EbookLib
Ebook library which can handle EPUB2/EPUB3 format
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. EbookLib is a mature, actively maintained library with low install friction, no known vulnerabilities, and a clear use case for anyone working with EPUB files programmatically. The AGPL license is a significant consideration for proprietary projects, but poses no barrier for open-source work. Install it if you need to read, write, or manipulate EPUB files in Python.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with only two runtime dependencies (lxml and six).
- The project is actively maintained with a recent commit on 2026-07-27 and 1802 repository stars.
- Version 0.20 is marked as the final release supporting Python 2.7; future versions will drop legacy support.
License · maintenance · safety
(agpl) — Licensed under AGPL, which requires that any modifications or derivative works using this library must also be released under AGPL. This is a copyleft license with stronger obligations than permissive licenses—suitable for open-source projects but may conflict with proprietary software licensing strategies.
last release 2025-10-26 (292 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-27 · 1,802 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,309,072 downloads/mo, #4,077 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from ebooklib import epub
# Read an EPUB file
book = epub.read_epub('test.epub')
for image in book.get_items_of_type(ebooklib.ITEM_IMAGE):
print(image.get_name())
# Write an EPUB file
book = epub.EpubBook()
book.set_title('My Book')
epub.write_epub('output.epub', book)- Whether the library handles all EPUB3 optional features (e.g., fixed layouts, media overlays, embedded fonts).
- Performance characteristics when processing large EPUB files or batch operations.
- Compatibility with non-standard or corrupted EPUB files in the wild.
What it is and what it does
EbookLib is a Python library for reading and writing EPUB2 and EPUB3 e-book files. It provides a straightforward API to parse EPUB archives, extract content (text, images, metadata), and programmatically construct new e-books from scratch. The library handles the underlying XML structure and ZIP packaging that EPUB files use, exposing a higher-level interface for chapters, metadata, covers, tables of contents, and styling.
The package depends on lxml for XML processing and six for Python 2/3 compatibility (though version 0.20 is the final release supporting Python 2.7). It is actively maintained, supports modern Python versions (3.9–3.13), and is used in production by several open-source projects including Booktype, Marker, and Telemeta. The API is designed to handle both simple operations and complex e-book structures.
Use it for
- Extract all images and text from an existing EPUB file for processing or conversion to another format.
- Programmatically generate EPUB e-books from structured data (e.g., converting Markdown or HTML content into a publishable e-book).
- Modify e-book metadata, add chapters, or rebuild the table of contents in an existing EPUB file.
- Build e-book generation pipelines that produce EPUB output as part of a larger publishing workflow.
- Parse and validate EPUB file structure for quality assurance or compliance checking.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
EbookLib is a mature, actively maintained library with low install friction, no known vulnerabilities, and a clear use case for anyone working with EPUB files programmatically. The AGPL license is a significant consideration for proprietary projects, but poses no barrier for open-source work. Install it if you need to read, write, or manipulate EPUB files in Python.
Install
ebooklib on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with only two runtime dependencies (lxml and six). The project is actively maintained with a recent commit on 2026-07-27 and 1802 repository stars. Version 0.20 is marked as the final release supporting Python 2.7; future versions will drop legacy support.
License in practice
Licensed under AGPL, which requires that any modifications or derivative works using this library must also be released under AGPL. This is a copyleft license with stronger obligations than permissive licenses—suitable for open-source projects but may conflict with proprietary software licensing strategies.
Quickstart
from ebooklib import epub
# Read an EPUB file
book = epub.read_epub('test.epub')
for image in book.get_items_of_type(ebooklib.ITEM_IMAGE):
print(image.get_name())
# Write an EPUB file
book = epub.EpubBook()
book.set_title('My Book')
epub.write_epub('output.epub', book)Verify before relying
- Whether the library handles all EPUB3 optional features (e.g., fixed layouts, media overlays, embedded fonts).
- Performance characteristics when processing large EPUB files or batch operations.
- Compatibility with non-standard or corrupted EPUB files in the wild.
Package facts
| License | Not declared agpl |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=2.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packageslxmlsix |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 292 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,309,072 / month, #4,077 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: GNU Affero General Public License v3 or later (AGPLv3+)Operating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: ebooklib-0.20-py3-none-any.whl
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