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How to Get Free Ebooks Through Project Gutenberg

Lance Whitney
 & Lance Whitney Contributor

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You can find and download ebooks from a variety of websites, but Project Gutenberg offers a wide array of ebooks for free.

The site has more than 54,000 free ebooks, which you can download or read online. You'll find books in several formats, including plain text, HTML, PDF, EPUB, and Kindle. The site even serves up audio books (both computer-generated and human-read) as MP3 files, Apple iTunes audio files, and Ogg Vorbis audio files.

Named after the man who brought printing to Europe, Project Gutenberg is home to ebooks in the public domain so you'll discover a lot of the classics here. Browse its vast library of books or search for specific books by title and other criteria. Here's how to use Project Gutenberg.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.

Search

Open your favorite browser and surf to the Project Gutenberg website. The site starts off by displaying some of its latest books. But let's say you have a particular title in mind. Type the title into the search box under "search for books" on the left-hand side and hit Enter.

Sort Results

Assuming the book is housed in the site's library, Project Gutenberg returns with a list of search results matching the title. The titles are displayed based on popularity but you can change that to sort them alphabetically or by release date.

View or Download

Depending on the book, you may see selections available as both text and audio. Click on the selection you wish to see. The site brings up a page where you can view the book online or download it in one of several formats.

Read Online

Clicking on the HTML or plain text format allows you to read the books online.

Download

If you instead wish to download the book, click on one of the other formats, such as EPUB or Kindle (MOBI). You then receive a prompt to download the book.

This PCMag story explains how to get MOBI files and PDF files onto your Kindle or on any device running the free Kindle app, such as an iPhone, iPad, Android device, PC, or Mac. The basic process involves emailing the file or copying it to your Kindle or other device via your computer.

Book Categories

Okay, now let's say you just want to browse the Project Gutenberg library in search of titles. Return to the Project Gutenberg home page. Click on the link for "Book categories." You'll see a list of subcategories as well as pages on specific topics. Click on a subcategory that interests you.

Page

Then click on a page that interests you.

Titles

Scroll down the list of titles until you find one that intrigues you. Click on it and you'll again see a page where you can read the book online or download it in a specific format.

Browse Catalog

Return to the Project Gutenberg home page. Click on the link to "Browse catalog." Here you can browse books by author, title, language or those recently posted. You can also scour the site's top 100 books (Spoiler: People love Pride and Prejudice.)

Subpages

Project Gutenberg offers other cool and helpful options. Scroll down the home page, and you'll see links for a variety of subpages. You can look specifically for audio books, get or create a CD or DVD of ebooks, learn how to download books on different mobile devices, and download a catalog of books that you can search offline. Finally, even though the books available through Project Gutenberg are free, the site asks you to donate whatever money you can to support its development.

Ereaders

For more, check out PCMag's roundup of the Best eReaders.

About Our Expert

Lance Whitney

Lance Whitney

Contributor

My Experience

I've been working for PCMag since early 2016 writing tutorials, how-to pieces, and other articles on consumer technology. Beyond PCMag, I've written news stories and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, PC World, Time, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I spent seven years writing breaking news for CNET as one of the site’s East Coast reporters. I've also written two books for Wiley & Sons—Windows 8: Five Minutes at a Time and Teach Yourself Visually LinkedIn.

My Areas of Expertise

I've used Windows, Office, and other Microsoft products for years so I'm well versed in that world. I also know the Mac quite well. I'm always working with iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and Android on my various mobile devices. And these days, I write a lot about AI, so that's become another key area for me.

The Tech I Use

My wife always jokes about all the tech products we have around the house, but I manage to put them to good use for my articles. I like Lenovo computers, so I own a couple of Lenovo desktops and several laptops. I have three MacBooks and a Mac mini. For my mobile life and work, I use an iPhone 16 Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad mini as well as an Apple Watch. But since I write about Android, I own several Android phones and tablets. Like any tech person, I have a cabinet full of cables, wires, and assorted mysterious gadgets. And when it's time to take a break from writing, I have an old Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, both of which I use for exercise and fitness games.

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