Projects / Calibre

Calibre

Reading & Bookmarks

A desktop tool for organizing, reading and converting electronic books.

Use with conditions
Last updatedRelease 2026-09-18
Open source licenseGPL-3.0
PlatformsWindows · macOS · Linux; a portable Windows version is available
DeploymentDesktop

About this project

calibre manages electronic books as a library rather than only a collection of filenames. A book can have a title, author, tags, publisher, cover and description, with custom fields for additional information. Search, sorting and metadata editing organize the collection around this information, giving users several ways to find and maintain the books they have added.

The basic workflow is to add books, select an item for conversion, then read it in the viewer or send it to a connected reading device. An initial wizard configures the application for the selected reader, and sending a book can also trigger conversion to a compatible format. The manual lists Windows, macOS and Linux support.

The viewer offers navigation, bookmarks, highlighting, search and reading aloud. Conversion settings can adjust layout, contents and margins, while an editor supports changes inside electronic books. calibre can also turn news sources into books. Enabling its content server provides browser access to the library, adding another reading route alongside the desktop interface and connected reading devices.

Decision guide
01

Why it is worth a look

  • Book categorization and metadata management
  • Format conversion and device transfer
02

Before you use it

  • This path uses a local desktop library; the content server is optional
  • Retain original books before import, conversion or batch editing
  • The website says AI functions require explicit execution; the basic local path does not depend on them
Manual setupLow
With an AI agentLow
DeploymentDesktop
Additional requirementsNot verified

Use an officially listed operating system and architecture; Have application installation permissions and sufficient local storage; Some requirements have not been verified. Check the official setup instructions.

03

What it can do

  • Book categorization and metadata management
  • Format conversion and device transfer
  • Reader, annotations and an optional content server

Who it fits

Good for

Managing personal book collections and reading devices

Not a fit

Judgment: Users wanting to read a single book without managing a library

Getting started

  1. Choose the operating system's installer on the official website
  2. Set the library location after launch
  3. Test importing, reading and device transfers with a few copied books

Alternatives to consider