How to Open EPUB Files on Windows 10 (Without Microsoft Edge)
Download and install a dedicated EPUB reader, like Caliber or Sumatra PDF, to read EPUBs on Windows 10. You can also use a browser extension in Google Chrome or Firefox to read EPUBs in your browser.
Microsoft's new Chromium-based Edge browser drops support for EPUB eBook files. You'll need a third-party EPUB reader app to view EPUB files on Windows 10, and we've got some good free options to choose from.
What happened to EPUB books in Microsoft Edge?
It was always a bit odd that Microsoft Edge supported EPUB format eBooks. Why did Edge support eBooks while Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Internet Explorer did not?
EPUB support was clearly a strategic move for Microsoft: Microsoft was selling eBooks in the Microsoft Store app, and those books were available for reading in Microsoft Edge on Windows 10. If that sounds odd to you, well , this was the case. So few people purchased eBooks from Microsoft that the company was happy to refund everyone and phase out eBooks entirely in July 2019.
Now that Microsoft has given up selling e-books, the company clearly sees no point in implementing EPUB file support in the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser. After installing the new Edge, you will not be able to open EPUB files on Windows 10 until you install an application that supports them.
EPUB readers we recommend for Windows 10
Microsoft recommends downloading an EPUB app from the Microsoft Store. Of course, most of the great Windows apps aren't available for download from Windows 10's built-in store. That includes EPUB readers.
Want a solid EPUB viewer for Windows? There are quite a few options out there. Here are a few we like:
Caliber is a powerful, free and open-source e-book management application. It includes e-book reader support for EPUB files and other popular e-book formats. You'll also find an eBook collection manager, editing features, and more. Caliber is a great app, but it has a lot of features and you might want something a little simpler.
Sumatra PDF is practically the opposite. It is a small light reading application. Sumatra PDF works with EPUB and MOBI eBooks as well as PDFs, XPS files, and even comics in CBZ and CBR formats. Sumatra can even be used in "portable" mode, so you can put it on a USB drive or cloud storage folder and run it on computers without installing it first.
If you prefer to read EPUB files in your browser, you can try a browser extension. Install EPUBReader from the Chrome Web Store and EPUB files will open as PDFs right in your browser when clicked on the web. You can also open EPUB files from your computer in your browser, just like you can use your browser as a PDF reader.
The new Microsoft Edge is based on Google Chrome, so you can also install EPUBReader in Edge. There is a way to install extensions from the Chrome Web Store in Microsoft Edge.
Over time, more extensions should appear on the Microsoft Edge Addons website, making this trick less necessary.
