Ebooks conversion
Convert MOBI to RTF
Updated Jul 2026
MOBI is the ebook format used by older Kindles, and RTF is a plain rich text format that word processors open. To convert, open the file in a converter and export it as RTF. Doing this on your own computer means the book's text never has to be uploaded anywhere.
- Extension
- .mobi
- Type
- Ebooks
- Typically
- Older Kindles
- Extension
- .rtf
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Cross-app rich text
Convert MOBI to RTF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert MOBI to RTF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the MOBI file, or a whole folder of them, you want to convert.
- Choose RTF as the output format.
- Convert. The RTF file is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
MOBI vs RTF: what actually changes
| MOBI | RTF | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens in | E-readers and Kindle apps | Word processors like Word, Pages, or a free office suite |
| File size | Smaller, built for e-readers | Larger, plain text markup |
| Reflowable text | Yes, adjusts to screen size and font | No, laid out like a fixed document |
| Editing the text | Not really, meant for reading, not editing | Yes, freely editable in any word processor |
| Table of contents / navigation | Yes, built-in chapter jumps | No, becomes plain headings at best |
| Images | Yes, embedded | Yes, embedded, but simplified |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert MOBI to RTF when you want to edit an ebook's text in a word processor, pull quotes out of it, or turn the content into a document rather than just read it.
Keep the MOBI if you're still planning to read the book on a Kindle or e-reader app, since RTF drops the reflow and page navigation that make long reading comfortable on those devices.
Why not just use an online converter?
A MOBI file can carry personal notes and highlights along with the book's text. Uploading it to a browser-based converter sends all of that to a server you don't control. Converting on your own computer keeps the book, and anything you've marked up in it, on your own machine.
Questions
Does converting MOBI to RTF lose any formatting?
Basic text, paragraphs, and embedded images carry over cleanly. Ebook-only features like the table of contents, reflowable layout, and page navigation don't carry across, since RTF is a plain document format, not an e-reader format.
Will a MOBI bought from an online store convert?
Only if it isn't copy-protected. Books with DRM attached from a retailer won't convert. This works for MOBI files you created yourself or that don't have that protection.
Why convert an ebook to RTF instead of just reading it?
Usually because you want to edit the text, copy passages into another document, or work with the content in a word processor rather than a reading app.
Does the RTF keep the book's title and author info?
Not automatically. RTF doesn't have the same metadata fields as an ebook, so that information usually needs to be added back in manually, for example as a title page.
Can I convert MOBI to RTF without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts on your own computer, so the file never travels over the internet.
Morphjet converts MOBI, RTF, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.