Best Free PDF to EPUB Converters (2026): Tested and Compared
We tested four tools on the same set of PDFs: a scanned book, a two-column academic paper, a report with tables, and a standard single-column document. Here's what we found.
Summary: toolkit.bot handles complex PDFs (scanned, multi-column, tables) best. Calibre is the best offline option for simple files. Zamzar and iLovePDF are general-purpose converters with inconsistent EPUB quality.
The tools tested
- toolkit.bot — browser-based, no install. Free tier: 5 conversions/month. Paid: $9/month unlimited.
- Calibre — desktop app (100MB+), free and unlimited. Windows/Mac/Linux.
- Zamzar — browser-based general file converter. Free tier limited, paid plans from $9/month.
- iLovePDF — browser-based PDF toolkit. Free tier limited, paid plans from $4/month.
Test 1: Scanned PDF (image-only pages)
A 120-page scanned book, no embedded text layer.
| Tool | Result |
|---|---|
| toolkit.bot | ✓ OCR ran automatically. Searchable EPUB with ~98% character accuracy on clean scan. |
| Calibre | ✗ No OCR. Output EPUB contained blank pages — no text extracted. |
| Zamzar | ✗ Output contained image placeholders but no text content. |
| iLovePDF | ✗ Produced an EPUB file but with no readable text — images only. |
Winner: toolkit.bot (only tool with automatic OCR). OCR conversion guide →
Test 2: Two-column academic paper (arXiv-style)
A 20-page two-column research paper from arXiv, with figures and equations.
| Tool | Result |
|---|---|
| toolkit.bot | ✓ Two columns correctly separated. Reading order preserved throughout. |
| Calibre | ✗ Merged both columns into a single stream — alternating sentences from column 1 and column 2. |
| Zamzar | ✗ Similar merging problem — garbled reading order. |
| iLovePDF | ⚠ Column separation attempted but with errors in the middle sections. |
Winner: toolkit.bot. arXiv conversion guide →
Test 3: Report with tables
A 40-page business report with 8 data tables and mixed text/chart sections.
| Tool | Result |
|---|---|
| toolkit.bot | ✓ Tables converted to HTML <table> elements. Structure preserved. |
| Calibre | ⚠ Tables extracted as plain text rows — readable but no visual structure. |
| Zamzar | ⚠ Mixed results — simple tables OK, complex ones garbled. |
| iLovePDF | ⚠ Similar to Zamzar — inconsistent table handling. |
Winner: toolkit.bot.
Test 4: Simple single-column book
A 250-page single-column novel in PDF, clean digital scan.
| Tool | Result |
|---|---|
| toolkit.bot | ✓ Clean reflowable output. Headings detected and structured. |
| Calibre | ✓ Also good output. Slight differences in heading detection. |
| Zamzar | ✓ Adequate for simple files. Paragraph spacing slightly off. |
| iLovePDF | ✓ Adequate. Output quality comparable to Zamzar. |
All tools perform adequately on simple files. Calibre is the best offline option here since it's free and unlimited.
Overall comparison
| toolkit.bot | Calibre | Zamzar | iLovePDF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scanned PDF (OCR) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Multi-column layout | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ⚠ |
| Table preservation | ✓ | ⚠ | ⚠ | ⚠ |
| Simple single-column | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No install required | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free tier | 5/mo | Unlimited | Limited | Limited |
| WCAG accessibility output | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Which tool should you use?
Use toolkit.bot if: your PDF is scanned, has two-column layout (academic papers), or contains data tables. Also the best choice if you need accessibility-compliant EPUB output.
Use Calibre if: you're converting simple single-column books in bulk, want unlimited conversions with no account, and prefer local processing. Calibre comparison guide →
Use Zamzar or iLovePDF if: you occasionally convert simple PDFs and already have an account with one of these services for other file tasks.
Try toolkit.bot on your PDF — scanned, multi-column, or simple.
Convert PDF to EPUB Free →