FBReader 2.1 has been released for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with the team behind the eBook reading app calling it “a major update for desktop platforms”.

If you’re not familiar with FBReader it’s a Qt-based ebook reader with customisation options, an ebook library, and integration with online sources to download free eBooks. The FB in the name is for FictionBook1, the .fb2 ebook format favoured by the app author.

FBReader was open-source software until 2015, after which it transition to freeware for Windows, macOS, and Linux (closed source, but free), and freemium for Android and iOS (free version limited, paid version available).

Older, open-source versions of FBReader are still around but the 2.x series is said to offer improved text formatting and EPUB parsing, more options (like optional cloud sync for bookmarks, page position, etc), online catalogues (OPDS), and a more modern design.

FBReader 2.1: What’s New?

The latest release in action on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

The headline draw in FBReader 2.1 is the addition of Readium LCP, enabling this ebook reader to open DRM-protected EPUB files purchased from online stores and imported into the app.

While DRM isn’t popular, it exists. And of all the DRM implementations out there, Readium LCP is at least mostly open-source, privacy-respecting, and vendor-neutral.

Other changes in FBReader 2.1:

  • Option to save network passwords in-app
  • Ability to edit existing bookmark text2
  • Opt-in request to allow data usage collection
  • Updated to Qt 6.7.2
  • Slovenian translations

Plus the usual miscellaneous bag of bug fixes (the Linux bug where the book window was rendered black when first opened has been solved), UI tweaks, and other performance buffs.

Download FBReader

As mentioned, FBReader is free, closed-source software. You can download the latest release from the official website for Windows, macOS3, and Linux.

Older versions of FBReader are available on the Canonical Snap Store, but no new updates are bound there. Instead, AppImage is now the official distribution method for FBReader on Linux. Those, along with Windows and macOS builds, can be had from the official website.

Worth using?

FBreader has a wide range of features

FBReader isn’t a rival to Calibre in terms of features, but nonetheless offers a competent feature set, supports most common ebook formats (but not comics or PDF), and the clean UI makes eBook management easy – more like a Qt version of Foliate, in some ways.

The ability to add any OPDS link is handy, as it allows you to expand the range of sources to download eBooks (free and paid) from, and the optional cloud sync is handy for keeping reading position, bookmarks, etc in sync across all platforms you use it.

So if any of that intrigues you, be sure to grab a copy!

  1. An earlier version of this article stated ‘FB’ stood for ‘Favorite Book’. My bad; the strap-line shown under the logo on the website reads ‘Favorite Book Reader’, so I assumed… ↩︎
  2. But this doesn’t work for me in the Linux build ↩︎
  3. Also available on the Mac App Store but that version does not include online eBook downloads/purchases per Apple’s roolz ↩︎