What is a LIT file?
LIT stands for Microsoft Reader e-book. It was created by Microsoft and first released in 2000. LIT was the format of Microsoft Reader, which Microsoft stopped supporting in 2012. Converting LIT books to EPUB or PDF is the only way to keep reading them on current devices. Books with Microsoft Reader DRM cannot be converted.
| Type | e-book |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| In a browser | no current app opens it; Microsoft Reader was discontinued in 2012, and Calibre can read it |
| Common uses | e-books bought or downloaded for Microsoft Reader in the 2000s |
| MIME type | application/x-ms-reader |
How to open a LIT file
Whether a LIT 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 | No current app opens LIT; Microsoft Reader was discontinued in 2012, and Calibre can read it. |
LIT compared with other e-book formats
How LIT stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Usually contains | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIT | Lossless | a book's text, images and table of contents in a compressed container | 2000 | e-books bought or downloaded for Microsoft Reader in the 2000s |
| 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 LIT converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your LIT files on the box, or press Choose LIT 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 LIT files
Converting a LIT 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 LIT files from the command line
This page uses Calibre. Installed on your computer, its ebook-convert command does the same conversion:
ebook-convert input.lit output.epubConverting 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.
LIT converter FAQ
What is a LIT file?
LIT stands for Microsoft Reader e-book, an e-book format created by Microsoft in 2000. LIT was the format of Microsoft Reader, which Microsoft stopped supporting in 2012. Converting LIT books to EPUB or PDF is the only way to keep reading them on current devices. Books with Microsoft Reader DRM cannot be converted.
How do I open a LIT file?
No current app opens LIT; Microsoft Reader was discontinued in 2012, and Calibre can read it. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common LIT conversion?
LIT to EPUB is the conversion people search for most. The LIT is converted by Calibre, the widely used open-source e-book manager, on our conversion server.
Does converting LIT files here upload them?
Yes. LIT 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 LIT 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 LIT files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your LIT files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several LIT files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.