5 best free-readers for your computer

1. Web service «Google Play Books" and its extension for Chrome

• Supported formats: EPUB, PDF.

The site of the popular service «Google Play Books" you can add and read the texts online. However, the project is an extension for Google Chrome browser that allows you to read books downloaded on your computer even without a network connection.

plugin interface is almost completely repeats the design of the web version. You can open books from your library, view their contents, search for text, customize the fonts and layout. To read offline, you need to pre-load your books in the computer's memory. Bookmarks, reading positions and other data is synchronized between all devices connected to your Google Account.

Site «Google Play Books» →

2. Microsoft Edge Browser for Windows

• Supported formats: EPUB.

Microsoft has built into its browser viewer EPUB file format, so you can use Edge as a free reader. The program has a text display settings, bookmarks, search function is based on the book, and even robot mode scoring text. You can also highlight words and attach comments to them. On this reading room functionality ends.

To add a book to the Edge, just click on the relevant EPUB-file, right-click, choose "Open With» → Microsoft Edge. Your book will open in a new tab.

3. Web service Bookmate and its application for Windows

• Supported formats: FB2, EPUB.

This service, like «Google Play Books" offers owners of computers to read books online. In addition, Windows users can install the desktop client Bookmate, allows you to add text in a personal library and read them offline.

In both versions Bookmate offers font settings, background, padding, and other visual elements. Bookmarks, reading positions and other metadata are synchronized between devices. An application can slow down a little, but generally read in it comfortably.

The texts, written in the service you can read free. Bookmate also offers a paid subscription to the book from its online library, but you can give it up.

Bookmate →

4. Calibre program for Windows, macOS and Linux

• Supported formats: FB2, EPUB, DJVU, DOCX, HTML, AZW, AZW3, AZW4, CBZ, CBR, CBC, CHM, HTMLZ, LIT, LRF, MOBI, ODT, PDF, PRC, PDB, PML, RB, RTF, SNB, TCR, TXT, TXTZ.

Calibre program is known primarily as a powerful free e-book editor. With Calibre can edit metadata, text, and other elements of book files, and convert documents from one format to another. However, the program allows you to read and just added to her book. In the embedded reader has a background settings, text viewer content, form and other search tools for easy reading.

Calibre →

5. iBooks program for macOS

• Supported formats: EPUB, PDF.

Indifferent to books Mac users are lucky: they get one of the best desktop newsreaders out of the box. iBooks program looks stylish and supports data synchronization between your iOS-device and offers only the most necessary tools - for those who love to read, and not dig into the settings.

On the other hand, iBooks does not support a very popular format FB2, which may not suit some users. But you can always convert FB2 to EPUB.

see also

• 10 books that can be read in one night →
• 8 Reasons to Read More → fiction
• Best Books on Layfhakere →