What happens when you convert TXT to PDB
- The TXT is converted by Calibre, the widely used open-source e-book manager, on our conversion server.
- The text is written as a PalmDoc e-book, the most widely supported kind of PDB.
- PalmDoc holds plain text only, so images, fonts and formatting are left out.
- 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 PDB 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 PDB". 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 PDB with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your TXT and the PDB by then.
Why convert TXT to PDB?
TXT files usually come from notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere. People convert them to PDB because PDB is what Palm handhelds and some old e-reader apps read.
In short, TXT is good at what it was made for, and PDB 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 PDB opens in Calibre; current phones and e-readers need an app.
How to convert TXT to PDB 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 PDB 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 PDB 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 PDB 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 PDB is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for TXT to PDB
There are no settings: the text is written as PalmDoc, the kind of PDB that most Palm reading apps and Calibre open.
Keep the original file; each conversion rebuilds the book, and converting back will not restore what the target could not hold.
TXT vs PDB: the differences
| TXT | PDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Plain text | Palm database e-book |
| Type | document | e-book |
| Created by | no single author | Palm |
| First released | 1963 | 1996 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | characters only, with no formatting | the text of a book in one of several Palm reader formats, such as PalmDoc or eReader |
| In a browser | opens in every browser, text editor and phone | opens in Calibre; current phones and e-readers need an app |
| Common uses | notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere | e-books for Palm handhelds and old eReader purchases |
| MIME type | text/plain | application/vnd.palm |
About TXT and PDB 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 a PDB file?
PDB is the Palm OS database format, which several e-book readers on Palm handhelds used: PalmDoc, eReader, Plucker and others. The extension alone does not say which, so a PDB may open in one app and not another. Calibre reads the common kinds.
TXT to PDB 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 PDB 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.pdb --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 PDB converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting TXT to PDB?
No. Every word is kept exactly; the text simply gains an e-book around it.
Why is the PDB a different size from the TXT?
Larger than the TXT, because a PDB 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 PDB 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 PDB 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 PDB 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 PDB file?
PDB opens in Calibre; current phones and e-readers need an app. PDB is common for e-books for Palm handhelds and old eReader purchases.
Is this TXT to PDB 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 PDB 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 PDB is saved to your Downloads folder.