Ebooks conversion
Convert AZW3 to RTF
Updated Jul 2026
AZW3 is Amazon's Kindle ebook format, and RTF is a plain rich text document that opens in nearly any word processor. To convert, run the AZW3 file through a converter that exports it as RTF. Doing this on your own computer keeps the book's text off someone else's server, and works even without an internet connection.
- Extension
- .azw3
- Type
- Ebooks
- Typically
- Kindle
- Extension
- .rtf
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Cross-app rich text
Convert AZW3 to RTF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert AZW3 to RTF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the AZW3 ebook you want to convert. Add a single file or a whole folder of books at once.
- Choose RTF as the output format.
- Convert. The RTF file is written right next to the original, and nothing leaves your machine.
AZW3 vs RTF: what actually changes
| AZW3 | RTF | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens in | Kindle apps and devices only | Nearly any word processor |
| File size | Smaller, ebook-compressed | Larger, plain formatting markup |
| Editable text | No, meant for reading, not editing | Yes, fully editable |
| Reflow and pagination | Yes, adjusts to screen and font size | No, fixed like a regular document |
| Quality | Lossless | Lossless |
| Book metadata (title, author, cover) | Yes, stored for your Kindle library | Mostly lost, only plain text remains |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert AZW3 to RTF when you want to edit a book's text in a word processor, pull quotes for notes, or turn a manuscript into an editable document instead of just reading it.
Keep the AZW3 if you plan to keep reading it on a Kindle app or device, since RTF drops the reflow, pagination, and Kindle-specific formatting that make long-form reading comfortable.
Why not just use an online converter?
An online converter means uploading the full text of your book, notes and all, to a server you don't control. Converting AZW3 to RTF on your own computer keeps the words on your machine the whole time, which matters if the file is a personal manuscript, a marked-up draft, or anything else you'd rather not hand to a third party. It also works with no internet connection at all.
Questions
Does converting AZW3 to RTF lose any text or formatting?
The text itself carries over intact. Basic formatting like bold, italics, and paragraph breaks usually survives, but Kindle-specific features like reflowable layout, embedded fonts, and page sync to other devices don't carry over, since RTF is a plain document format, not an e-reader format.
Can I convert a Kindle book I bought from Amazon?
It depends on whether the file has DRM protection. Personal notes, drafts, or AZW3 files without DRM convert fine. Most books purchased through Amazon are DRM-protected, and no converter, including Morphjet, is meant to remove that protection.
Will chapter headings and the table of contents come through?
Chapter titles usually appear as plain text headings in the RTF. A clickable table of contents like you'd see in a Kindle app typically does not, since RTF doesn't have the same navigation structure.
Can this be done without uploading the file anywhere?
Yes. Morphjet converts the file locally on your Mac or Windows computer, so the book's contents never travel over the internet or sit on someone else's server.
Morphjet converts AZW3, RTF, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.