Many eBooks are protected by a digital rights management (DRM) system. Fortunately, it is possible to remove DRM from eBooks. There are many tools that make the DRM removal process simple and straightforward.
Here are some of the best ways to remove DRM from your eBooks.
What is digital rights management and why is it bad?
In theory, GDN prevents the unlicensed copying and distribution of eBook files, thus safeguarding the commercial interests of the various parties involved. DRM is also available for video games, ensuring that what you are playing is legitimate.
However, DRM is a nightmare for consumers. It can prevent you from reading an eBook on all your devices, even if you bought it legitimately.
For example, if you buy an eBook from the Kindle Store, you can only read it on Kindle eReaders or the Kindle app. You will have problems if you decide to switch to a third-party player or want to use another player app on your smartphone.
The solution is to use a DRM removal tool. Don’t worry, it’s not illegal. Here’s a rundown of the best DRM removal apps available today.
1. Gauge
Available on: Windows, Mac, Linux
Caliber is the best app for organizing and managing your eBook collection. You can use it to edit a book’s metadata, convert an eBook to different formats, and even download news and magazine articles to your eReader device.
Thanks to the presence of plugins, you can also use Caliber to remove DRM from almost any ebook you own. However, keep in mind that the tool will not work with Apple Books or Overdrive.
It’s also a bit more complicated to set up than some of the options we’ll cover shortly. You have to configure the plugins correctly, while other tools use a one-click solution.
Discharge : Gauge (Free)
2. Epubor
Available on: Windows, Mac
Epubor has several DRM removal apps. But for most people, All DRM Removal tool is the right one.
It allows you to remove DRM restrictions from Kindle books, Adobe books, Nook books, Kobo books and any books purchased from Google Play. Again, books purchased from the Apple store are not supported.
The app is easy to use, with a simple drag and drop interface. Batch deletion is also supported, so if you have a collection of thousands of books, you don’t need to deal with each one individually, that’s a huge time saver.
You can even use the app to send books directly to your reader. (Note: If you need to convert eBooks between the different formats, check out the Epubor Ultimate tool from the same company.)
A free trial is available. Thereafter, you will have to pay $20 for a full license.
Discharge : Epubor All DRM Removal ($20, free trial available)
3. Any eBook Converter
Available on: Windows
If you want to have a unique tool to remove DRM from eBooks that you have bought from many stores, you may need to pay for this privilege.
One of the best apps for this job is Any eBook Converter. You can remove DRM restrictions on Kindle, Adobe, Nook and Kobo books. In total, this tool supports 24 different eBook formats, including EPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW, TXT, KFX, PRC, HTMLZ, and DOC. The app supports bulk deletion.
Apart from its DRM removal capabilities, Any eBook Converter also has other useful features.
For example, you can edit an eBook’s metadata (including title, author, publisher, data, identifiers, and language). You can also convert your eBooks to different formats, allowing you to read them on any eReader device/application you use. Editing and conversion can only be done after removing DRM restrictions.
Discharge : Any eBook Converter ($59.99 for a lifetime license, with another license at $14.95/month or $29.99/year)
4. Ebook Converter
Available on: Windows, Mac
eBook Converter is one of the best eBook DRM removal apps you can find on the web. The app is an all-in-one solution, which means it works with Kindle DRM, ADEPT Adobe Digital editions DRM, Barnes Noble NOOK eBooks, and even EPUB, PDF, and ACSM files from public libraries.
There is an automatic import feature, so you can move your entire eBook collection into the app with just one click. One-click conversion is also supported, which means you don’t have to dig through settings menus and fiddle with endless settings to get the desired result.
You have to pay $20 for lifetime access to the app.
Discharge : Ebook Converter ($20)
5. Smooth Discovery
Available on: Windows, Mac
DiscoverySoft’s eBook DRM Removal app will allow you to play DRM-protected content on any player, computer, tablet or mobile phone, thanks to its powerful set of features.
One of the main features of the app is the ability to import eBooks from the Kindle for PC app, as well as Nook for PC and Adobe Digital Editions, all with a single click.
Amazon Kindle books published after January 3, 2023 can no longer be downloaded using the Kindle app for PC.
The most popular eBook formats are supported, including EPUB, PDF, and AZW. The app is available on Windows and Mac, but unfortunately it is not free. You will need to pay $20 for a license.
Discharge : DiscoverySoft ($20)
6.Leawo Prof.DRM
Available on: Windows, Mac
The last tool on the list is Leawo Prof. DRM (previously known as Leawo TunesCopy Ultimate).
The app uses speed as its main selling point – it claims to be up to 50 times faster than some of the other DRM removal solutions we’ve reviewed. It won’t make a huge difference for a single book, but if you’re working with thousands of books, the time savings can be significant.
In addition to eBooks, Leawo Prof. DRM also works with audio tracks, subtitles, music ID tags, Audible audiobooks, and more.
However, additional features come at a cost. Lifetime access is $130; a one-year plan costs $80.
Discharge : Leawo Prof DRM ($130)
7.ViAssistant
Available on: Mac
If you’re looking to remove DRM from an Apple book, ViWizard might be your best bet. Fortunately, it’s quite affordable and retains the quality of the iBook once it’s converted. It also supports batch conversion, which helps convert your entire library quickly.
As of this writing, ViWizard only works for Apple iBooks and is only available on Mac. And while it lacks fancy features like editing meta information, it’s still the best tool for your iBooks collection.
ViWizard offers many different tools that you have to purchase separately, but if you just want to take care of your iBooks, you should settle for iBook Copy DRM Tool for Mac.
Discharge : ViWizard ($30)
What is the best way to remove DRM from eBooks?
The apps we’ve talked about here should be able to remove DRM from almost any eBook you own. But what is the best way to remove DRM from your eBooks?
We give Caliber top marks; it pays to have a single app that can take care of all your eBook management needs. And besides the DRM removal plugin, there are countless other plugins that will allow you to enhance the application and customize it according to your needs.
However, from a DRM removal perspective, Caliber is the most difficult to implement. If you prefer a simpler solution, try one of the web apps that support one-click DRM removal.
On the other hand, if you want to remove DRM from an iBook, ViWizard is the best option on the list.