What is an AZW file?
AZW stands for Kindle e-book. It was created by Amazon and first released in 2007. AZW is the extension Amazon gave Kindle books from the first Kindle in 2007. Inside, most AZW files are MOBI books, often with DRM, which no honest converter removes; DRM-free AZW files convert normally.
| Type | e-book |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| In a browser | opens on Kindle e-readers and in the Kindle and Calibre apps |
| Common uses | Kindle books from the first Kindle onwards |
| MIME type | application/vnd.amazon.ebook |
How to open an AZW file
Whether an AZW file opens with a double click depends on the device. Here is what works on each, without buying software:
| Windows | Calibre, a free e-book manager, opens every e-book format; the Kindle app opens MOBI and AZW3. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Apple Books opens EPUB; Calibre and the Kindle app open MOBI and AZW3. |
| iPhone and iPad | Apple Books opens EPUB; the Kindle app opens books sent to your Amazon account. |
| Android | Google Play Books opens EPUB; FBReader opens EPUB and FB2; the Kindle app opens Amazon books. |
| Web browser | AZW opens on Kindle e-readers and in the Kindle and Calibre apps. |
AZW compared with other e-book formats
How AZW stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Usually contains | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZW | Lossless | a book's text, images and table of contents, usually in the MOBI format | 2007 | Kindle books from the first Kindle onwards |
| EPUB | Lossless | chapters as XHTML pages, with images and a table of contents | 2007 | e-books from stores other than Amazon and free e-book libraries |
| AZW3 | Lossless | a book's text, images, styling and table of contents | 2011 | Kindle e-readers and books loaded onto them over USB |
| MOBI | Lossless | a book's text, images and table of contents | 2000 | older Kindle e-readers and e-books from the 2000s |
| FB2 | Lossless | a book's text, structure and metadata as a single XML file | 2004 | e-books from Russian and Eastern European libraries |
How to use the AZW converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your AZW files on the box, or press Choose AZW files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. The file is converted on our server and deleted as soon as the result is sent back.
Tips for converting AZW files
Converting an AZW file keeps the book's text, chapters and images; what changes is how it is packaged for each reader. A few habits give the best result.
- For a current Kindle, send EPUB through Send to Kindle, or copy AZW3 over USB. MOBI is for older Kindles.
- Books with DRM cannot be converted. DRM-free books from Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks and independent authors convert normally.
- Keep the original file; each conversion rebuilds the book.
- For PDF to EPUB, a PDF made from a text document converts far better than a scan or a multi-column layout.
- Calibre, the engine used here, is free for your own computer too, and handles whole libraries at once.
Convert AZW files from the command line
This page uses Calibre. Installed on your computer, its ebook-convert command does the same conversion:
ebook-convert input.azw output.azw3Converting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
AZW converter FAQ
What is an AZW file?
AZW stands for Kindle e-book, an e-book format created by Amazon in 2007. AZW is the extension Amazon gave Kindle books from the first Kindle in 2007. Inside, most AZW files are MOBI books, often with DRM, which no honest converter removes; DRM-free AZW files convert normally.
How do I open an AZW file?
AZW opens on Kindle e-readers and in the Kindle and Calibre apps. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common AZW conversion?
AZW to AZW3 is the conversion people search for most. The AZW is converted by Calibre, the widely used open-source e-book manager, on our conversion server.
Does converting AZW files here upload them?
Yes. AZW conversions need Calibre, an open-source program that cannot run in a browser, so they run on our conversion server. The file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept.
Is the AZW converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert AZW files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your AZW files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several AZW files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.