Open source EPUB editor for working directly on the file, not generating it
Open source10 researched notes
Calibre
Ebook library management and format conversion
As of 29 August 2026, Calibre is free to use. The standard open-source ebook manager. Softwr lists it under Publishing. Calibre is made by Kovid Goyal, available on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Overview
What Calibre does
Calibre manages ebook libraries and converts between formats — EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, PDF and most others — with metadata editing, an integrated reader and device synchronisation across e-readers. It is the default answer for anyone whose books are spread across formats and devices, and for authors preparing files for multiple stores. Its content server also turns a library into something readable over a home network.
What people use it for
- Converting books between formats for different e-readers
- Managing a large ebook library with proper metadata
- Authors preparing files for several storefronts
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Calibre.
- The interface is dense and widely described as unintuitive, with a great deal exposed at once
- Conversion between formats is imperfect, and complex layouts degrade
- Cannot remove DRM, so purchased books from most stores will not convert without third-party plugins
- Heavy for someone who only wants to read rather than manage a library
Pricing
What Calibre costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Calibre
Free
- Full functionality
- Commercial use permitted
- Community support
Capabilities
Features
Format conversion
Converts between EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, PDF and others
Library management
Metadata editing, tagging and search across large libraries
Device sync
Transfers to Kindle, Kobo and most e-readers
Content server
Serves the library over a network to browsers and devices
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is Calibre free?
Yes, open source under the GPL.
Can Calibre convert DRM-protected books?
No. It does not remove DRM, so most store-purchased books cannot be converted with Calibre alone.
Does it work with Kindle?
Yes, it transfers to Kindle and most other e-readers and converts to the formats they use.
Keep looking
Where to go from Calibre
- Calibre alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Calibre pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Calibre badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Publishing softwareThe full category
- Best Publishing softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Publishing software for
Compare Calibre with
- Sigil
- Kotobee
- GIMP
- Scribus
- Storytel
- Kobo
- Pressbooks
- Everand
- Moon Reader
- Draft2Digital
- Adobe InDesign
- IngramSpark
- Scrivener
- Libro.fm
- Affinity Publisher
- Atticus
- Sigil
- Kobo
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From $147/one-time11 researched notesOpen source EPUB editor for working directly on the file, not generating it
Open source10 researched notesRakuten e-reader hardware, app and ebook store, the reader-facing side of the Kobo ecosystem
Free plan11 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Calibre, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Calibre
Calibre alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Calibre pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Calibre
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Calibre badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best Publishing software alternatives
Amazon self-publishing platform that is free to use, earning Amazon a royalty cut instead of a fee, with a hard price band and per-megabyte delivery cost governing the 70% rate
Free to publish; Amazon earns a royalty share rather than a feeRakuten e-reader hardware, app and ebook store, the reader-facing side of the Kobo ecosystem
Free store and app; hardware sold separately; optional subscriptionAudiobook subscription that splits revenue with an independent bookstore of your choice
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Per user per month, unlimited
Amazon-owned book cataloguing, review and recommendation app
Free, no subscription or in-app purchases; funded by Amazon as a commerce and data feeder
Pay-per-book self-publishing service for ebook conversion, print on demand and distribution
One-time purchase per project
Amazon's consumer e-book reading app, distinct from Kindle Direct Publishing, the author-facing service
Free app, revenue from book purchases and optional subscription
Rakuten Kobo self-publishing platform paying a 70% royalty with no delivery fee deduction and no upper price cap, a materially different structure from Amazon KDP
Free to publish; Kobo earns a royalty share rather than a fee