What happens when you convert AZW to PDF
- The AZW is converted by Calibre, the widely used open-source e-book manager, on our conversion server.
- The book is laid out on A4 pages with margins of about 1.9 cm, keeping the chapters, headings, images and table of contents the book has. E-books have no fixed pages, so the page breaks are new.
- Books bought from a store usually carry DRM, which no honest converter removes. DRM-free AZW files convert normally.
- This conversion runs on our 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. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert AZW to PDF online
- Press "Choose AZW files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to PDF". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each PDF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your AZW and the PDF by then.
Why convert AZW to PDF?
AZW files usually come from Kindle books from the first Kindle onwards. People convert them to PDF because a PDF looks the same on every device and is what forms, portals and printers ask for.
In short, AZW is good at what it was made for, and PDF is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. AZW opens on Kindle e-readers and in the Kindle and Calibre apps, while PDF opens in every browser's built-in viewer.
How to convert AZW to PDF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your AZW files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each PDF is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the AZW files from Finder onto the drop zone and the PDF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose AZW files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted PDF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose AZW files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The PDF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for AZW to PDF
There are no settings: Calibre keeps the book's own styling, chapters and table of contents where the target can hold them.
DRM-protected books cannot be converted. Books from Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks and most independent authors are DRM-free.
AZW vs PDF: the differences
| AZW | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kindle e-book | Portable Document Format |
| Type | e-book | document |
| Created by | Amazon | Adobe |
| First released | 2007 | 1993 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | n/a | No |
| Animation | n/a | No |
| Vector or raster | n/a | Vector |
| Colour | n/a | any colour, pages can mix text, vectors and images |
| What it holds | a book's text, images and table of contents, usually in the MOBI format | any colour, pages can mix text, vectors and images |
| In a browser | opens on Kindle e-readers and in the Kindle and Calibre apps | opens in every browser's built-in viewer |
| Common uses | Kindle books from the first Kindle onwards | documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files |
| MIME type | application/vnd.amazon.ebook | application/pdf |
About AZW and PDF files
What is an AZW file?
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.
What is a PDF file?
A PDF fixes the layout of every page so it looks the same on any device. Converting a PDF to an image renders each page to pixels; converting an image to PDF wraps it as a page.
AZW to PDF not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Most of a large book is its pictures; a copy with smaller images will convert.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- The book will not convert. Books bought from a store usually have DRM, which encrypts them; no legitimate converter removes it.
Convert AZW to PDF 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.pdfConverting 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 to PDF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting AZW to PDF?
The text, images, headings and table of contents are kept. A PDF has fixed pages, so the book no longer reflows to fit a small screen.
Why is the PDF a different size from the AZW?
A PDF embeds its fonts and lays every page out in advance, so it is usually larger than the AZW.
Are my AZW files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful AZW to PDF conversion needs Calibre, the open-source e-book manager, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the PDF as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several AZW files to PDF at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a PDF file?
PDF opens in every browser's built-in viewer. PDF is common for documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files.
Is this AZW to PDF converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert AZW to PDF on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the PDF is saved to your Downloads folder.