Foliate
Focus: gnome. Shares ebook reader and epub with Readest. Adds Offline. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeLinux, Offline
4.6Visit
Desktop App
Readest
A modern ebook reader with synced notes across all your devices.
Rating
4.6 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Beginner
Works on
Windows, macOS, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Readest?
Readest is a free, open-source ebook reader for EPUB, MOBI, PDF and other formats. Highlight and annotate as you read, look up words, listen with text-to-speech, read two books side by side, and sync your progress and notes between desktop, mobile and the web.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what Readest does well
- Reads many ebook formats
- Notes and progress sync across devices
- Free and open source
Cons: where it falls short
- Does not open DRM-protected books
- Some sync features are newer and still maturing
Who Readest is for
Readers who study ebooks and want their highlights on every device.
Who can skip it
Anyone who reads only inside the Kindle app.
Readest alternatives
Not sold on Readest? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Thorium Reader
Focus: accessibility. Shares ebook reader and epub with Readest. Adds Offline. Rated 4.5 (Readest: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Koodo Reader
Focus: pdf reader. Shares ebook reader and epub with Readest. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Kiwix
Focus: offline wikipedia, reference and offline reading. Shares open source and github with Readest. Adds Offline. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.6Visit
Sioyek
Focus: pdf reader, research papers and keyboard. Shares open source and github with Readest. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Fluent Reader
Focus: rss reader, news feeds and reading. Shares open source and github with Readest. Rated 4.5 (Readest: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.5Visit
Free alternatives to Readest
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
KOReader
Focus: e-ink and pdf reader. Shares ebook reader and open source with Readest. A mobile app, not a desktop app. Adds Offline. Rated 4.7 (Readest: 4.6).
Mobile AppFreeAndroid, Linux
4.7Visit
SumatraPDF
Focus: pdf reader, lightweight and windows. Shares ebook reader and open source with Readest. A Windows app, not a desktop app. Same 4.6 rating.
Windows AppFreeWindows
4.6Visit
Qalculate!
Focus: calculator, unit conversion and maths. Shares open source and github with Readest. Adds Offline. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.6Visit
Xournal++
Focus: handwriting, pdf annotation and pen input. Shares open source and github with Readest. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Glasp
Focus: highlights, read later and export. Shares annotations with Readest. A browser extension, not a desktop app. Adds Chrome and Safari. Rated 4.4 (Readest: 4.6).
Browser ExtensionFreeChrome, Safari
4.4Visit
gPodder
Focus: podcasts, audio and subscriptions. Shares open source and github with Readest. Rated 4.4 (Readest: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeLinux, macOS
4.4Visit
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