Now, eBook readers are mainstream and so are multiple eBook formats. Authors and readers both have a bounty of options to choose from when it comes to popular eBook formats. Is it confusing? Sometimes.. but not if you take time out to understand the difference between EPUB, MOBI, AZW and PDF eBook Formats. (image credit:jblyberg)

EPUB

The EPUB format is probably the most common of all the formats and is widely supported across all platforms. Most eReaders like Apple’s iBooks, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Adobe Digital Editions, Aldiko on Android among others (nearly 300) support.epub files. Amazon Kindle so far does not, but it might change very soon.  The EPUB format is an open standard. That means it is free and publicly available though there are specific rules for its usage. The EPUB standard is maintained by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), a global trade and standards organization.

EPUB can display reflowable content (that can adjust its presentation to the output device) and also fixed width layout. It is very similar in appearance to HTML rendered pages with images.

MOBI

The Mobipocket ebook format is another open standard for eBook publishing. It was bought by Amazon. It is also cross-platform. eBooks in this format can have the .prc or .mobi extension.

MOBI formats can take complex content, include advanced navigation controls, supports indexing and a high degree of compression. For instance, readers can add their own pages, freehand drawings, annotations, highlights, bookmarks, corrections, and notes if devices support it. It can also include a dictionary. MOBI formats are suited for smaller screens because the image size limitation of 64K. The image size and image format (GIF) puts the format at odds with larger display devices like tablets.

MOBI can also display reflowable content and fixed width layout.

AZW

AZW is a proprietary format developed by Amazon specifically for the Kindle eBook reader. It has its roots in the MOBI format but has better compression and encryptionapart from a few more changes. The AZW format has found its place in many platforms with Kindle reading apps apart from Kindle. But AZW files can only be obtained from the Amazon online bookstore.

AZW format is DRM (Digital Rights Management) restricted and is locked to the device id which is registered automatically with the user account of the Kindle purchaser. But DRM free books also carry the AZW extension but they are really no different from MOBI files.

PDF

Adobe’s pet format – the Portable Document Format or PDF is one of the oldest eBook formats and the most used. It was made open from 2001. The PDF format supports fixed width layout and reflowable content. Because of their commonness, many tools exist to create, edit, and secure PDF documents. For instance, you can easily convert webpages to PDF and keep them archived.

PDF files can be digitally signed and securely locked against editing and this has also promoted there use along with the fact that they are viewable and printable on virtually any platform. PDF format is preferred because PDF files preserve the original layout of any document which has any type of data – text, drawings, multimedia, video, 3D, maps, full-color graphics, photos, and even business logic.

Conclusion

Multiple formats can confuse us. But the good thing is that tools exist that can help usconvert PDF to EPUB, MOBI or HTML or convert PDF for Kindle readers. We hope this basic guide has helped to give you an understanding of all the popular eBook formats out there. Which one do you use most often.