10 Best Sites to Download Free E-books in 2025
E-books are a popular way to read without accumulating paperback books. They are readable on any device that supports their format and offer a convenient and cost-effective escape into another world. The global number of e-book readers continues to rise, with an estimated 1.1 billion users by 2027. E-books are portable and lightweight, making them great for travel or commutes as they can slip into an overnight bag or handbag without taking up too much room.
In this article, we introduce 10 top websites for free e-books so you can enjoy reading while on the go.
1. Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is an accumulation of literature focusing on older pieces with expired U.S. copyright. This allows readers to enjoy over 75,000 free e-books that the site’s volunteers have meticulously digitized. Users can browse the site by author, title, subject, or language, or check out the top 100 most downloaded e-books for inspiration. There are also 662 human-read audiobooks, including ones with sound effects or other enhancements. Project Gutenberg is completely free of charge, although users can consider donations or volunteering as proofreaders to help keep the site running.
2. eBooks.com
Founded in the year 2000, eBooks.com is a popular retailer with over 20,000 e-books Although eBooks.com offers paid books at competitive prices, they also have a hearty selection of 400 free e-books, giving users free entertainment as they travel, relax, or unwind. Moreover, users can also give the gift of reading to the bookworms in their lives with gift certificates starting at 10 GBP (approx. 12.50 USD).
3. Aardvark
Aardvark Book Club is a membership only e-book provider with 5-6 new releases every month. The company describes itself as a bookstore and a book club in one, giving a quirky spin on purchasing books. Members can select up to three books per month via the app, with genres ranging from literary fiction, thriller, mystery, romance, and sci-fi. The books are then delivered (for free!) right to their doorstep, so members can start reading right away.
4. Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with 44 million books and texts, and 15 million audio concerts, of which 255,000 are live concerts. The organization started digitizing books in 2005 and vows to provide those without access to a public or academic library with a solid collection of books. Users can download books published in or before 1928 for free, and borrow modern books through the Open Library site.
5. Free-Ebooks
Our next treasure trove of free online books is Free-Ebooks, where users can choose e-books from thousands of authors and hundreds of categories. There are even book bundles available, allowing users to download numerous books in a genre of their choice at once. Free-Ebooks offers their 2.8 million active users five free e-books per month, which can be upgraded at a fee for unlimited access.
6. Free Computer Books
Free Computer Books is a selection of computer, mathematics, and technical books from all over the world, including tutorials and lecture notes. This gives communities free access to specialist books about various topics like data science, computer engineering, web programming, and software engineering. Users can also enjoy free IT magazines and low-cost computer books through the site.
7. Standard Ebooks
Powered by volunteers, Standard Ebooks offers a collection of carefully formatted and accessible public domain books that are free of U.S. copyright restrictions. Users can download single titles or bulk download e-books by subject, collection, or author. In return, volunteers can proofread digitized books to check for typos, catalog fine art paintings from scans of old art books, or make a financial donation to help the site.
8. Google Play Books
Although many items on Google Play Books are for sale, the site also has an excellent selection of free e-books. Subjects include web engineering, quizzes, Greek mythology, and fiction books, giving users access to various titles without the price tag. Users can browse the site’s recommendations and start a wishlist of their favorite books. There are also affordable deals for low-cost downloads available.
9. OverDrive
OverDrive believes that everyone should have equal access to digital content, and the company strives to enrich communities with education, entertainment, and advancement. The site works with over 92,000 public libraries, K-12 schools, colleges, and universities in 115 countries worldwide, making it the leading digital platform for such organizations. The library reading app Libby lets users borrow e-books, audiobooks, and magazines from local libraries for free, allowing them to access reading materials offline and across devices. A public library card or access through a workplace or university is required.
10. The Open Library
The Open Library is an open project with over 20 million records from various catalogs. The site is free and open to anyone, although some features require a user account to access. Open Library account holders can edit data about books and authors, allowing them to contribute to the organization’s goal of creating a webpage for every book ever published. Moreover, any downloadable e-book on The Open Library is also available as an audiobook, giving even more users access to knowledge. There are thousands of titles to choose from, and readers can also set a yearly reading goal to track their progress.
Our e-book roundup
That was our roundup of the top 10 sites for free online books, making the written word accessible to all. E-books not only save space and the cost of buying physical books, but are also portable and convenient to take on vacations, business trips, or commutes. The websites included in this article all share the vision of enhancing communities through knowledge and offer a rich selection of titles for every reader.
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Jeni is a translator and writer based in Taiwan. She is passionate about business development and loves helping companies enter international markets. She is fluent in English, German, and Mandarin Chinese, and combines these with her industry experience to provide practical market entry solutions.
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