Ebooks conversion
Convert EPUB to RTF
Updated Jul 2026
EPUB is the reflowable format most e-readers and reading apps use, while RTF is a plain rich text format that almost any word processor can open. To convert EPUB to RTF, 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 to make the switch.
- Extension
- .epub
- Type
- Ebooks
- Typically
- Most e-readers
- Extension
- .rtf
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Cross-app rich text
Convert EPUB to RTF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert EPUB to RTF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the EPUB file, or a whole folder of them, to convert several books at once.
- Choose RTF as the output format.
- Convert. The RTF file is written right next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
EPUB vs RTF: what actually changes
| EPUB | RTF | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens everywhere | Widely supported by e-readers and reading apps | Yes, opens in nearly any word processor |
| File size | Compact, images and text are compressed together | Larger, RTF stores text and formatting with little compression |
| Text reflows to screen size | Yes, adapts to any screen or font size | No, laid out more like a fixed document |
| Chapter navigation and table of contents | Yes, built in | Not preserved as clickable navigation |
| Editable in a word processor | No, not natively | Yes, that's what RTF is built for |
| Keeps embedded images | Yes | Yes, images carry over into the document |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert EPUB to RTF when you need to edit, annotate, or quote from a book's text in a word processor, or when you're preparing excerpts for a document that has to open on almost any computer.
Keep the EPUB if you're reading the book on a phone, tablet, or e-reader, since RTF drops the reflowable layout and chapter navigation that make long-form reading comfortable.
Why not just use an online converter?
Ebooks often carry personal or purchased content you'd rather not hand to a third party just to change its format. An online converter means uploading the whole book to a stranger's server and trusting them to delete it afterward. Converting on your own computer keeps the file, and whatever's in it, on your machine the entire time.
Questions
Does converting EPUB to RTF lose anything?
The text itself carries over, but EPUB's reflowable layout, chapter navigation, and table of contents don't translate into RTF, which is a fixed document format rather than a reading format.
Will images inside the EPUB show up in the RTF?
Yes, embedded images are carried into the RTF document along with the text.
Can I edit the converted file afterward?
Yes, that's the main reason to convert to RTF. It opens in essentially any word processor and is meant to be edited, unlike EPUB.
Is RTF a good format for reading a whole book?
Not really. RTF doesn't reflow text to your screen or remember your place the way a reading app does, so it's better suited to short excerpts or editing than to reading start to finish.
Can this be done without uploading the book anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file locally, so the book's contents never travel over the internet. You can do it with your wifi off.
Morphjet converts EPUB, RTF, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.