Convert MOBI to PDF
FileReshape's MOBI to PDF converter lays out a DRM-free MOBI, AZW or AZW3 Kindle book in your browser, each chapter on a new page, and you save it as a PDF with selectable text through the browser's print dialog. The book is not uploaded. Kindle Store books with DRM and KFX files cannot be converted, and there is no direct download.
Did a file not convert correctly? E-mail [email protected], ideally with a small sample file, and it will be fixed.
Key facts
- Input: MOBI (.mobi). Output: PDF (.pdf).
- Your files are not uploaded: the work is done in your browser, on your own device.
- File size: no fixed limit; very large files are limited by your device's memory.
- Needs a current browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari) on a computer, tablet or phone; nothing to install.
- Free to use, with no sign-up.
Why turn a Kindle book into a PDF
A Kindle book only opens in Kindle apps, and even there you cannot print it or hand it to someone who does not use Kindle. A PDF works everywhere: it prints, it opens on any computer, tablet or phone, and you can highlight and annotate it in a PDF editor, which is handy for study books, manuals and your own writing. This tool reads the MOBI or AZW3 file in your browser, rebuilds it as an e-book with its chapters, styles, pictures and cover, and lays it out on pages of the size you choose, with each chapter starting on a new page. You then save it with the print dialog that every browser has, by choosing "Save as PDF". That way the PDF holds real text that you can search and copy, sharp at any zoom level, instead of page pictures. Old Mobipocket books and newer KF8 books are both supported, and files that contain both versions use the newer one.
How to convert MOBI to PDF
- Drop your .mobi, .azw3 or .azw file in the box, or click to choose it. A preview of the laid-out book appears.
- Choose the page size (A4 or US Letter), the margins and the text size.
- Click Create PDF. In the print dialog, choose "Save as PDF" as the printer or destination and save the file.
What changes when you convert
Only DRM-free Kindle books
Books bought in the Kindle Store usually carry DRM (copy protection), which only Amazon's apps and devices can unlock. The tool reads the DRM flag in the file and says so instead of producing a blank or garbled PDF. DRM-free Kindle files, such as Project Gutenberg downloads, review copies from authors and files you made yourself, convert fine. Newer Kindle downloads in KFX format cannot be read at all.
Saved through the print dialog
There is no direct download. The browser's print engine handles line breaks, hyphenation and fonts far better than any PDF library running in a web page, so the tool prepares the book and you save it. Set the destination to "Save as PDF" ("Save to PDF" in Firefox, the PDF button in Safari on a Mac), and turn off "Headers and footers" to keep the date and a web address off the pages.
Page numbers differ from Kindle locations
Kindle books have locations instead of fixed pages. The PDF gets real pages, and their number depends on the paper size, margins and text size you pick, so they will not match Kindle locations, the "page" numbers some Kindle books show, or the printed edition.
Old MOBI books look plain
Books in the old Mobipocket format have only simple formatting, such as bold and italic text, headings and pictures, and no fonts of their own. In the PDF they are set in your browser's default book font. AZW3 books keep their own styles and embedded fonts.
About the formats
MOBI
MOBI is the Mobipocket e-book format, which Amazon bought in 2005 and used for the first Kindle devices. A MOBI file holds simple HTML with images, compressed in a Palm database container. Amazon has since replaced it with KF8 (AZW3) and KFX, and Send to Kindle no longer accepts MOBI files, but many older books and downloads still come as .mobi.
- Old Kindle books bought from Amazon use the .azw extension; they are MOBI files, usually with DRM.
- MOBI supports only basic formatting: no embedded fonts, little CSS and no fixed-layout pages.
- Many .mobi files made by KindleGen also contain a KF8 (AZW3) version of the same book.
- Text is compressed with PalmDOC (LZ77) or Huffman coding and split into 4 KB records.
PDF (Portable Document Format) was created by Adobe in 1993 and has been an ISO standard since 2008. A PDF looks the same on every device, which is why it is used for contracts, invoices, forms, manuals and scanned documents.
- A page can hold text, vector graphics and images, each placed exactly.
- Scanned documents are usually one image per page.
- A PDF can be protected with a password that is needed to open or edit it.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Kindle book uploaded?
No. The book is read, laid out and printed to PDF by your browser on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server.
Can I search and copy the text in the PDF?
Yes. "Save as PDF" stores the text as text, so you can search, select and copy it, and it stays sharp when you zoom in.
Does it work with AZW3 files too?
Yes. The tool reads MOBI, AZW, PRC and AZW3 files, and EPUB files as well. If you would rather have an e-book than a PDF, use MOBI to EPUB.
Which browser should I use?
It is tested in Google Chrome on a computer, and Microsoft Edge works the same way. Firefox and Safari on a computer also offer a PDF option in their print dialogs. On phones and tablets the print screens differ; if you cannot find a way to save a PDF there, use a computer.