MOBI is the remnant of an eBook company Amazon bought eons ago. Although Amazon used to reject EPUB files until they were converted to MOBI files, they now accept EPUB files onto their Amazon Kindle marketplace. EPUBs are reflowable, resizable, and can contain digital rights management (DRM) functionalities. So, this begs the question: What is the difference between EPUB, MOBI, and PDF?ĮPUB is a universal eBook file format. What Are the Differences Between EPUB, PDF, and MOBI? (only on the Kindle app, not the Fire tablet) PDF and other formats, as well as which marketplaces use which format: Here’s a side-by-side comparison of EPUB vs. Apple Books and Google Play accept EPUBs and PDFs. Most other marketplaces accept EPUBs, and some accept multiple formats. Which Marketplaces Accept Which Formats?Īmazon (and Kindle, obviously) accept EPUBs in their marketplace (which are automatically converted to their own AZW3 file). This also makes it more limited, but we’ll get into that later.ĮPUBs reflow and resize all sorts of elements which may result in a huge change to the appearance you intended. PDF is the only file format of these three that maintains the fixed format of how graphics appear on the page. PDFs may be your best option for graphically detailed eBooks/documents. Most other marketplaces also accept EPUB files without the need for conversions. So there is no need to worry about MOBIs or AZW3s. Instead, Amazon automatically converts your EPUB file to the AZW3 file that actually appears on your Kindle. Previously, Amazon required a MOBI file, but this file has been discontinued and is no longer necessary.

In almost every case, you should start by using the EPUB file format for your book.Įven if you plan to distribute your eBook on the Amazon marketplace, you should use the EPUB file, as this is what Amazon recommends and accepts. What Book Format Should You Use: EPUB, PDF, or MOBI/AZW3? Book Formatting Tools to Create EPUB, MOBI, and PDF Files.What Are the Pros and Cons of Using a PDF?.How to Check Book Formatting for Amazon via KDP.MOBI (AZW3/KPF) - Amazon’s Proprietary Format.What Are the Pros and Cons of Using EPUB?.EPUB - The Gold Standard for eBook Publishing.

What Are the Differences Between EPUB, PDF, and MOBI?.

Which Marketplaces Accept Which Formats?.

What Book Format Should You Use: EPUB, PDF, or MOBI/AZW3?.

Can epub books be read on kindle