Ebooks conversion
Convert AZW to Markdown
AZW is the ebook format used by older Kindle devices, and Markdown is plain text with light formatting marks that any text editor or note app can read. To convert AZW to Markdown, open the file in a converter and export it as Markdown. Doing this on your own computer means the book never has to leave your machine.
All 2,748 conversions verified on macOS, Windows, and Linux against the shipping release, this one included. Every conversion runs entirely on your own computer.
- Extension
- .azw
- Type
- Ebooks
- Typically
- Older Kindle books
- Extension
- .md
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Docs, READMEs, notes
Convert AZW to Markdown on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
One-time purchase, no subscription. 14 days to change your mind.
How to convert AZW to Markdown
- Open Morphjet and drag in the AZW file, or a whole folder of them, if you're converting several books at once.
- Choose Markdown as the output format.
- Convert. The Markdown file is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
AZW vs Markdown: what actually changes
| AZW | Markdown | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Larger, includes formatting, layout, and images | Much smaller, plain text |
| Formatting | Fixed page layout, fonts, embedded images | Basic only, headings, bold, italic, and links as text symbols |
| Opens everywhere | No, needs a Kindle app or an older Kindle device | Yes, any text editor, notes app, or code editor reads it |
| Editability | Hard to edit, proprietary format | Easy, it's just text |
| Copy protection | Often present on books bought from Amazon | None, once converted it's plain text |
| Images and highlights | Embedded in the book, plus separate Kindle annotations | Not carried over |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert AZW to Markdown when you want the text of an old Kindle book somewhere you can search, edit, or drop into notes, a wiki, or a writing tool, especially since AZW is an older format that fewer apps still open.
Keep the AZW original if you care about the book's page layout, embedded images, or your Kindle highlights and bookmarks, none of which come across to Markdown.
Why not just use an online converter?
An online converter means uploading your ebook, and whatever personal reading material it contains, to a server you don't control. Converting AZW to Markdown on your own computer keeps the file local the whole time, which matters for anything you'd rather not hand over to a random web service.
Questions
Does converting AZW to Markdown lose formatting?
Yes, some of it. Markdown only supports basic formatting like headings, bold, and italic, so page layout, fonts, and embedded images don't carry over. What you get is the book's text, cleanly structured.
Will my highlights and notes come over too?
No. Kindle highlights and notes are stored separately from the book file itself, so they aren't included in the conversion.
Can I convert any Kindle book I've bought?
Only if the file isn't copy protected. Many books bought from Amazon have DRM attached, and no converter, including Morphjet, can open a DRM-locked file. This works on AZW files that are DRM-free.
Can I convert AZW to Markdown without uploading the file anywhere?
Yes. Morphjet converts it on your own computer, so the ebook never travels over the internet. You could do it with the wifi off.
Why is AZW hard to open these days?
AZW is an older Kindle format that Amazon has largely moved on from in favor of AZW3, so fewer current apps and devices support it. Converting it to Markdown gives you a plain-text copy that's readable anywhere, indefinitely.
Morphjet runs this conversion and 2,747 others, all on your machine. Available now.
One-time purchase, no subscription. 14 days to change your mind.