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EPUB to Markdown Converter

Convert EPUB ebooks to Markdown, chapter by chapter, with the book's title and author at the top. Ready for AI tools, notes apps and editors. Free, no sign-up.

  • Free to use
  • No file stored beyond 1 hour
  • Encrypted over TLS 1.2/1.3
  • No watermarks

Drag and drop your files here or click to upload.

Maximum file size is 1GB

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How it works

Three steps to your converted file

Everything happens in your browser tab - upload, pick a format, download. The heavy lifting runs on our servers.

  1. 01

    Upload your file

    Drag and drop, click to browse, or paste a URL. Batches take up to 20 files at once - 230+ input formats across video, audio, image, document, and archive types.

  2. 02

    Choose an output format

    Pick from over a hundred output formats. Filter by category or search by name - every option is open to everyone, no account needed.

  3. 03

    Convert & download

    Hit Convert and grab your download link moments later. Originals are erased when the job completes; results are cleared within about an hour.

Converting other files for an AI chat or notes app? File to Markdown takes PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and more in one place.

What you get

The whole book as Markdown

Each chapter follows the book's own order, with its headings kept, so an AI can summarise or search the full text.

  • Title and author

    The book's title, author, language and publisher are listed at the top.

  • Chapters and headings

    Chapter titles and section headings become Markdown headings.

  • Text only

    Cover and illustrations aren't included. DRM-protected books can't be converted.

  • Private: no AI service sees the file

    The conversion runs on our own servers with open-source software. Your file is never sent to an AI provider, and it's deleted after conversion.

EPUB to Markdown

Why convert EPUB to Markdown?

EPUB is a fixed layout, while Markdown can be edited.

  • Edit the content

    Markdown can be edited, so you can change the text, tables or slides that were locked in the EPUB.

  • Where Markdown works best

    Notes and documentation written as plain text.

EPUB vs Markdown: what's the difference?

PropertyEPUBMarkdown
TypeEbookDocument
EditableNoYes
Opens inApple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books and most e-readersAny text editor; renders in GitHub, Notion and note apps
Best forEbooks that reflow to fit any screenNotes and documentation written as plain text

What is an EPUB file?

Electronic Publication

Developed By
IDPF / W3C
Initial Release
2007
MIME Type
application/epub+zip

EPUB (Electronic Publication) is an open e-book standard maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), originally developed by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF). It utilizes the Open Container Format (OCF) based on ZIP compression to package XHTML content, CSS styling, and XML metadata. EPUB supports reflowable content, allowing text to adapt to various screen sizes, and fixed-layout rendering for graphic-heavy publications. The current version, EPUB 3.2, supports HTML5, SVG, and JavaScript interactivity.

How to open an EPUB file

EPUB files require dedicated e-reader software as most operating systems do not natively render them. On desktop environments (Windows/macOS/Linux), Calibre is the industry-standard management tool, while Adobe Digital Editions handles DRM-protected files. For mobile devices, Apple Books (iOS) and Google Play Books (Android) provide native rendering. Browser-based extensions like EPUBReader for Chrome allow viewing without standalone software.

What is an MD file?

Markdown Documentation

Developed By
John Gruber
Initial Release
2004
MIME Type
text/markdown

An MD file is a plain text document containing Markdown, a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber and Aaron Swartz. The format uses non-alphabetic characters (such as hashes for headers and asterisks for emphasis) to define formatting syntax that is human-readable in its raw form and easily convertible to valid XHTML or HTML. It is the de facto standard for documentation in version control systems like Git.

How to open an MD file

As strictly plain text, MD files can be opened and edited in any basic text editor such as Microsoft Notepad or Apple TextEdit. For a rendered preview of the formatting, specialized editors like Obsidian, Typora, or Visual Studio Code are recommended.

More tools

More free document tools

All document conversions

Why RunConvert

The fastest way to convert any file

Purpose-built for speed, privacy, and breadth of format support.

  • Convert EPUB to MD in seconds

    Every EPUB to MD conversion runs on our servers, so your device stays fast and the output quality stays intact.

  • Fast, cloud-powered

    No queue, no waiting. Files are processed on high-performance servers and returned in seconds, even for large files.

  • Secure & private

    Encrypted in transit and never shared with anyone. Uploads are erased the moment your job completes, and results shortly after.

  • Free - no account needed

    Convert without creating an account - no credit card, no trial clock. Sign in only if you want history and higher daily limits.

Developer API

Convert EPUB to MD via API

Automate EPUB to MD conversions in three steps: create a job, upload your file, then poll for the result.

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your RunConvert API key. Get your free API key at runconvert.com/api.

# 1. Create job
curl -X POST https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "tag": "epub-to-md",
    "tasks": {
      "upload-file": {
        "operation": "import/upload"
      },
      "convert": {
        "operation": "convert",
        "input": "upload-file",
        "output_format": "md"
      },
      "export-result": {
        "operation": "export/url",
        "input": "convert"
      }
    }
  }'

# 2. Upload your file (use upload_url from the response)
curl -X PUT "$UPLOAD_URL" --upload-file input.epub

# 3. Poll for result
curl https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs/$JOB_ID?include=tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about converting EPUB to MD with RunConvert.

Upload your .epub file, choose MD as the output format (it's under "For AI" in the format list) and click Convert. Then copy the Markdown straight into your AI chat with Copy Markdown, or download the .md file.

Only books without DRM. DRM-free AZW3 or MOBI files can be converted to EPUB first, then to Markdown.

Yes. Chapters come in the book's order, each starting with its own heading.

No. The conversion runs on RunConvert's own servers with open-source software; no AI service sees your file. Uploads and results are encrypted in transit and deleted automatically after conversion.

Yes. Files up to 1 GB convert free without an account. Credits or a subscription are only needed for heavy use, and RunConvert Pro removes ads.

Ready to convert EPUB to MD?

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