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ahpxex/read-aware

An open-source, local-first ebook reader for macOS, Windows, Linux, Android and iOS, with a built-in AI agent and sandboxed plugins.

Open-source alternative to:KindleApple Books

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Last commit
yesterday

What is it?

ReadAware is an ebook reader that works fully offline, with or without AI. It opens EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2, PDF, TXT, HTML, CBZ and CBR files under one reading, selection, annotation and progress model, without converting formats. Its reading view is sentence by sentence, and users can underline, highlight and write notes while reading.

At the center is a single agent that answers questions about the passage you are reading, looks up words, and builds a memory from books, notes and conversations. Plugins extend both the reader and the agent. They are sandboxed and permission-gated, and can add read-aloud voices, themes, dictionaries, RSS-style feeds, commands and new agent tools. A built-in marketplace distributes them.

Sync covers books, progress, annotations, conversations and memory across devices, with end-to-end encryption. Data can go through the ReadAware relay or a user-supplied WebDAV server. The data model is local-first: the local SQLite store is the source of truth, and search uses SQLite FTS rather than a vector database.

Key features

  • 01Reads EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2, PDF, TXT, HTML, CBZ and CBR without format conversion.
  • 02Sentence-by-sentence reading view with highlights, underlines and notes.
  • 03Single AI agent that answers questions in context and keeps memory across books.
  • 04Sandboxed, permission-gated plugins for voices, themes, dictionaries, feeds and agent tools.
  • 05End-to-end encrypted sync through the ReadAware relay or a self-hosted WebDAV server.
  • 06Offline-first operation with changes merged when reconnected.

Use cases

  • Reading foreign-language books with in-page dictionary lookups and AI explanations.
  • Studying technical or academic ebooks while keeping notes and vocabulary organized.
  • Keeping one library across macOS, Android and other devices with encrypted sync.
  • Using a self-hosted WebDAV server to keep reading data off third-party clouds.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Open the latest release page and download the build for your platform

  2. 2

    Install and open the downloaded file; the app works offline with or without AI

Things to know

  • Licensed under AGPL-3.0, a copyleft license that requires derivative works to be shared under the same terms.
  • iOS is available only through the public TestFlight beta; App Store distribution is not available yet.
  • Windows and Linux builds are available but still need broader real-world testing.

Topics

#ebook-reader#epub#pdf#ai-agent#plugins#local-first#end-to-end-encryption#tauri#ai#android

FAQ

What is read-aware?
An open-source, local-first ebook reader for macOS, Windows, Linux, Android and iOS, with a built-in AI agent and sandboxed plugins. ReadAware is an ebook reader that works fully offline, with or without AI. It opens EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2, PDF, TXT, HTML, CBZ and CBR files under one reading, selection, annotation and progress model, without converting formats. Its reading view is sentence by sentence, and users can underline, highlight and write notes while reading.
Is read-aware free to use? What license does it have?
read-aware is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is read-aware still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to read-aware was on Oct 21, 2026.
What can I use read-aware for?
Reading foreign-language books with in-page dictionary lookups and AI explanations. Studying technical or academic ebooks while keeping notes and vocabulary organized. Keeping one library across macOS, Android and other devices with encrypted sync. Using a self-hosted WebDAV server to keep reading data off third-party clouds.
How do I install read-aware?
Open the latest release page and download the build for your platform Install and open the downloaded file; the app works offline with or without AI
Where can I get read-aware?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/ahpxex/read-aware

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