Readest
Focus: annotations. Shares ebook reader and epub with Thorium Reader. Adds iOS, Android and Web. Rated 4.6 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Desktop App
Thorium Reader
A free, accessible desktop reader for EPUB, PDF, comics and audiobooks.
Rating
4.5 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Beginner
Works on
macOS, Windows, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Thorium Reader?
Thorium Reader is a free, open-source reading app for Windows, macOS and Linux made by the non-profit EDRLab. It opens EPUB books, PDFs, comics and audiobooks, with read-aloud, adjustable layouts and strong accessibility support, so you can keep your reading library and notes in one calm app instead of juggling several viewers.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what Thorium Reader does well
- Reads many book formats in one app
- Excellent accessibility features
- Free and open source
Cons: where it falls short
- No cloud sync between devices
- Library tools are basic
Who Thorium Reader is for
Students and readers who want one clean app for their e-books.
Who can skip it
People who read only on a Kindle or phone.
Thorium Reader alternatives
Not sold on Thorium Reader? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Koodo Reader
Focus: pdf reader. Shares ebook reader and epub with Thorium Reader. Adds Web. Rated 4.6 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Kiwix
Focus: offline wikipedia, reference and offline reading. Shares open source and github with Thorium Reader. Rated 4.6 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.6Visit
Sioyek
Focus: pdf reader, research papers and keyboard. Shares open source and github with Thorium Reader. Rated 4.6 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Fluent Reader
Focus: rss reader, news feeds and reading. Shares open source and github with Thorium Reader. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.5Visit
KOReader
Focus: e-ink and pdf reader. Shares ebook reader and open source with Thorium Reader. A mobile app, not a desktop app. Adds Android. Rated 4.7 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
Mobile AppFreeAndroid, Linux
4.7Visit
Free alternatives to Thorium Reader
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
SumatraPDF
Focus: pdf reader, lightweight and windows. Shares ebook reader and open source with Thorium Reader. A Windows app, not a desktop app. Rated 4.6 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
Windows AppFreeWindows
4.6Visit
web.dev
Focus: web development, performance and css. Shares accessibility with Thorium Reader. A website, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.7 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
WebsiteFreeWeb
4.7Visit
Qalculate!
Focus: calculator, unit conversion and maths. Shares open source and github with Thorium Reader. Rated 4.6 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.6Visit
Xournal++
Focus: handwriting, pdf annotation and pen input. Shares open source and github with Thorium Reader. Rated 4.6 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
RSS Guard
Focus: rss reader, news feeds and podcasts. Shares open source and github with Thorium Reader. Rated 4.4 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.4Visit
Linkwarden
Focus: bookmarks, read it later and web archive. Shares open source and github with Thorium Reader. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web, iOS and Android. Rated 4.7 (Thorium Reader: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb, iOS
4.7Visit
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