives from the PalmDOC/Mobipocket format, AZW3 is Amazon's KF8 format, and both are binary containers that are usually DRM-protected. They are not supported. Since 2022, Amazon's Send to Kindle service accepts EPUB files directly.

Common use cases

Printing or annotating an ebook
Turn a DRM-free EPUB, such as a Project Gutenberg title or a publisher's review copy, into a PDF you can print or mark up in a PDF editor.
Feeding book text to other tools
Extract plain text from an EPUB for a word count, a concordance, a translation memory or a text-to-speech app.
Self-publishing a draft
Package a Markdown or Word manuscript as an EPUB 3 to read on an e-reader, send to beta readers or check before uploading to a store.
Turning documentation into an ebook
Bundle a long guide or a set of course notes into an EPUB that readers can carry offline with a chapter list.

Tips and limitations

If a book opens with "protected by DRM", it was bought from a store with copy protection. Read it in the app it was purchased for.
Run a built EPUB through EPUBCheck, the W3C validator, before submitting it to a store. Stores reject files that fail it.
Covers of about 1600 x 2560 pixels (a 1:1.6 ratio) display well in most stores and reading apps.
Images in the source must be embedded (inside the DOCX or ODT, or as data URLs in HTML and Markdown). Images linked by URL are not downloaded.
PDF output uses the standard PDF fonts, which cover Western European languages only. Books in other scripts are better converted to HTML or text.
Footnotes, endnotes and internal cross-references become plain text; their links are not kept in PDF or text output.

Frequently asked questions

Can this tool convert DRM-protected EPUB books?

No. DRM-protected books (Adobe ADEPT, Apple FairPlay, Readium LCP) have encrypted chapter files that only an authorised reading app can decrypt. The converter detects the protection and stops with an explanation.

Why are MOBI, AZW and AZW3 Kindle files not supported?

They are Amazon's binary ebook formats (Mobipocket and KF8) and need a separate decoder; books from the Kindle store are also usually DRM-protected. Calibre can convert DRM-free Kindle files to EPUB, which this tool can then read.

Will the PDF keep the look of the ebook?

It keeps the text, headings, lists, tables and images, but the pages are laid out fresh in Helvetica or Times. Publisher fonts, CSS styling and fixed-layout page designs are not reproduced.

Is the EPUB I build valid EPUB 3?

It follows the EPUB 3 structure: an uncompressed mimetype file first, container.xml, a package document with a unique identifier, title, language and modification date, a navigation document and well-formed XHTML chapters. Run EPUBCheck before publishing to catch problems in your own content.

How are chapters created when building an EPUB?

Each level 1 heading starts a new chapter by default, and you can split at level 2 headings too, or keep everything in one chapter. Text before the first heading becomes a chapter named after the book.

Can I send an EPUB made here to my Kindle?

Yes. Amazon's Send to Kindle service accepts EPUB files and converts them for Kindle devices and apps.

Is there an in-depth guide to the EPUB Converter?

Yes. “Inside an EPUB: Structure, Fixed Layout, Kindle Formats and DRM” covers the background, how it works, common pitfalls and worked examples. Read the full guide.

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