To convert a MOBI file to Markdown on Windows, add it to MD Factory. Conversion starts right away and saves the book as one Markdown file next to the MOBI, with its illustrations in a folder beside it. The file must be DRM-free.
This works for MOBI books from free libraries such as Project Gutenberg, files you made yourself, and older DRM-free downloads. Books bought in the Kindle Store are a different case, explained below. Our ebook overview compares EPUB, FB2, and MOBI side by side.
Which Kindle files convert
MD Factory reads MOBI files in both versions of the format: the older one and KF8, the newer Kindle format, which can also be stored in a MOBI file. Other Kindle file types are not supported.
| File | In MD Factory |
|---|---|
| MOBI, older version (Project Gutenberg calls it "Older Kindles") | Converts |
| MOBI with KF8 inside (Project Gutenberg calls it "Kindles (kf8)") | Converts |
| AZW, AZW3, AZW4, and other Kindle file types | Listed as Skipped, not converted |
| DRM-protected MOBI | Fails with "Encrypted or DRM-protected books are not supported." |
| MOBI with an unusual compression | Fails with "This MOBI compression is not supported." |
If you have a DRM-free AZW3 file, check whether the place you got it from also offers the book as EPUB or MOBI.
Convert a MOBI file
- Open MD Factory and click Add files, or drag the MOBI file onto the window. For a folder of books, click Add folder.
- Wait for the status: Completed, Needs review, or Failed. Click the status to see what MD Factory found.
- Open the Markdown file next to the MOBI. The illustrations are in a folder beside it:
Books/
book.mobi
book.md
book_images/MD Factory does not change the MOBI file. If it cannot save into the book's folder, it asks where to put the result. When you add a folder, unsupported files appear in the list as Skipped, so you can see which books were left out.
What to check in the result
On October 17, 2026, we converted two Project Gutenberg books with MD Factory, each in both Kindle versions. All four files kept the text, the illustrations inside the chapters, and links that lead to the right part of the book. The structure differed:
| Result | Older Kindles | Kindles (kf8) |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter titles | Plain or bold text, not headings | Heading lines, with the title text on the line below the heading mark |
| Contents and note links | Lead to the exact place | Lead to the start of the section that contains the target |
| Image descriptions (alt text) | Missing | Kept |
| Cover | Not carried over | Not carried over |
| Status | Completed | Needs review |
One of the Needs review messages for the KF8 files was "A book link points to its chapter rather than its exact location." A footnote link then takes you to the start of the notes section, and you find the note there by its number.
- If the same book is also available as EPUB, convert the EPUB. Its links lead to the exact note. Our EPUB guide shows what else to expect.
- If you navigate by headings, fix the chapter titles first: mark them as headings in older-version files, or move each title up onto its heading line in KF8 files.
Can you convert a Kindle Store book?
One way is documented in Amazon's help for publishers: a book that its publisher released without DRM through Kindle Direct Publishing. Since January 20, 2026, buyers of such a book can download it as EPUB or PDF from the Manage Your Content and Devices page on Amazon. Books borrowed through Kindle Unlimited are not eligible. If your book offers that download, convert the EPUB with MD Factory. Our PDF guide covers the PDF route.
Books with DRM stay in Kindle apps and devices. Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use say Kindle content is licensed, not sold, and is used through Kindle software, and the same help for publishers says that DRM limits reading to Kindle apps and devices. MD Factory does not convert DRM-protected books, and this guide does not cover removing DRM.
A converted book is a copy for your own reading notes and research. Converting it does not change what the book's license lets you share.
Where to get DRM-free MOBI files
- Project Gutenberg's book pages offer "Kindles (kf8)" and "Older Kindles" downloads, both as MOBI files, next to EPUB. According to its license page, the books are free of copyright restrictions in the United States, and readers elsewhere should check the laws of their country.
- Your own manuscripts, notes, or documents that you saved as MOBI.
- Older DRM-free MOBI files that authors or publishers distributed directly.
Amazon has moved away from the format. Its MOBI FAQ for publishers says Kindle Direct Publishing stopped accepting MOBI files for new reflowable books on August 1, 2021, and for fixed-layout books on March 18, 2025. The Send to Kindle file list includes EPUB but not MOBI.
To use a converted book with an AI agent that works with files on your PC, follow our guide to preparing documents for AI agents: it shows a folder layout and a short source index.