What happens when you convert TXT to EPUB
- The TXT is converted by Calibre, the widely used open-source e-book manager, on our conversion server.
- The text is read as plain UTF-8 text, with paragraphs taken from its line breaks, and the book is titled Document. Markdown symbols are not interpreted, so they appear as written.
- The result reflows to fit any screen, like any e-book.
- 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 TXT to EPUB online
- Press "Choose TXT 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 EPUB". 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 EPUB with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your TXT and the EPUB by then.
Why convert TXT to EPUB?
TXT files usually come from notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere. People convert them to EPUB because EPUB reflows to fit any screen and opens in Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kobo and Send to Kindle.
In short, TXT is good at what it was made for, and EPUB is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. TXT opens in every browser, text editor and phone, while EPUB opens in Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kobo and most e-reader apps; a Kindle needs it sent through Send to Kindle.
How to convert TXT to EPUB on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your TXT files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each EPUB is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the TXT files from Finder onto the drop zone and the EPUB files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose TXT files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted EPUB appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose TXT files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The EPUB is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for TXT to EPUB
There are no settings: the text is read as plain UTF-8 and the book is titled Document; rename it in your reading app or in Calibre.
Keep the original file; each conversion rebuilds the book, and converting back will not restore what the target could not hold.
TXT vs EPUB: the differences
| TXT | EPUB | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Plain text | Electronic publication |
| Type | document | document |
| Created by | no single author | the International Digital Publishing Forum |
| First released | 1963 | 2007 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | characters only, with no formatting | chapters as XHTML pages, with images and a table of contents |
| In a browser | opens in every browser, text editor and phone | opens in Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kobo and most e-reader apps; a Kindle needs it sent through Send to Kindle |
| Common uses | notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere | e-books from stores other than Amazon and free e-book libraries |
| MIME type | text/plain | application/epub+zip |
About TXT and EPUB files
What is a TXT file?
A TXT file holds nothing but characters: no fonts, images or layout. Modern text files are usually UTF-8, which covers every language.
What is an EPUB file?
An EPUB is a ZIP archive of web pages, one per chapter, plus a file that lists their order. That is why its text can be extracted with ordinary web tools.
TXT to EPUB not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "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.
- "This file is not really in TXT format." The converter checks every file before it runs anything, so a file of another format renamed to .txt is refused. Choose the page for its real format.
Convert TXT to EPUB from the command line
This page uses Calibre. Installed on your computer, its ebook-convert command does the same conversion:
ebook-convert input.txt output.epub --formatting-type plainConverting 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.
TXT to EPUB converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting TXT to EPUB?
No. Every word is kept exactly; the text simply gains an e-book around it.
Why is the EPUB a different size from the TXT?
Larger than the TXT, because an EPUB file wraps the words in a package with a table of contents, styles and book details, even when the text is short.
Are my TXT files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful TXT to EPUB 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 EPUB as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several TXT files to EPUB 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 an EPUB file?
EPUB opens in Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kobo and most e-reader apps; a Kindle needs it sent through Send to Kindle. EPUB is common for e-books from stores other than Amazon and free e-book libraries.
Is this TXT to EPUB 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 TXT to EPUB 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 EPUB is saved to your Downloads folder.