EPUB to TXT Converter
Extract the full plain text from an EPUB ebook — every chapter, in order — as a .txt file.
Unzipping the book and reading its chapter order…
How to use this tool
- Select your file, drag it onto the box above.
- Processing starts automatically — there is nothing to configure.
- Check the result panel, which shows the original size, the final size and the page count.
- Click Download to save it.
An EPUB is a ZIP containing one XHTML file per chapter plus a manifest giving the reading order. This unzips it, follows that order, and strips the markup — so you get the book as clean text rather than a jumble of files.
The specification
| Input | .epub (unencrypted) |
|---|---|
| Output | Plain text, UTF-8 |
| Order | Follows the book's spine, so chapters are in reading order |
| Preserved | All text and paragraph breaks |
| DRM | Not supported |
| Limit | 60 MB |
Why uploads get rejected
Meeting the size is only part of it. These are the failures that actually come up:
- The book is DRM-protected and cannot be opened by any converter.
- The EPUB contains scanned images rather than text.
- The file is .mobi or .azw — Kindle formats, not EPUB.
How it works
An EPUB is a ZIP archive with a defined structure. The tool unzips it in
memory, reads META-INF/container.xml to find the package file, then
reads that package file for two things: the manifest, which lists every document
in the book, and the spine, which gives the order they are meant to be read in.
Following the spine is what separates a correct conversion from a scrambled one. Chapter files are frequently named in an order that does not match the reading order, so tools that simply sort by filename produce a book with its chapters shuffled. The markup in each chapter is then stripped down to text, with block elements becoming paragraph breaks.
Everything happens inside your browser. The book is never uploaded.
Who uses this
Word counts, text analysis, feeding a book into another tool, accessibility, or reading on a device that only handles plain text.
Other names for this tool
People look for this under several different names. If you arrived searching for any of the following, this is the right page — they all describe the same thing:
- epub to txt converter
- convert epub to text
- epub to text file
- extract text from epub
- epub to plain text online
- ebook to txt
- get text out of epub
- epub text extractor
Frequently asked questions
Does it keep chapters in the right order?
Yes. It reads the book's spine — the manifest that defines reading order — rather than guessing from filenames, which is where simpler tools get it wrong.
Will formatting survive?
No, and that is the point of plain text. Paragraph breaks are preserved; bold, italics and layout are not.
Can I do the reverse — TXT to EPUB?
Not with this tool. For a fixed-layout document from text, use the Text to PDF converter on this site.
Why do chapters come out in the wrong order in other converters?
Because they sort by filename. An EPUB defines its reading order in a separate list called the spine, and chapter files are often named in a completely different order. This tool follows the spine, which is the only correct way to read the book.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Everything runs inside your browser on your own device. Your file is never transmitted and never stored by us. You can confirm it by opening your browser's Network tab while you use the tool — you will see no upload request.
Is this really free?
Yes — no account, no trial, no watermark and no cap on usage. It runs on your own device rather than our servers, so there is no cost for us to pass on.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The interface adapts to phone and tablet screens and everything runs in the browser, so there is no app to install.
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Your files stay on your device. This tool runs entirely in your browser. No file is uploaded, transmitted, or stored. You can verify this by opening your browser's Network tab while using the tool.
Disclaimer. Specifications published by exam boards, governments and platforms change without notice. We verify and date every specification on this site, but you should always confirm against the official source before submitting an application. See our full disclaimer.