What is a PRC file?
PRC stands for Mobipocket e-book (Palm resource). It was created by Mobipocket and first released in 2000. PRC comes from Palm OS, where it meant Palm Resource Code. Mobipocket books for Palm handhelds used it, and a PRC is usually a MOBI book under an older name, which is why Kindles open it.
| Type | e-book |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| In a browser | opens in the Kindle and Calibre apps and on older Kindles |
| Common uses | Mobipocket books for Palm and Pocket PC devices, and early Kindle downloads |
| MIME type | application/x-mobipocket-ebook |
How to open a PRC file
Whether a PRC 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 | PRC opens in the Kindle and Calibre apps and on older Kindles. |
Want the technical details? See what a .prc file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
PRC compared with other e-book formats
How PRC stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Usually contains | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRC | Lossless | a book's text, images and table of contents | 2000 | Mobipocket books for Palm and Pocket PC devices, and early Kindle downloads |
| 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 PRC converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your PRC files on the box, or press Choose PRC 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 PRC files
Converting a PRC 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 PRC files from the command line
This page uses Calibre. Installed on your computer, its ebook-convert command does the same conversion:
ebook-convert input.prc 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.
PRC converter FAQ
What is a PRC file?
PRC stands for Mobipocket e-book (Palm resource), an e-book format created by Mobipocket in 2000. PRC comes from Palm OS, where it meant Palm Resource Code. Mobipocket books for Palm handhelds used it, and a PRC is usually a MOBI book under an older name, which is why Kindles open it.
How do I open a PRC file?
PRC opens in the Kindle and Calibre apps and on older Kindles. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common PRC conversion?
PRC to EPUB is the conversion people search for most. The PRC is converted by Calibre, the widely used open-source e-book manager, on our conversion server.
Does converting PRC files here upload them?
Yes. PRC 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 PRC 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 PRC files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your PRC files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several PRC files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.