While PDF is the go-to for many text-based files, ePub is more popular for eBook readers. If your studies require you to look at comprehensive research papers (or you’d prefer to read course texts digitally), using free online ePub readers is a great way to get started. Here are our top eight suggestions.
1. Play Books
I regularly use Google apps like Drive and Gmail, as I think they’re some of the best out there, and Play Books is very helpful for opening ePub files. It’s particularly useful if your essays, presentations, and study notes are within the Google ecosystem.
Uploading is simple. Click on the Upload files button, and upload the ePub file(s) from your computer. All of your titles will appear in the Your books section. One thing of note is that you may not see the original name of your ePub, but you can fix this by changing the metadata before uploading.
Another thing I like about Play Books is that you can import files from Google Drive (which happens to be one of the best cheap cloud storage options for students). The app also lets you filter based on reading progress, author, title, and more.
2. Flow
You might use Microsoft Office instead of Google Workspace for your studies, and if so, you might not care as much about using Play Books. If you’re looking for a free, simple, and open-source online ePub reader, Flow is my top recommendation. I particularly like the app’s minimalist interface, and in my opinion, documents are more readable than in Google Docs.
Flow has a comprehensive search function that lets you find passages in books, and you can also search through all of the images in your ePubs. With functions like font adjustment, it reminds me very much of Apple Books.
When using Flow, you can also decide whether you want a single-page or double-page view. To enhance your studying, you can highlight specific parts of your text and annotate where needed. So, if you need to update your essay bibliography or find specific passages for your text, you can easily refer to your notes later.
3. Light Web App
Both of the ePub readers I’ve identified so far let you store your books for future reference; Light Web App is a bit different in this respect. If you need to assess a short piece of text related to your course, where you don’t have to annotate or highlight, this is a viable solution.
To use the Light Web App, import your ePUB, then start reading it straight away.
Light Web App is available in English and Chinese.
4. Neat Reader
While Neat Reader affected the format of my text more than other tools I tried, I do still think it’s worth considering. It’s handy for reading general books related to your studies, but I probably wouldn’t use it with sourcebooks. To read your ePub files, upload the file. You can create an account, but this isn’t necessary.
Neat Reader lets you annotate your text, but perhaps its handiest tool is the ability to translate what’s being read. If you’re studying a language as part of your course (or reading content in different languages), you may find that Neat Reader is the best online ePub reader for your needs.
You can search online for various passages in your Neat Reader text, in addition to changing the page width and font size. Neat Reader also has controls for line spacing and text boldening.
5. EPUBReader
EPUBReader began as a Firefox extension that let people read ebooks inside Firefox. If Firefox is your browser of choice, this extension is still available, but there is also an EPUBReader web app for Firefox and Chrome. It’s an ideal reader if you’re looking for a Play Books alternative.
You don’t need to create an account to use EPUBReader. When you open the web app, nothing is visible, except a plain white page with an upload button.
You can change the text size in EPUBReader and set bookmarks. I did have to import my ePub file each time I closed the extension, and customization is limited, so I wouldn’t rely on it for in-depth research. If you just want to quickly read an ebook without excessive red tape, this is a great tool.
6. ASPOSE
ASPOSE is another simple-to-use ePub reader. The app lets you adjust the width and height of your text and presents it in a readable manner. If needed, you can also rotate your text. If you’re working with research papers of landscape and portrait orientation, this might be your best choice.
If you need to look for a specific passage or citation, ASPOSE has a search function. You can also read your text in a smaller window if you’d like to put it alongside something else.
One thing to note is that my ePub files didn’t upload when I tried dragging and dropping them. However, I had no problems when manually finding them on my device.
7. FViewer
I have to say that I’m not a huge fan of FViewer’s interface, but it still does a decent enough job as an online ePub reader. You can upload your document and read in full-screen view if needed. It may be helpful for English assignments when you need to write about certain texts and would like to read them simultaneously.
FViewer also has search and bookmarking functions, and you can annotate wherever necessary. Another advantage is that you can use the app in over 20 languages, including Arabic, Hungarian, and Portuguese.
In addition to its ePub viewer, FViewer also has PSD, CVR, and SVG viewers.
8. Ofoct ePub Reader
Ofoct’s ePub Reader is another simple place to view your ePubs if you don’t want bells and whistles. The app has many of the same tools as FViewer, such as an Anchor annotation tool and a search feature. It’s a useful tool for smaller modules, but I perhaps wouldn’t rely on it for your thesis or something bigger.
When using this ePub Reader, either import files from your computer or via URLs. If you’re on a mobile device and only have access to web links, it’s a versatile option.
Ofoct’s ePub Reader lets you have multiple ePubs open simultaneously, making it ideal if you need to assess multiple papers in the same session.
You’ll find plenty of online ePub readers that’ll serve various needs as a student. You can use Play Books if you already use Google Workspace and want to combine your studying notes and assignments with your research papers, for example. Besides using your browser, you can also download ePub readers for your iPhone and other mobile devices.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Danny Maiorca.
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