While there are dedicated tablets like Kindle to read ebooks, it doesn’t mean that you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a tablet to enjoy reading them. In fact, reading them on your Windows machine gives you a similar reading experience. It is even better if you own a convertible or 2-in-1 Windows machine, as you can hold them in one hand and read Epubs just like you would read them on a dedicated tablet. The only thing that you need for reading is a good Epub reader app. While there are a number of Epub apps available for Windows, not all of them are made equally. That’s why we are bringing you a list of the top 15 best Epub readers that you can use on your Windows PC.
Here, we have curated the best Epub readers for a range of Windows versions including Windows 11, Windows 10, all the way down to Windows XP. For quick navigation, you can click on the link below to move to the corresponding program. Apart from that, if you are interested in learning about Epub readers then you can go through our explainer below.
What is an Epub Reader?How to Open Epub Files on Windows 10?List of Top Epub Readers for Windows
CalibreSumatra PDF ReaderFredaIcecream Epub ReaderCoverKoboNookAdobe Digital EditionsBibliovoreBookviserEpubReaderThorium ReaderEPuborNeat ReaderRead Ebooks in the Command Line with EpyFrequently Asked Questions
CalibreSumatra PDF ReaderFredaIcecream Epub ReaderCoverKoboNookAdobe Digital EditionsBibliovoreBookviserEpubReaderThorium ReaderEPuborNeat ReaderRead Ebooks in the Command Line with Epy
What is an Epub Reader?
In simple terms, a PC Epub Reader is a program that can open and process e-books (a digital version of a physical book). It’s a file format just like PDF, but XML-based so it has wide compatibility with programs from different platforms. In summation, an Epub reader is a program that allows you to read digital books on your computer, smartphone or any other electronic device.
The process to open Epub files on Windows 11/Windows 10 is similar to opening a PDF file. The older Edge browser supported the Epub files but the new Edge Browser that’s based-on-Chromium cannot open it. So, you will need to install an app to open the Epub files.
1. Calibre
Calibre is one of the oldest and the best Epub readers for your Windows 11 machine. The app is packed with features allowing you to do things like downloading Epubs, managing metadata, downloading covers for books, transferring books from one device to another, and even converting books from one format to another.
Calibre is not only good for reading normal Epub novels but also magazines, comics, and more. If you are looking for a good Epub reader for your Windows PC, Calibre is certainly the topmost contender for the job.
While Calibre is pretty great and works for most people, but some have reported that book opening is a bit slow on Calibre and it has been a long-standing issue. So if you want an alternative just like Calibre, but with faster performance and modern features, the Sumatra PDF Reader has you covered as one of the best PDF editors and readers out there. It’s an extremely lightweight Epub reader that just works out of the box.
It supports bookmarks, background color change, automatic text scaling, tab support and much more. The best part is that it can even open large Epub files without breaking a sweat with correct indentation, tree-like chapters and more. I would say, if you are looking for a Windows 11/10 Epub reader that just works without any frills then Sumatra PDF Reader is the best pick.
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, 8.1, Windows 7, Vista. and XP ProsConsClutter-free user interfaceDoesn’t support annotations on EPUBsGood reading experienceDoesn’t have advanced features like metadata editingLight application (comes under 5 MB)Super-fast loading timeSupports comic book formats (CBZ and CBR)
Freda is one of my most favorite Epub readers for Windows just because of its looks. The app looks like a native Windows 11 app and makes Epubs really stand out when you read them on it. One of my favorite features of this app is its theming capabilities which allow users to customize the look and feel of the app to make it exactly how they like it.
Apart from supporting Epub, the app also supports a ton of other formats including Mobi, FB2, HTML, and TXT. The app also gives you access to more than 50,000 public domain classic books free of charge from Feedbooks, Gutenberg, and other online catalogs. You can also connect your cloud drives like OneDrive or Google Drive for downloading books stored there. If looks matter to you, do give Freda a try.
Download: Free with in-app purchases
Icecream apps is an app studio which has developed some really fine apps for Windows PC and of all the apps that come from the studio, their Epub reader is my favorite. Not only their Epub reader looks good but it also brings a ton of features including full-screen mode support, exceptional search capabilities, easy page turning mechanics, reading progress tracking, support for multiple languages, and more.
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, , Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 ProsConsSupports multiple file formats and languagesAll the good features are behind paywallSupports bookmarks and annotationsFrequently asks you to upgrade to pro versionMake search on Google and Wikipedia for selected textGood search feature
5. Cover
Cover is primarily an app made for reading comic books on your Windows 11 PC, but since the app also supports Epub format, it has made its way on the list. The main reason why Cover is on the list is that since the app is made for comics, it is great for reading books that are image-heavy.
While all the other apps on the list can handle images, they can’t do it as well as Cover can. So, if you are into books that feature a ton of images, Cover will be good for you. On the other hand, if you are into comics and manga, there is no better app that you can get.
Like Kindle, Kobo is not only an ebook reader app but a service which also allows you to buy books from its store. However, unlike Kindle, which doesn’t support Epub formats, Kobo does support both Epub and Epub 3 formats. The app brings all the usual features that we have come to expect from an Epub reader including, search, bookmarks, progress tracking, theming, and more, making it one of the best epub readers for Windows 11 that you can find.
However, the biggest reason to get Kobo over other Epub readers is its store which allows you to browse and buy from over 5 million free and affordable eBooks, comics, and children’s books. So, if you want to be able to access and buy all the new ebooks that are released, this is one of the best epub readers for Windows that you can get.
When you sign up for the service, you get a 14-day trial period during which you can test out any book or news magazine that you want. After the trial period ends, you can buy the books or subscribe to magazines that you are interested in.
If there is one company which makes software for almost all form of creating and consuming creative content, it’s Adobe, and its Adobe Digital Editions is a great Epub reader for Windows PC which allows users to consume their favorite titles.
One of the best reasons for using Adobe Digital Editions is its support for EPUB 3 standard which gives users a richer reading experience by bringing support for right to left reading, dynamic image resizing without loss in clarity, interactive quizzes, better rendering of math formulas, and more.
Adobe Digital Editions also brings a ton of other convenient features like exceptional search capabilities, the ability to rent or borrow Epub version of books from your local and public libraries, multi-lingual support, bookmarking, highlighting, notes, and more. If you are looking for a full-fledged, Epub reading experience, Adobe Digital Edition is the right app to do that.
Bibliovore is yet another great free Epub reader for your Windows machine. The app can be easily downloaded from the Windows app store and is completely free to download and use. I love this app because it brings fantastic organizational features allowing you to manage even a large library of books with ease.
The app also allows you to easily adjust font parameters, manage reading themes, edit book metadata, use day/night reading mode, and more. One of my favorite features of this app is that despite being free, it syncs all your books across devices using OneDrive. I think this is one of the best epub readers for Windows 10 that you can use right now.
Bookviser is an Epub reader for Windows which wants to give you a reading experience that is similar to reading physical books. It does that by designing its UI in such a way that it looks like a real book. That said, if you are not fond of such a UI, you can easily get into the settings to get a more traditional Epub reader experience.
Just like Freda, Bookviser also allows you to download free classics from public catalogs including Feedbooks, Project Gutenberg, and Smashwords. Rest of the Epub reader features like progress tracking, theming, dictionary support and more can also be found here.
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1 (ARM, x86, x64) ProsConsSimple and clean user interfaceDoesn’t allow you to edit book metadataLets you adjust margin, font-type, spacing, and moreSupport for multiple page turning animationsSupport for book downloads from integrated public catalog
Another epub reader for Windows you can consider trying out is EpubReader which is the only paid app on the list. The app is a fairly simple app for reading Epub books on your Windows PC which also allows you to download books from preconfigured and personal sources, easily manage your book library, tracks reading progress, and more.
One of the biggest features of this app is that you can easily transfer your whole library onto either an SD Card or to OneDrive. EpubReader is a great app to manage a large library of books without eating any storage on your Windows PC.
Download: $2.49
Thorium Reader is a fantastic free epub reader app for Windows that brings a user-friendly interface with some highly intuitive features to make ebook reading on PC a delightful experience. With support for formats like epub3, Daisy and audiobooks, Thorium Reader is an open source app that allows you to organize ebooks conveniently in the library. You can reach the favorite section of your ebook or audiobook by navigating through the table of contents or the powerful search functionality. The interface is vibrant and you can choose between sepia and night themes as per your liking.
13. EPubor
Another Windows eBook reader app that you can check out, Epubor brings most of the features you’d want in an ePub reader app. The app supports all the popular eBook formats, including EPUB, MOBI, AZW, AZW3, PRC, TXT, HTMLZ, and others. It also comes with a bunch of customisation options. You can change the fonts and colors, highlight text, make notes, and even bookmark pages. Plus, the app supports both vertical and horizontal reading, making it more versatile.
14. Neat Reader
Neat Reader is an aptly named app, because this definitely is one of the best looking ePub readers for Windows (or for Mac, for that matter), that I have found thus far. The app comes with clean, intuitive interface that makes it much easier to use. Moreover, it supports almost every EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 standard out there, which means most of your books should be easily readable in the app.
15. Read Ebooks in the Command Line with Epy
If you feel more at home in the commandline rather than with a GUI, and you love showing off your favourite command prompt tricks to your friends, Epy is definitely the Windows 11 epub reader you should try. Technically a fork of the EPR repo, EPY brings support for ebooks in the EPUB, FictionBook (FB2), MOBI, and AZW3 formats. Moreover, it can even read ebooks from their URLs.
- Q. Which is the Best EPUB Reader?
In my opinion, Calibre is truly the best Windows Epub reader for most users. However, if you are looking for a modern Epub reader for Windows 11 then go for Freda.
- Q. What eReaders Can Read EPUB files?
While Kindle is a popular eReader device, it can’t read Epub files natively so keep that in mind. With Kindle out of the way, I would recommend Kobo Clara HD and Onyx Boox Note2 as ePub readers for Windows 11.
There are a number of Epub readers for Windows and most of them are free. I would recommend you to go through the list and find an Epub reader that fits your need.
Yes. Epub Readers don’t pose a security threat unless downloaded from shady sources. Make sure to download programs from their official website.
You just need to click on the link that is mentioned below each Epub reader and then move to the Download page. Here, depending on your OS version and architecture, download the setup file. After that, run the setup file to install the Epub reader. You can find the architecture of your machine by right-clicking on My Computer and opening “Properties”.
Yes. For example, Sumatra PDF Reader can read Epub, PDF, MOBI, FB2, CBZ, and multiple other file types.
