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Are you an avid reader and running out of space to store more books? Electronic publications, known as EPUBs, might be the answer.
EPUBs are compatible with various devices, such as e-readers, tablets, computers, and smartphones, so you can choose from hundreds of digital books to read anywhere.
In this article, we highlight the eight best websites to download free EPUB books so you can start building your virtual library legally without breaking the bank.
Key Takeaways
- EPUBs offer binge readers access to a wide range of titles without having to accumulate piles of physical books.
- Many platforms offer free and legal EPUB downloads, ranging from classics to contemporary works by independent authors.
- You can convert PDF files into EPUB format for smaller file sizes and more functionality, such as marking up pages, bookmarking sections, adjusting font sizes, and more.
- Be sure to use legitimate ebook websites that follow legal guidelines to avoid downloading pirated books.
- Show Full Guide
Top 8 Sites to Download Free EPUB Books Legally
1. Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a volunteer-maintained digital library containing more than 70,000 free ebooks. It is one of the best sites to download ePUB books for free. Named after Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, the archive focuses on providing access to older books for which the US copyright has expired.
The site doesn’t require registration, and all books are free to read. You can make a donation to help support the project.
You can choose to download most of the books in EPUB, Kindle, or plain text format to read in your web browser or device.
The site allows you to browse books based on different types such as popular titles, latest releases, or recently added.
You can view a bookshelf sorted by categories, including classics, crime, geography, history, music, science and technology, or search for specific books by author, title, subject, or language.
?? Key features:
- Focus on books in the public domain, including classic novels and historical texts.
- EPUB format is available for most books, no registration is required.
- Mobile-friendly interface.
2. Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital research library that aims to preserve millions of web pages, books, movies, and audio for free public access.
It has more than 20 million ebooks and texts available for download in various formats, including EPUB, Kindle, PDF, and plain text files, in addition to 2.3 million books that you can borrow if you register for a free account.
You can search books by title, author, publisher, subject, year, language, and other criteria.
?? Key features:
- More than 20 million books are available to download for free.
- Free account registration allows you to borrow a further 2 million books.
- Simple interface with extensive search criteria.
3. Open Library
Open Library is a project of the Internet Archive that is specifically dedicated to ebooks and aims to have a web page for every book ever published.
Open Library hosts more than 3 million classic books available in the public domain that you can read on a web browser or download as EPUB or PDF files.
It also features a library of modern books that you can borrow for 14 days to read online. The site displays images of bookshelves organized by subject. You can also browse by genre and search by title, author, publisher, ISBN number, and other criteria.
?? Key features:
- Offers public domain books for free download.
- Easy-to-use search functionality.
- Registration is required to borrow non-public domain books.
4. ManyBooks
ManyBooks was created to offer an extensive library of digital books for free. Many of the classic ebooks it contains are from the Project Gutenberg archives, making another one of the top EPUB free download sites.
But it has also become a popular platform for authors to self-publish their work in digital formats. ManyBooks has more than 50,000 titles and new ebooks are added to the site daily.
You can browse books by genre or search by title, author, or keyword. When you select a title, you can see a synopsis and a brief excerpt of the text.
You need to register for a free account to read the book online using the site’s e-reader or download it for free in various formats, including EPUB, PDF, AZW, mobi, and more.
The ManyBooks daily newsletter highlights free and discounted ebooks.
?? Key features:
- Offers more than 50,000 free ebooks.
- Sleek interface with categorized search options.
- Provides exposure to independent authors.
5. Smashwords
Smashwords is a platform for independent authors and publishers to make their work available to the public.
They can upload their manuscripts to the platform, which converts them into multiple file formats for various devices and set the sale price.
While most of the ebooks must be purchased, Smashwords also has a section of free books.
?? Key features:
- Free books in various genres.
- Direct EPUB downloads.
- Enables readers to support independent authors.
6. Cantook (formerly Feedbooks)
Part of the French-Canadian publishing firm De Marque, Cantook—previously known as Feedbooks—distributes reading tools to the public, including its mobile app (formerly Aldiko) and online bookstore.
Cantook’s library includes small press adult fiction available to own or borrow.
You can browse books by category or search by title, author, publisher, keywords, language, or more to find free EPUB downloads.
?? Key features:
- Advanced search criteria.
- Books are available in a range of languages.
- Registration is required for full access to ebooks.
7. Barnes & Noble Nook Store
Online bookseller Barnes & Noble offers a number of free ebooks through its Nook store. The EPUB format is the standard format for the store’s digital books and is supported by the company’s NOOK ereader devices. You can also access ebooks through the Nook mobile app for iOS/iPadOS or Android.
You need to have a free Barnes & Noble online account to download ebooks and enter a payment method even to access free books.
Type the word “free” in the search box to see the titles available. When you select a book, you’ll see an overview, details, and customer reviews. Click to download it to your Nook app.
?? Key features:
- EPUBs as a standard format.
- Books are downloaded to a Nook device or app.
- A payment method is required even to access free books.
8. Google Play Books
The Google Play bookstore sells books for a fee but also offers free books that are in the public domain or out of copyright.
To find free titles, navigate to Books from your Google profile and click on Search. You can type “free” or search for a specific title or author and then change the Price heading to Free.
You’ll then be able to see the free ebooks available. For each book, you can see customer reviews and other information. You can read the book on the website or download it to read on the free Google Books mobile app. Simply click the “Get for free” button to download a free EPUB book or PDF file.
You can also upload EPUBs to your Google Play Books library to read them on any device that has Play Books installed.
?? Key features:
- Convenient access to public domain books through a Google account.
- Direct EPUB downloads.
- Ability to upload EPUBs to your Google library.
Download Free EPUB Books From Telegram’s Secret Library
You may not think of the Telegram social media app as a source of ebooks, but there are several communities for book lovers that have collections of free EPUBs you can download.
However, in addition to websites to download free ePUB books, you can search for book channels by entering keywords like “free EPUB books” or “public domain ebooks.”
A popular bot, Telegram’s Secret Library, is the best place to download ePUB books from the app. It has over 120,000 books in EPUB format available for free and is frequently updated.
The bot is easy to use and offers various titles in different genres and in several languages.
??? To access the Secret Library, follow these steps:
- Install Telegram on your device and create an account.
- Navigate to the Telegram search bar, enter the keyword “Secret Library” and select the bot.
- Start a conversation with the bot, typing in books by title, author, or series.
- The bot will pull up a list of results that match your search criteria and show you book covers with a brief synopsis for each one.
- To download a book, click on the button, and the bot will send you an EPUB file.
- You can also read the book online, as the bot redirects you to an ereader on your mobile device or computer.
How to Download Free EPUB Books Without Registration: Step-by-Step Guide
You can download digital books from several of the top eight sites to download free EPUB books listed above without registering an account.
?? To download a book in EPUB format to your computer or device:
- Go to an online library like Project Gutenberg or Internet Archive.
- Use the search bar to find a book you want.
- Click on the book cover or title.
- Select EPUB as your preferred format.
- Click “Download” to save it to your device.
5 Free EPUB Readers for Windows & Mac
EPUB readers make the reading experience much richer, offering a comfortable and functional experience as they are tailored for book formats.
| Reader Name | Platform (Mac/Windows) | Key Features |
| Adobe Digital Editions | Both | Supports ePUB3; library-friendly |
| Calibre | Both | Versatile library manager; converts other formats to EPUB |
| Sumatra PDF | Windows | Lightweight, fast |
| Apple Books | Mac | Native app with iCloud support |
| FBReader | Both | Highly customizable, cloud sync |
How to Convert PDF to EPUB
While many ebooks are available as PDF files, this is not the most functional format for reading books. PDFs have fixed layouts that can be difficult to navigate on smaller screens.
By converting a PDF to a more flexible EPUB file, you have a format that allows text to reflow and adjust to your device’s screen. You can resize fonts and customize settings for a better reading experience. You can also underline or highlight text and click on hyperlinks. Additionally, EPUBs often have a smaller file size than equivalent PDFs, saving storage space.
?? To convert an ebook from PDF to ePUB format:
- Download and install a converter tool like Calibre or Zamzar.
- Import your PDF into the tool.
- Click “Convert” and select ePUB as the output format.
- Save the converted file to your device.
Pros & Cons of EPUB Books
- Lightweight and portable
- Resizable text and fonts
- Wide compatibility
- Some DRM restrictions
- Limited physical ownership
- Requires an eReader app
Legal Considerations for Downloading Free EPUB Books
When choosing where to download EPUB books for free, it’s important to ensure that you comply with copyright laws and ethical practices and avoid pirated books. You should be aware that some sites that offer free ebooks do so without the knowledge or permission of the author or publisher.
Downloading books from unauthorized sources, such as torrent sites or unverified platforms, is illegal as it violates copyright laws.
Ensure the free EPUB books websites you use are reputable and offer public domain or licensed content.
In most jurisdictions, books published before 1923 or works intentionally released into the public domain are free to download and share. Websites such as Project Gutenberg focus solely on offering such titles, ensuring they are distributed legally.
Some contemporary authors and organizations release books under Creative Commons or similar licenses, allowing them to be distributed for free. Check the specific license terms, as some may restrict modifications or require attribution.
Some ePUB files are protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) to prevent unauthorized copying or sharing. Modifying or removing this protection without permission can breach copyright law, even if you obtained the book legally.
The Bottom Line
Downloading free EPUB books legally is simple, thanks to various online platforms building vast digital libraries.
These collections not only give you access to classic literature in the public domain, but they also help independent authors self-publish their work to international audiences.
You can browse free ebooks to find titles that interest you or search for specific books you want to read.
When downloading free EPUBs, remember that it’s important to choose ethical sources, to support creators and comply with copyright law.
FAQs
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References
- Free eBooks | Project Gutenberg (Gutenberg)
- Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine (Archive)
- Welcome to Open Library | Open Library (Openlibrary)
- 50,000+ Free eBooks in the Genres you Love | Manybooks (Manybooks)
- Smashwords – Home (Smashwords)
- Home page | Cantook Market (Market.cantook)
- eBooks: Fiction & Non-Fiction | NOOK eReaders | Barnes & Noble? (Barnesandnoble)
- Books on Google Play (Play.google)
