You can read an e-book on almost any mobile device, but it is more comfortable to do it from the large screen of a PC or laptop. It is this circumstance that supports the popularity of specialized reading programs. Today we're going to take a look at the best free e-readers for Windows, comparing their features and ease of use.
A modern e-book is not just text. It contains chapter markers, footnotes, and illustrations. All these features fully support only three formats:
- ePub (Electronic Publication) - international and most common;
- fb2/fb3 (Fiction Book) - created by domestic programmers and widely used only in Runet;
- azw3/Mobi - Amazon Kindle native reader formats.
We will conduct testing based on the fact that any considered reader for Windows should be able to work with them. Additional features, such as support for plain or formatted text files, will count as a nice bonus.
Liberty Book Reader
The first program in the review is available at official store Windows Store. Books can be purchased online or downloaded from your own collection. Considering that we are considering free programs, in-app purchases will not be taken into account.
The interface corresponds to the description and is completely made in Russian. There is nothing superfluous in the main window of Liberty. In addition to the standard control buttons, another one has been added to switch to full screen mode. Downloading books from local storage is done in one simple step. As stated by the developers, the epub and fb2 formats are correctly recognized.
Basic settings are available in reading mode:
- text alignment;
- day/night mode change;
- four-way navigation: page, bookmark, note, table of contents;
- font type selection;
- change of presentation mode: single page, spread, scroll.
You can adjust the screen brightness and margins. Your selections are saved as a separate style that you can return to. Control elements are called by analogy with the context menu and are automatically hidden after performing the operations required by the user.
Periodically, the program gives an error, after closing which it continues to work.
As a standard Windows reader available for installation from the app store, Liberty gets the job done.
Cool Reader
Cool Reader for Windows can be downloaded as a zip file. The program does not require installation. It is enough to unzip the archive and run the exe file. To add books, you must manually specify the folder in which they are located. Implemented access to online catalogs. Presets contain links only to English-language materials, but the user can add the required resource on his own. The interface language is switched in the settings. To enable the Russian version of the help, you must manually add a document from the internal directory of the program:
cr3\res\manuals\manual_template_ru
Inside the program, books are sorted using predefined filters: by file name, author, title or series. In addition to basic settings the user can change the animation when scrolling through the pages or turn on the reading aloud mode.
Owners of touchscreen laptops will be pleased to have touchscreen support included in the program. Dedicated to using the touchscreen capabilities separate section references.
Books in the tested formats were recognized correctly. In fb2 reading mode, footnotes are placed at the bottom of the general text on the page. The solution is convenient and allows the user not to be distracted by additional navigation through the menu.
For a program that doesn't even install, Cool Reader for Windows is impressive.
AlReader
AlReader is positioned as an fb2 reader for Windows. The "Librarian" function is designed to scan a directory specified by the user and automatically add the detected files of this format to the program database. Recognized books are immediately available for reading. Adding epub files, with which the program can also work, is done manually.
The settings are divided into separate blocks and placed on the top panel of the main window. Users who find it more convenient to work with the graphical menu can place its panel below the main one. You can fix it in this position permanently or only in full screen mode.
Reading fb2 with notes is implemented on two levels. It is possible to place them as footnotes on the page or go to a selected section of the book. Reverse navigation to the main text works by pressing one button. For epub, only a quick return from the notes area is implemented.
The settings allow you to completely reconfigure all the parameters of the displayed text. The selected book can be converted directly in the program into an unmarked text format or an HTML file. The first is accepted by Kindle readers, and the second can be dispensed with without reading programs. Any browser opens such a document.
AlReader could claim the title of "the best fb2 reader for Windows", but since 2011 the program has not been updated. So far, it copes with its task, but the convenience of the interface leaves much to be desired.
ICE Book Reader
The next program that hit the top of the Windows readers was ICE Book Reader Pro. For residents of the post-Soviet space, it is free. The "professional" prefix in the title is intended to attract foreign users.
When installed, ICE Book integrates into the system, taking over the work with e-book formats. It cannot be said that the program is an ideal fb2 and epub reader for Windows. Appearance it has a rather specific, and the scrolling mode used is resource-demanding.
Its popularity is based on the prevalence of the formats used and the built-in conversion capabilities. Comparing the level of support for free readers for Windows, we can say that ICE Book has the most complete help system.
Fully Russian-language help describes in detail the options for settings aimed at achieving maximum program performance.
STDU Viewer
STDU Viewer is another universal Windows reader included in our review. The only one of the reviewed programs that works not only with the old (mobi), but also with the new (azw) Kindle format. STDU is distributed in a similar way to ICE Book. For private use, the program is available free of charge. When registering, you must specify an e-mail and check the box for non-commercial use.
A feature of STDU is its integration with common formats for storing scanned documents, which are used to create electronic versions of paper textbooks. The program is able to export the material contained in them in the "text" or "picture" modes. Extraction is performed by whole pages or separate information blocks.
Exported materials immediately adapt to the standard paper format, which allows you to print them like regular office documents. As a result, the program can be used not only for reading, but also for working with electronic versions paper media. The implemented ability to work with tabs is also intended for the same purpose. In the main window, you can open several documents and, switching between them, search and retrieve information.
The user is invited to master the work of the built-in tools on their own. Help on functions is missing not only in Russian, but also in English language.
As an epub reader for Windows, it recognizes the book's format and table of contents, while not allowing you to follow internal links leading to notes. The universality of working with formats in this case led to a deterioration in quality.
Finally
Having considered the best readers for Windows, we can draw the following conclusions. For use by intended purpose Cool Reader is best adapted. In second place in terms of convenience is AlReader. On the third - Liberty. Universal readers ICE and STDU are best used as editing and information extraction tools.
Fb2 format was created as a universal way to store books. He has many useful properties, and one of them is the ease of converting to a number of other formats. However, not every user has an fb2 reader on their computer. This is what slowed down the development of the format. But if you have a special utility, you can enjoy convenient reading of books.
Free FB2 Readers
Universal reader. It supports most formats for storing books, works with any amount of information and the number of sheets. To use it, you do not need to install anything, just run the executable file. It's really convenient and fast.
It would seem that such a simple program should have little functionality, but this is not true. Actually Cool Reader answers everything modern requirements. In addition to reading the fb2 format, this program will work with any documents, including those on the network! To do this, there is convenient access to online libraries.
The interface of the utility is very convenient and simple. It is divided into several parts, one of which shows recent files, the second - the document directory, and the third - settings. This approach allows you to use it regardless of the localization language. According to many users, this is the best program.
A bit old-fashioned, but very functional program for Windows. It allows you to work with absolutely any text formats, and can also connect to archives! Now you do not need to extract books from RAR, ZIP or other packages, you just need to specify the path to them.
In addition, it should be noted a huge variety of settings. In the program, you can customize almost everything for yourself - from the catalog to the font. It should also be noted that the cataloging system is incredibly extensive and convenient. In it, you can divide books into categories, genres, your own wishes, the number of bookmarks, and even corrections. By the way, they allow you to remove typos from the text.
ICE Book Reader Professional will help you save your eyesight. For this there are a number of different modes viewing, which are suitable for different conditions. 
No wonder it's called that. This program works with all formats that the user can only find on the Internet. Docx, abw and even chm books can be read in Alreader. This is the main advantage of the utility. It doesn't have an outstanding interface design, but it doesn't irritate the eye, even after a very long reading.
Alreader will help you tune in, focus on the process. To do this, you can choose the most convenient font, background color and illumination, and even anti-aliasing mode. This approach to customization allows the user to get real pleasure from reading. The program has the usual "day" and "night" modes, as well as a lot of unique settings.
It is important to note that the background for reading can be as authentic as possible - in the form of paper of varying degrees of preservation. The background images are made very high quality, which will help to get aesthetic pleasure. 
On this stage the program is still being finalized, so it has several drawbacks. For example, table formats and CSS styles are not fully supported. However, this practically does not limit the reader. Problems will be extremely rare, on single copies.
In FB2 Reader you can create an entire library by cataloging information by one of a dozen different parameters. This program can be downloaded for free and used without any restrictions. 
STDU Viewer- can hardly be called a classic reader. It is designed to work with any documents, including e-books. Many free programs specialize in readability. This is very important, but not in all cases. The same program is more aimed at maximum functionality. It can view any format of documents. It's hard to even come up with a book that STDU Viewer can't open.
The program interface is concise, but very convenient. Small symbolic icons can be understood intuitively, especially since everything is translated into Russian. Despite great amount various possibilities, they are neatly placed in several panels, allowing the user to concentrate on the text.
Of the unique features, it is worth noting the format converter, the ability to work with images. Also, STDU Viewer allows you to print documents. 
Books in electronic formats continue to oust their paper competitors at an incredible pace. At the same time, the popularity of e-book readers for computers is growing.
Today I want to introduce you short review one of the free programs that will help you read books in electronic format on the computer.
Icecream Ebook Reader is free, simple and fast e-book reader, which does not claim to be the best and universal, but captivates with the absence of complex settings and the speed of its work.
The best and unsurpassed reader, I continue to consider another program, but God, how much time I spent on setting it up for myself, how many of my nerve cells died before I figured out (from the fifth approach) all her troubles ...
I am sure that anyone, even the best, computer program there should be an easy, fast and simple alternative - it is for this reason that I decided to introduce you to Icecream Ebook Reader.
This reader understands several e-book formats (FB2, DJVU, EPUB, mobi, pdf…) and works on Windows XP /7/8…
Download Icecream Ebook Reader
The size of the installation file is only 13.6 MB. Link from the manufacturer's official website to the regular, standard version of the program.
The installation process is very simple and short. There are no "pitfalls" in the form of additional spyware and search replacements in browsers.
Found on the Internet and portable version this reader, on one of the "greedy" file hosting. I re-uploaded it to Yandex.Disk and I give you a link ...
At the first start, the program turned out to be in English, but I courageously went to the settings and set the Russian language ...
The next step is to add e-books to the program's library...
We poke on "Add a book" and fill the library ...
Having selected a book, double-click on its cover and read ...
On the right and at the top are some useful tools…
The arrows will turn on the full-scale view of the book (in full screen), followed by the table of contents and bookmarks. A large letter "A" is an increase in the font, a small "a" is a decrease. The location of the text in one column or two is changed by the penultimate button. The lower "asterisk" switches reading modes - day, night ...
That's all Icecream Ebook Reader is a simple and fast e-book reader. Of course, it does not have the ability to change the font and background, there are no covers (skins) and a built-in voice engine, but I am sure that it will find its user.
To new useful and interesting computer programs.
There are people who do not like reading books from screens. electronic devices and they still prefer paper. I, on the contrary, have always preferred to read books from the screen. This seemed more convenient to me even when there was nothing but desktop computers, and became even more convenient when PDAs began to appear first, and then smartphones with large screens and tablets.
Today I found the time and decided to put together in an article a selection of the best applications for reading books in my opinion for the main operating systems - Android, iOS, Windows.
A good e-book reader - what is it?
What are my quality requirements for e-book readers?
Like these ones:
- Support for all common formats
A reader that supports only ePub or only MOBI formats is not needed. A normal book reader app should support at least ePub, FB2, Mobi, DjVu and PDF. It is also desirable that it skillfully work with books in archives, as well as .doc, .rtf and .txt files - otherwise there are still only ones who digitize books into office document formats instead of specialized book formats. - Support for different reading modes
A good book reader should support at least the change of "day" and "night" reading mode, and even better - have a lot of skins that allow you to choose the most comfortable color scheme for specific lighting conditions. Black text on a white background with no options is the last century. - Support for OPDS catalogs and cloud storage
A good book reader should support at least OPDS catalogs, and preferably cloud storage as well. I want to download new books to a smartphone or tablet in a couple of taps on the screen from my cloud or the Flibusta OPDS catalog, and not transfer them manually from a computer. - Interface for people
Technologies are developing, approaches to the design of application interfaces are changing. And the design of applications that seemed appropriate in 2009 is already wildly hurting the eye today. A good book reader has not only good functionality, but also a convenient minimalist interface in the spirit of the times. - Nothing extra
I do not need the reader, in addition to the function of reading books, to offer me to register in some service or impose my own bookstore. If the application does not have any extra features, this is a plus for it. If there is - respectively, in the minus.
I have few quality criteria, but it's not so easy to find an application that meets at least 3 out of 5 criteria.
The best book readers for Android
Finding a normal book reader on Android is another task. There are countless number of readers for Android released, but most of them are rubbish.
Having tried probably all the applications for reading books available on Google Play, I could only find two normal ones.
FBReader Premium
FBReader Premium is the most functional book reader ever created for Android OS.
This application is omnivorous in terms of book formats (it even reads comic book files), supports working with OPDS catalogs and works smartly on any, even very outdated Android devices. Displays a bookshelf in Google's signature Material Design style. There is a night mode.
It is important not to confuse the regular FBReader and its Premium version. The usual FBReader is obsolete, has a terrible design, and support for PDF and DjVu formats is carried out through the installation of separate “crutches”. Horror.
The disadvantages of the premium version of FBReader include its payment.
For using the program you need to pay 199 rubles (as of the date of publication of this note). Well, or download a cracked .apk file from some warez site.
eReader Prestigio
The eReader Prestigio reader was created on the basis of the usual FBReader as a pre-installed application for smartphones and tablets of the Prestigio brand, and later became available to everyone on Google Play.
Taking the FBReader engine as a basis, the developers have redesigned the interface so that these two applications do not look a bit like each other in appearance, and nothing hints that one of them is the progenitor of the other.
eReader Prestigio supports all book formats and has the most beautiful bookshelf of any Android book reader app. Also, the developers have made a chic animation of turning pages, thanks to which the feeling of reading books in eReader Prestigio is similar to the feeling of reading paper books. Night mode is also present.
Of the minuses, it should be noted the cut out support for OPDS catalogs and the integration of some half-dead e-book store. However, the developers themselves recognized the idea of a bookstore as a failure and began to slowly remove this function and eReader.
If it is important for you to have access to OPDS catalogs electronic libraries directly from the book reader interface, then look towards FBReader Premium.
In all other cases, eReader Prestigio - definitely the best choice on the Android platform. It's free, convenient and beautiful.
The best book readers for iOS
Best of all, the situation with book readers is on iOS. They are few, but they are all good.
Kybook 2
The KyBook 2 application is a real combine, and among all its functions, none can be called useless, far-fetched.
Able to read books of all formats, generates beautiful and visual bookshelves. Supports work with OPDS catalogs and almost any cloud storage. It has a convenient and thoughtful interface in which the user can customize the color of literally every element.
The program is free, with the ability to upgrade to the PRO version through an internal purchase, the cost of which is 299 rubles per this moment. In the PRO version, the advertising banner at the bottom of the screen disappears and additional functions appear - in particular, a built-in Tor client through which you can access Flibuste and other electronic libraries blocked in the Russian Federation.
All in all, a dream app. The only downside is that it only exists for iOS. The developer stubbornly does not want to port his reader to other platforms, and it's a pity: there would be no price for KyBook for Windows and Android.
iBooks
The stock iBooks app comes preinstalled by default on all iOS and macOS devices.
The iBooks reader supports only two formats - PDF and ePub, and also generates a beautiful bookshelf for accessing books. The program is completely free, has a minimalistic interface and does not contain any distracting banners. You can change fonts and switch to one of three reading modes - day, night and sepia.
The main advantage of iBooks is its integration into the Apple ecosystem, thanks to which books are easily and conveniently synchronized via the iCloud cloud to all iPhones, iPads and MacBooks owned by the user.
Caliber
Caliber is a powerful harvester for organizing.
It would be wrong to call it a book reader, since the main task of this application is to organize the storage of electronic books with a flexible search by tags, authors and other data. As well as editing books and converting them from one format to another.
But the book reader is also present in its composition. She is omnivorous and understands any format. In terms of convenience, it cannot compete with the same Fiction Book Reader, but nevertheless, it is quite possible to use it - and this is far from the worst option that is available for use under Windows.
Sumatra PDF
Sumatra PDF is a fast, simple and user-friendly program, originally designed to read PDF files, but later learned to also open e-books in all common formats.
Able to open several files in parallel in different tabs. remembers open files after shutdown. It can work in a portable version, without installation.
The main advantage of Sumatra PDF is its speed. It should be installed at least as a replacement for the slow Adobe Acrobat Reader for reading PDF.
The application is absolutely free.
Conclusion
Here is a selection the best programs e-book reader I have developed over the years of reading on different platforms.
Most best app for reading e-books on this moment- definitely KyBook 2. It's a pity that it exists only for iOS.
Under Windows, my personal favorite is Fiction Book Reader.
And under Android, I still couldn’t decide for myself which is better, FBReader Premium or eReader Prestigio, so I have both readers installed on my tablet.
Which, by the way, is also quite an option: some technical literature is open in one, and an art book in the other.
Despite the fact that mobile e-books have appeared that have replaced traditional paper sources of information for readers, it is desirable to have a book reader on your own computer. It may be needed, for example, to read technical, scientific and fiction, as well as to view drawings, which are now created in portrait format.
There are a lot of programs for reading books on a computer. Below is a selection of readers that managed to prove themselves from the best side.
Cool Reader
It can rightfully be called the most popular and widespread among users. There is a version for both PC and mobile device. Supports many different book formats: .doc, .txt, .fb2, .rtf and .epub. The program allows you to browse websites.Features of the reader for the computer are as follows:
- automatic page turning. The function can be disabled if you need to spend a lot of time to familiarize yourself with the data on the page;
- adjustment of the background and brightness of the font in accordance with the wishes of the user;
- viewing the contents of books in archives without unpacking them.
ALReader
is an e-book reader that can run on computers with operating system Linux and Windows.The main feature of the reader is a lot of settings. But, an ordinary user is unlikely to have to change anything, and he may well get by with the default settings. ALReader supports a lot of formats, including ODT and FB2. Just thanks to the ability to view the last two formats, the reader has become in demand.
It is noteworthy, but when creating the program, the creators paid Special attention and its design. Having opened ALReader, the user will be surprised to see a book in front of him on printed newspaper sheets. To use the reader, there is no need to install it. Immediately after downloading it can be used in full mode.
FBReader
If the user often has to resort to viewing documents and reading literature in various formats, then he is recommended to download this reader. The reading process can be customized according to personal preferences.It has a simple and intuitive interface, which, if desired, is easy to customize. All open book files are classified by characteristics - title, genre and author.
There is no need to move e-books to a shared folder - FBReader automatically creates links to their location in the computer's memory. The program has one drawback - a two-page mode is not provided.
Adobe Reader
It is difficult to find a computer user who has never met this program in his life. As a rule, if you want to open a book in PDF format, then Adobe Reader is used. In this format, not only books are now being created, but also magazines and other journalism. Many other readers do not always manage to open documents and books in PDF.Documents in PDF format can also be a threat to your computer. Attackers inject malicious scripts into them, and therefore, before opening anything, you should check the file in an antivirus program.
The same problem applies to other programs where you can open books and documents in PDF. To minimize risks, use only latest versions readers. The program takes up a lot of space in the computer's memory and installs much longer than others. software products with similar purposes.
DjVuViwer
The .djvu format is gradually and steadily replacing .pdf documents. The fact is that the first format compresses files better, which saves space in the computer's memory. If you need a modern reader for reading data in .djvu format, then this is the best of them.The advantages of the program are as follows:
- opening documents in other formats besides .djvu;
- you can scroll through all the pages, and not flip through them two by two, which happens in the vast majority of programs;
- creating bookmarks in a simple and convenient way;
- fast book opening speed.
Foxit Reader
Like the previous reader, Foxit Reader can also be used to read documents in pdf format. But, unlike Adobe Reader, it requires less hard disk space to install. The range of possibilities of the reader is quite huge.The program menu is presented in several languages. The application functions mainly on computers running Windows. But, recently, versions have appeared that can run on a PC that uses Windows.
ICE Book Reader Professional
The word Professional in the name of the program is used for a reason. This reader has a rather enviable functionality, which is easy to understand by testing the program for a few minutes. Distributed absolutely free of charge and presented in Russian.The program includes two modules of equal importance - a library and a reader. You can select single-page or double-page view to view documents.
Often, the mode is selected according to user preferences and monitor screen sizes. Each mode has its own set of settings.
The advantage and at the same time a disadvantage (due to the increase in the space occupied by data) of the reader is that it automatically downloads all the books to the library in full. So the file can be deleted from the main location later.
If the amount of space for storing data is small, then you should go to the settings and adjust the level of compression.
ICE Book Reader Professional has the following features:
- support for files in various formats. Exception - .pdf;
- the entered settings are remembered by the reader automatically. When you turn it on again, you will not need to change the parameters in them again;
- data can be opened from archives without using one or another archiver. Information can be viewed in archives in the following formats.zip, .rar and others.
STDU Viewer
Its interface is not so attractive, but it is easy to use and allows you to change a lot of parameters in the settings. There is a multi-tab mode, which makes it possible to open several books at the same time.The most important advantage is multi-format. With it, you can open documents in .pdf format.
