Readest is a modern, feature-rich ebook reader designed for avid readers offering seamless cross-platform access, powerful tools, and an intuitive interface to elevate your reading experience.
Publisher’s description
What is Readest?
Readest by bilingify is open-source Windows software in the e-book readers category. It ranks 25th by popularity among e-book readers in this catalogue. It is written in TypeScript. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit and ARM64 Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.12.16, released on October 13, 2026. The version history goes back to December 1, 2024: 86 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 46 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (readest/readest) has 25,514 stars. On Windows it registers 7 file types, including .pdf, .epub, .cbz, .mobi and .fb2. Similar programs include calibre, SumatraPDF and Sigil.
Project description on GitHub: “Readest is a modern, feature-rich ebook reader designed for avid readers offering seamless cross-platform access, powerful tools, and an intuitive interface to elevate your reading experience.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 46 a year)
- Also runs on Linux
- Large user base
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Readest is an open-source e-book reader tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- Multi-format support for EPUB, MOBI, KF8 (AZW3), FB2, CBZ, TXT, and PDF (experimental).
- Switch between scrolling or paginated reading modes for your preferred reading style.
- Full-text search across the entire book to find relevant sections quickly.
- Add highlights, bookmarks, and notes to enhance your reading experience and learning.
- Easily excerpt text from books for detailed notes and analysis.
- Instantly look up words and terms with built-in dictionary and Wikipedia integration.
- Translate selected text instantly using DeepL for accurate translations.
- Parallel Reading: Read two books or documents simultaneously in a split-screen view, perfect for researchers, language learners, and multitaskers.
- Customize fonts, layout, theme mode, and theme colors for a personalized reading experience.
- Cross-platform synchronization of book files, reading progress, notes, and bookmarks across all supported platforms.
- Text-to-Speech functionality for a more accessible reading experience.
- Organize, sort, and manage your entire ebook library with advanced library management tools.
- One-click file association to quickly open files in Readest from your file browser.
AppStream · Flathub
Is Readest safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
8F2856A2DE3679C92639228064E8832A79011736762B0DE9B7D3EB600911680A· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the readest/readest repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 24, 2026.
- No dangerous workflows10
- Dependency update tool10
- Restricted token permissions10
- Security policy10
- Actively maintained10
- Licence declared10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Pinned dependencies10
- Published packages10
- Fuzzing10
- Contributors from several organisations10
- Tests in CI9
- Signed releases8
- Static code analysis8
- Code review4
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge2
- No known vulnerabilities0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 86 versions ›86 versions over 2 years · about 46 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.12.16Latest | October 13, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.12.12 | October 4, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.12.10 | September 21, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.12.8 | September 7, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.12.6 | August 28, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.12.1 | August 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.11.20 | July 19, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.11.18 | July 7, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id chrox.Readest -escoop install extras/readestReadest_0.12.16_x64-setup.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask readestflatpak install flathub com.bilingify.readestInformation
- Publisher
- bilingify
- Category
- E-book readers
- Licence
- AGPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/readest/readest
- Written in
- TypeScript
- Content rating
- 13+
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 0.12.16
- Released
- October 13, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- December 18, 2024
- Versions listed
- 86
- Updates / year
- 46.1
- GitHub stars
- 25,514
- GitHub forks
- 1,738
- Website
- readest.com
- winget ID
- chrox.Readest
- Scoop package
- extras/readest
File types it opens (7)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Readest
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Open source1.5M ↓ -
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Sigil2.8.1Sigil is a free, open source, multi-platform ebook editor that uses Qt (and QtWebEngine). It is designed to edit books in ePub format (both ePub 2 and ePub 3).Open source34.5K ↓ -
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Suwayomi Serverv2.4.2366A free and open source manga reader that runs extensions built for Mihon(Tachiyomi).Open source4.7K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Readest free?
Yes. Readest is open-source software under the AGPL-3.0 licence.
Is Readest safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Readest with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Readest be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Readest run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of Readest?
The versions page lists all 86 versions with links to their official installer files, back to December 1, 2024.
Can I use Readest without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Readest?
calibre, SumatraPDF, Sigil, BlueGriffon and Kindle Comic Converter. The alternatives page compares them.
