Public domain depends on the country
Most free ebook libraries offer books whose copyright has run out. But copyright terms differ by country, so a book can be free to download in one country and still protected in another. The sources say so themselves:
| Source | Status as stated | Note for other countries |
|---|---|---|
| Project Gutenberg | Not restricted by copyright in the United States | Check the laws of the country you live in |
| LibriVox | Public domain in the USA | Check the status in your country before downloading |
| Faded Page | Public domain in Canada | Make sure you are not breaking your country's copyright law |
| Project Gutenberg Australia | Public domain in Australia | Not stated |
Project Gutenberg also notes that the catalog is sometimes wrong, so check the license inside each ebook.
Borrow new books with a library card
For recent books, your public library is the legal free source. Libby says it is completely free, with no subscription fees, in-app purchases or late fees; all you need is a library card. Titles return on their own on the due date.
Open Library lends books to anyone with a free account: up to ten books at a time, with one-hour browsing loans or 14-day loans when a book is fully borrowable, and one reader per copy at a time.
Free textbooks and academic books
- OpenStax: textbooks free to read online or download as a PDF, used by colleges and high schools. Printed copies cost extra.
- DOAB: an index of over 109,500 peer-reviewed open access books, with all services free of charge.
- Unglue.it: ebooks that authors and publishers released under Creative Commons licenses.
- Wikisource: source texts that are in the public domain or legally available for free redistribution.
If you quote a book in an essay, the citation generator formats the reference in APA, MLA or Chicago style.
Free reading tools on this site
- Text to speech: have a passage read aloud with the voices on your device.
- Citation generator: cite books and articles in APA, MLA and Chicago.
- Flashcard maker: turn what you read into study cards.
- Focus timer: read in focused blocks.
- Printable reading log: keep track of the books you finish.
We opened each source's own about, license, FAQ or help page on 2026-10-21, without signing up, and wrote down the terms as stated. For free courses rather than books, see our free online courses list.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I download free ebooks legally?
Project Gutenberg offers more than 75,000 free ebooks, and Standard Ebooks offers carefully formatted public domain ebooks. Both are free of US copyright restrictions; outside the US, check your country's copyright law. Your public library lends newer books for free through apps like Libby.
Where can I get free audiobooks?
LibriVox offers free audiobooks of public domain books read by volunteers, and says all its recordings are public domain in the USA. Lit2Go has free stories and poems in MP3 format. Libby lends digital audiobooks from your public library with a library card.
Do I need a library card for Libby?
Yes. Libby's help page says all you need to get started is a library card, and borrowing requires a valid one. The app itself is free, with no subscription fees, in-app purchases or late fees.
Are free textbooks really free?
OpenStax says every textbook is free to read online or download as a PDF; only a printed copy costs money. DOAB says all its services are free of charge and indexes over 109,500 peer-reviewed open access books.
Can I share or reuse public domain ebooks?
Usually, but check the terms. Standard Ebooks dedicates its own work to the public domain under CC0. Project Gutenberg's name is a trademark: if you charge for copies that use its name, royalties apply, but you can share the books after removing its license and name.