A free EPUB reader for Windows
ReadAware reads EPUB on Windows the way a book deserves — a calm, paper-toned page, highlights and notes that stay with the text, and an assistant that knows your whole library. Free, open source, and yours offline.
Reading EPUB on Windows, minus the friction
Windows still has no good built-in way to open an EPUB. ReadAware is a desktop app, not a browser tab: install it once, drop your files in, and read. There is no account to create, no cloud upload, and no conversion step — the EPUB you import is the EPUB you keep, with your highlights, notes, and reading position attached to the original text. It ships as a regular installer, an MSI, or a portable ZIP that runs from a folder without installing anything.
Not just EPUB
The same reader opens MOBI, AZW3, FB2, CBZ, CBR, TXT, HTML, and PDF, with the same selection, highlights, and progress in every format. A DRM-free Kindle file reads as comfortably as an EPUB; a comic archive sits on the same shelf as your novels.
Reading that leaves a trace you can use
Highlight a line and it stays highlighted; add a note and it stays with the passage. When you want more focus, read sentence by sentence — the page holds back, a floating strip steps you through, and read-aloud can follow along. And everything you mark feeds the assistant: ask about a passage, a book, or your whole shelf, and it answers from your own reading, on an API key you bring.
Your desktop reading, on your phone too
ReadAware also runs on macOS, Linux, and Android. With the optional sync plan, your books, highlights, and place in each of them follow you between machines, end-to-end encrypted — the relay only ever stores ciphertext.
Questions
- Is the Windows version free?
- Yes. Reading, highlights, notes, plugins, and the assistant with your own API key are free and complete. Optional paid plans add end-to-end encrypted sync and built-in AI.
- Windows warned me about an unrecognized app — is that expected?
- Yes, for now. Desktop builds aren't code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may ask you to confirm the app on first launch. The source is open (AGPL-3.0) and every build comes from the public GitHub releases page, so you can verify exactly what you're running.
- Can it read Kindle files (MOBI, AZW3)?
- Yes — DRM-free MOBI and AZW3 files open directly, no conversion needed. DRM-protected books are surfaced as unsupported.
- Is there a portable version?
- Yes. Alongside the installer and MSI there's a portable ZIP that unpacks into a folder and runs from there, with nothing to install.
- Does it need an internet connection?
- No. ReadAware is local-first: importing, reading, annotating, and searching all work offline. The network is only used for optional sync and the AI assistant.
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