Alternatives to KOReader
Open source reader for e-ink devices
KOReader ranks #3 of 8 in Ebook readers, with an Alt Score of 80. It is licensed under AGPL-3.0, free from Free and available on Android and Linux. 7 of 9 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Owners of e-ink e-readers (Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook, Cervantes, reMarkable) and Android or Linux users who want one reader for many document formats instead of being locked into a device's stock software.
KOReader opens EPUB, PDF, DjVu, CBT, CBZ, FB2, MOBI, DOC, RTF, HTML, CHM, TXT and other formats in a single app. It includes built-in dictionary and Wikipedia lookup, PDF reflow via K2pdfopt for reading scanned documents on small screens, adjustable typesetting (margins, line spacing, fonts, hyphenation), reading statistics, and an e-ink-optimized interface with gesture controls and no animations. It also supports OPDS catalogs, calibre wireless library access, and syncing reading progress across devices.
You install KOReader on your e-reader, Android device, or Linux machine, then open files directly or browse/download them via calibre or an OPDS catalog. Reading is driven by tap zones and gestures for page turns, menus, and settings, with the software free and open source under GitHub.
Where KOReader stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave KOReader
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
Sign in to add a reason — new reasons go through moderation before appearing.
Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
How KOReader compares with its alternatives, feature by feature.
| Ebook readers checklist | KOReader | Calibre | Moon+ Reader | Librera | Apple Books | Google Play Books |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Formats (EPUB, PDF, MOBI, CBZ) | ||||||
| Sync position across devices | ||||||
| Annotation & highlights export | ||||||
| Dictionaries | ||||||
| OPDS support | ||||||
| Text-to-speech | ||||||
| Page turn customization | ||||||
| Library management | ||||||
| DRM support |
Every fact and feature listed for KOReader is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-10
Right now we only support liberapay donations.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/koreader/koreader/master/README.md -
Platforms Android, Linux verified 2026-07-10
runs on embedded devices (Cervantes, Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook, reMarkable), Android and Linux computers
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/koreader/koreader/master/README.md -
License AGPL-3.0 verified 2026-07-10
GNU AFFERO GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 3, 19 November 2007
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/koreader/koreader/master/COPYING -
Starts at Free verified 2026-07-10
Right now we only support liberapay donations.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/koreader/koreader/master/README.md -
Status active verified 2026-07-10
stable builds: released once a month. Release notes are included with the release.
https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki -
Formats (EPUB, PDF, MOBI, CBZ) Yes verified 2026-07-10
supports fixed page formats (PDF, DjVu, CBT, CBZ) and reflowable e-book formats (EPUB, FB2, Mobi, DOC, RTF, HTML, CHM, TXT)
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/koreader/koreader/master/README.md -
Sync position across devices Yes verified 2026-07-10
Progress sync" plugin can synchronize your reading progress through a document across different KOReader devices."
The
https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Progress-sync -
Annotation & highlights export Yes verified 2026-07-10
The bundled highlight export plugin is able to export highlights and notes added from both native reader in Kindle and the Koreader itself to Joplin and Readwise as well as local JSON, HTML, Markdown,
https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Highlight-export -
Dictionaries Yes verified 2026-07-10
To use the dictionary lookup function, you first need to install one or more dictionaries in the StarDict format.
https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Dictionary-support -
OPDS support Yes verified 2026-07-10
This plugin adds an OPDS browser to the filemanager, which lets you browse public online OPDS catalogs and download ebooks from these.
https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/OPDS-support -
Page turn customization Yes verified 2026-07-10
recent versions of KoReader have a built-in feature for inverting page turn buttons (under Settings > Navigation > Physical buttons > Invert page turn buttons)
https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Keymapping -
Library management Yes verified 2026-07-10
Koreader has File manager with different book views: List of files... Book covers view, i.e. mosaic view; Detailed view
https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/File-manager
FAQ
Yes. Calibre, Moon+ Reader and Librera have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Calibre and Librera — every license claim links its source.