Our verdict: Thorium Reader is the best free choice for EPUB 3 books, LCP-protected library loans and accessible reading on Windows. It does not open Adobe DRM or Kindle books, and its library tools are basic compared with calibre.
About Thorium Reader
Thorium Reader is developed by EDRLab, a nonprofit European digital reading lab, and released under the BSD 3-Clause license. It is free, with no ads, and reads EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 in reflowable or fixed layout, PDF, DAISY 2.02 and 3 accessible books, W3C and Readium audiobooks and Divina comics.
It supports Readium LCP protection, which many libraries and bookstores use for loans, and browses and signs in to OPDS catalogs. Readers can adjust fonts, spacing, columns and night or sepia modes, listen with Read Aloud and media overlays, and add highlights and notes that can be exported. Screen readers such as JAWS and NVDA are supported.
What it does well
- EPUB 3 and more. Reads EPUB, PDF, DAISY books, audiobooks and Divina comics.
- LCP library loans. Opens Readium LCP-protected e-books, PDFs and audiobooks from libraries and stores.
- OPDS catalogs. Browse and authenticate to online library catalogs inside the app.
- Accessibility. Works with JAWS and NVDA, with Read Aloud and adjustable fonts and spacing.
- Annotations. Bookmarks, highlights and notes with import and export.
Who it is for
Good fit
Library patrons, students and visually impaired readers who need an accessible EPUB reader.
Look elsewhere
People with Adobe DRM (ACSM) or Kindle books, or anyone who needs format conversion.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free and open source, no ads
- Supports LCP-protected library books
- Excellent screen reader support
- Reads audiobooks and comics too
Cons
- Cannot open Adobe DRM or Kindle books
- No format conversion or advanced library management
How to install Thorium Reader
Download the Windows x64 installer from the official site or the latest GitHub release; an ARM64 build is also available. On the first start Thorium offers to add the user guides. To read library loans, open the LCP license file from your library and enter the passphrase it gives you.
Questions about Thorium Reader
Is Thorium Reader free?
Yes. Thorium Reader is free, open source under the BSD 3-Clause license and has no ads.
Can Thorium open library e-books?
Yes, if the library uses Readium LCP protection. Books protected with Adobe DRM need Adobe Digital Editions instead.
Does Thorium read PDFs?
Yes. It opens PDF files, including LCP-protected ones, and can print pages from them.
