What is FB2
FB2 (FictionBook 2) is an XML-based format developed in Russia in the early 2000s. Text, metadata, and images are all stored inside a single XML file. This made it easy to create and distribute, which is why it became the dominant format for ebook sharing in Russian-speaking communities.
FB2 works well for plain prose. It doesn't support advanced layout, audio, or video.
What is EPUB
EPUB (Electronic Publication) is the international open standard maintained by the W3C. Under the hood it's a ZIP archive containing HTML, CSS, and image files — similar to a small website. Every major ebook platform except Amazon's own store uses EPUB natively.
EPUB 3, the current version, supports audio, video, and advanced typography.
Device support
| Device / app | EPUB | FB2 |
|---|---|---|
| Kindle | Yes (since 2022) | No |
| Apple Books | Yes | No |
| Kobo | Yes | No |
| PocketBook | Yes | Yes |
| FBReader (Android) | Yes | Yes |
| Google Play Books | Yes | No |
Amazon added EPUB support to the Send to Kindle service in 2022. Before that, Kindle only supported MOBI and AZW formats. FB2 has never been supported by Kindle.
Conversion quality
FB2 stores text cleanly in XML, so conversion to EPUB usually produces good results. Most formatting — paragraphs, italics, basic headers — transfers without issues.
Errors in the output usually come from the source file: non-standard markup, encoding problems, or broken structure in the original FB2. The conversion tool doesn't create errors, the source file brings them in.
Which to use
Stay with FB2 if:
- You read on an app that supports it (PocketBook, FBReader)
- You don't need to send the book to Kindle
Convert to EPUB if:
- You want to read on Kindle
- You need a format that works across all your devices
- You want to edit metadata or cover before reading
How to convert
Upload your FB2 to BooksTuner, check the "Convert to EPUB" checkbox, edit metadata and cover if needed, and click "Next". The converted file is ready in a few seconds.