An electronic book (commonly abbreviated e-book) is a text and image-based publication which can be read on a computer or other digital devices such as an e-book reader.
Digital books are well established. Project Gutenberg, an online library of books that can be downloaded free of charge, has been expanding its collection since 1971. Almost its entire library consists of books that are available in the public domain, although there are a few copyright texts which are also included.
The popularity of digital e-books has been accelerated by a number of dedicated portable e-book readers. The various Amazon Kindle are extremely popular devices which have enabled readers to conveniently access a huge library of books, magazines and newspapers on the move. What is particularly noteworthy is that Linux is the operating system that runs the devices.
However, Linux is also an attractive way of reading e-books on a desktop computer or notebook. Linux has a good range of open source software which helps users to organize their e-book collection, catch up on a novel, or even to create and publish their own e-book.
This article showcases the best graphical eBook readers. We only feature free and open source software here. Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion here.
Let’s explore the 14 GUI ebook readers at hand. For each application we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, screenshots, together with links to relevant resources.
| GUI eBook readers | |
|---|---|
| KOReader | Advanced multi-format reader with excellent customisation |
| Koodo Reader | Feature-rich eBook reader and library manager |
| Foliate | Polished GTK eBook reader |
| Calibre | Powerful eBook library manager, reader and conversion suite |
| readest | Modern eBook reader with syncing and advanced reading tools |
| Thorium | Highly accessible multi-format eBook reader |
| Librum | eBook reader with synchronized library |
| Lector | Qt based e-book reader |
| Bookworm | Simple, focused GTK eBook reader |
| Arianna | KDE EPUB reader and library manager |
| crqt-ng | Fast Qt eBook reader using crengine-ng |
| CoolReader | Lightweight XML/CSS based eBook reader |
| apvlv | Vim-like graphical document viewer |
| FBReader | Makes it simple to access free literature |
Related roundups: Web Based ebook Readers, CLI Readers, ebook Tools.
This article has been revamped in line with our recent announcement.
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