Answers.Body: <p>As far as I know (but I'm not a kindle user, so I can't tell you first-hand), you can side-load books from other sources (i.e. Project Gutenberg or MobileRead), privided that they are in a format recognized by the Kindle (they should be MOBI and AZW3); if you have books in other formats, you can easily convert them by using Calibre.</p>
  
  <p>See here: <a href="http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/FAQ_Amazon_Kindle#Q%3a_Can_I_buy_and_read_books_from_stores_other_than_Amazon.2C_or_am_I_tied_to_Amazon.3F" rel="nofollow">link</a>, <a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93548" rel="nofollow">link</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-21T15:20:10.173Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-12-21T15:20:10.173Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sekhemty
Answers.Body: <p>In my experience I'm able to download .mobi files directly to various Kindle models. The web site needs to include appropriate meta-data with the HTTP response (which includes the ebook). </p>
  
  <p>As an example try the following web site <a href="http://www.munseys.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.munseys.com/</a> and one book I picked from the homepage <a href="http://www.munseys.com/book/35352/Red-Headed_Sinners" rel="nofollow">http://www.munseys.com/book/35352/Red-Headed_Sinners</a> that includes the KindleFire format (actually a .mobi file)</p>
  
  <p>I don't currently have a Paperwhite with me (I can try later on for you) to test whether this book downloads correctly. </p>
  
  <p>Also, since other people are commenting on the Kindle Fire being more restrictive, here's an article that includes 3 ways to get books onto the Fire <a href="http://google.about.com/od/kindlefire/a/How-To-Put-Non-Amazon-Books-On-Your-Kindle-Fire.htm" rel="nofollow">http://google.about.com/od/kindlefire/a/How-To-Put-Non-Amazon-Books-On-Your-Kindle-Fire.htm</a> </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-22T16:52:39.130Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-12-22T16:52:39.130Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: JulianHarty
Answers.Body: <p>My experience - I use a Kobo, not a Kindle - is that ebooks available from outside the respective stores are usually available in multiple formats to accommodate different devices - e.g. Mobi for Kindle, ePub for Kobo, PDF for computer. Various publishers/authors provide ebooks in more than one format - see O'Reilly, SitePoint, LeanPub, etc. for examples.</p>
  
  <p>All of that to say, you're not limited to Amazon (or an immediate store if using a different platform) for sourcing content.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-01-07T06:23:25.520Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-01-07T06:23:25.520Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Grant Palin
Answers.Body: <p>There is a utility from Amazon called "Send to Kindle" that allows you to send your mobi files converted with Caliber directly to your kindle over WIFI.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-11-05T21:06:35.267Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-11-05T21:06:35.267Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sharon
Answers.Body: <p>Kindle devices allow you to load non-Amazon files onto them; you can copy them directly to your device using a micro-USB cable, or have them sent to your device wirelessly, through Amazon's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindlepersonaldocuments">Kindle Personal Documents service</a>.</p>
  
  <p>You are limited to the types of files <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_navbox_recognize_200375630?nodeId=200375630&amp;#recognize">supported on the Kindle</a>: at present, these are <code>.azw, .azw1, .txt, .mobi, and .prc.</code> In addition, Kindle can read <code>.pdf</code> files (but these keep the pre-formatted paging and layout of the original file, rather than the dynamic/flowing text of an ebook.)</p>
  
  <p>It is extremely easy to convert files into Kindle-supported formats from other popular formats -- such as <code>.epub</code> files, Word documents, and web pages. Amazon's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200767340">Personal Documents Service</a> can help you with transfer and conversion, and <a href="http://calibre-ebook.com/">Calibre</a> is an extremely popular tool for ebook-management which provides such conversions easily. PDF files which are mostly text are also quite easy to convert to a supported ebook format.</p>
  
  <p>The one big wrinkle in the all-around compatibility I'm describing here is that books protected by DRM (a Digital Rights Management scheme), the DRM prevents it from being converted into different formats. So an ebook you buy at barnesandnoble.com, which is formatted and protected exclusively for the B&amp;N Nook e-reader, cannot be easily converted for the Kindle. </p>
  
  <p>Many major ebook retailers rely on DRM to help "lock you in" to their specific device, platform, and store. So basically, ebooks you get at non-Amazon stores are unlikely to be compatible with the Kindle (unless they specifically note that the ebook has no DRM), whereas ebooks from other sources (e.g. the out-of-copyright classics at Project Gutenberg, or ebooks you create yourself using a service like Instapaper) should present no difficulty.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-09-10T04:30:31.133Z
Answers.Text: @Standback, Hmm, if we don't have a Kindle in the first place, are we still able to buy and read ebooks from Amazon ?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Pacerier
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-09-10T04:58:03.473Z
Answers.Text: @Pacerier: Yup! They have a reading app for pretty much every platform.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Standback
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-22T11:00:13.717Z
Answers.Text: I think this should start "Some Kindle devices, like the paperwhite"  According to [this](http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Kindle_Fire_Review) the kindlefire is not so friendly.
Answers.UserDisplayName: James Jenkins
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-22T11:04:21.857Z
Answers.Text: @JamesJenkins: Hmmm. Never used the Fire myself, but e.g. [this article](http://google.about.com/od/kindlefire/a/How-To-Put-Non-Amazon-Books-On-Your-Kindle-Fire.htm) suggests sideloading to be as straightforward as I'm familiar with from my e-ink Kindles.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Standback
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-22T11:16:44.743Z
Answers.Text: Posted http://ebooks.stackexchange.com/questions/274/is-it-more-difficult-to-sideload-books-on-to-a-kindle-fire-than-other-devices lets see if we can get more information from someone with a Fire.
Answers.UserDisplayName: James Jenkins
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-23T17:37:06.003Z
Answers.Text: I upvoted this answer but suggest you add a sentence about Kindle conversion services - most importantly the ability to convert PDFs to native Kindle format just by sending an e-mail with the attached PDF. It works poorly for PDFs with lots of graphics or multi column but works well for PDFs that are close to pure text.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joe Golton
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-23T17:40:12.190Z
Answers.Text: @JoeGolton: Glad you liked :) I didn't want to get into the deep pool of conversion options in an intro answer like this; Calibre's a good starting point, and the important thing is to know most DRM-less filetypes are pretty interchangeable. Ultimately, you just Google "convert [type] into [type]", and find what you need.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Standback
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-23T17:50:58.380Z
Answers.Text: In my personal experience, I email a converted PDF to my Kindle once every month or two - and that pretty much accounts for all (to Kindle) conversions. If I have an ePub I'll just read it on my iPad or iPod touch. More importantly - if the person reading this is not particularly technically inclined, I suspect they will not bother with Calibre, which involves more steps and complication than simply emailing to your Amazon Kindle address.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joe Golton
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-24T08:41:02.100Z
Answers.Text: @JoeGolton: Noted and edited in.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Standback
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-24T15:28:08.560Z
Answers.Text: Excellent. Answer looks really complete now without overwhelming detail.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joe Golton
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-21T19:49:02.557Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-12-24T08:40:41.710Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2013-12-24T08:40:41.710Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Standback
Body: <p>If I have a kindle paperwhite, am I limited to books from Amazon?  Can I purchase or download books from other sources/retailers? </p>
  
Tags: <kindle><sideloading><kindle-paperwhite>
Title: If I buy a Kindle Paperwhite do I have to get books from Amazon?
UserDisplayName: James Jenkins
ThreadText: # If I buy a Kindle Paperwhite do I have to get books from Amazon?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-21)
  
  If I have a kindle paperwhite, am I limited to books from Amazon? Can I purchase or download books from other sources/retailers?
  
  **Tags:** kindle, sideloading, kindle-paperwhite
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 5 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2013-12-21. Score: 24 | Accepted answer
  
  Kindle devices allow you to load non-Amazon files onto them; you can copy them directly to your device using a micro-USB cable, or have them sent to your device wirelessly, through Amazon's [Kindle Personal Documents service](https://www.amazon.com/kindlepersonaldocuments).
  
  You are limited to the types of files [supported on the Kindle](http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_navbox_recognize_200375630?nodeId=200375630&#recognize): at present, these are `.azw, .azw1, .txt, .mobi, and .prc.` In addition, Kindle can read `.pdf` files (but these keep the pre-formatted paging and layout of the original file, rather than the dynamic/flowing text of an ebook.)
  
  It is extremely easy to convert files into Kindle-supported formats from other popular formats -- such as `.epub` files, Word documents, and web pages. Amazon's [Personal Documents Service](http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200767340) can help you with transfer and conversion, and [Calibre](http://calibre-ebook.com/) is an extremely popular tool for ebook-management which provides such conversions easily. PDF files which are mostly text are also quite easy to convert to a supported ebook format.
  
  The one big wrinkle in the all-around compatibility I'm describing here is that books protected by DRM (a Digital Rights Management scheme), the DRM prevents it from being converted into different formats. So an ebook you buy at barnesandnoble.com, which is formatted and protected exclusively for the B&N Nook e-reader, cannot be easily converted for the Kindle.
  
  Many major ebook retailers rely on DRM to help "lock you in" to their specific device, platform, and store. So basically, ebooks you get at non-Amazon stores are unlikely to be compatible with the Kindle (unless they specifically note that the ebook has no DRM), whereas ebooks from other sources (e.g. the out-of-copyright classics at Project Gutenberg, or ebooks you create yourself using a service like Instapaper) should present no difficulty.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: I think this should start "Some Kindle devices, like the paperwhite"  According to [this](http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Kindle_Fire_Review) the kindlefire is not so friendly.  
  > **username_5**: @JamesJenkins: Hmmm. Never used the Fire myself, but e.g. [this article](http://google.about.com/od/kindlefire/a/How-To-Put-Non-Amazon-Books-On-Your-Kindle-Fire.htm) suggests sideloading to be as straightforward as I'm familiar with from my e-ink Kindles.  
  > **username_0**: Posted http://ebooks.stackexchange.com/questions/274/is-it-more-difficult-to-sideload-books-on-to-a-kindle-fire-than-other-devices lets see if we can get more information from someone with a Fire.  
  > **username_7**: I upvoted this answer but suggest you add a sentence about Kindle conversion services - most importantly the ability to convert PDFs to native Kindle format just by sending an e-mail with the attached PDF. It works poorly for PDFs with lots of graphics or multi column but works well for PDFs that are close to pure text.  
  > **username_5**: @JoeGolton: Glad you liked :) I didn't want to get into the deep pool of conversion options in an intro answer like this; Calibre's a good starting point, and the important thing is to know most DRM-less filetypes are pretty interchangeable. Ultimately, you just Google "convert [type] into [type]", and find what you need.  
  > **username_7**: In my personal experience, I email a converted PDF to my Kindle once every month or two - and that pretty much accounts for all (to Kindle) conversions. If I have an ePub I'll just read it on my iPad or iPod touch. More importantly - if the person reading this is not particularly technically inclined, I suspect they will not bother with Calibre, which involves more steps and complication than simply emailing to your Amazon Kindle address.  
  > **username_5**: @JoeGolton: Noted and edited in.  
  > **username_7**: Excellent. Answer looks really complete now without overwhelming detail.  
  > **username_6**: @username_5, Hmm, if we don't have a Kindle in the first place, are we still able to buy and read ebooks from Amazon ?  
  > **username_5**: @username_6: Yup! They have a reading app for pretty much every platform.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2013-12-21. Score: 2
  
  As far as I know (but I'm not a kindle user, so I can't tell you first-hand), you can side-load books from other sources (i.e. Project Gutenberg or MobileRead), privided that they are in a format recognized by the Kindle (they should be MOBI and AZW3); if you have books in other formats, you can easily convert them by using Calibre.
  
  See here: [link](http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/FAQ_Amazon_Kindle#Q%3a_Can_I_buy_and_read_books_from_stores_other_than_Amazon.2C_or_am_I_tied_to_Amazon.3F), [link](http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93548)
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2013-12-22. Score: 1
  
  In my experience I'm able to download .mobi files directly to various Kindle models. The web site needs to include appropriate meta-data with the HTTP response (which includes the ebook).
  
  As an example try the following web site <http://www.munseys.com/> and one book I picked from the homepage <http://www.munseys.com/book/35352/Red-Headed_Sinners> that includes the KindleFire format (actually a .mobi file)
  
  I don't currently have a Paperwhite with me (I can try later on for you) to test whether this book downloads correctly.
  
  Also, since other people are commenting on the Kindle Fire being more restrictive, here's an article that includes 3 ways to get books onto the Fire <http://google.about.com/od/kindlefire/a/How-To-Put-Non-Amazon-Books-On-Your-Kindle-Fire.htm>
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2014-01-07. Score: 0
  
  My experience - I use a Kobo, not a Kindle - is that ebooks available from outside the respective stores are usually available in multiple formats to accommodate different devices - e.g. Mobi for Kindle, ePub for Kobo, PDF for computer. Various publishers/authors provide ebooks in more than one format - see O'Reilly, SitePoint, LeanPub, etc. for examples.
  
  All of that to say, you're not limited to Amazon (or an immediate store if using a different platform) for sourcing content.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2018-11-05. Score: 0
  
  There is a utility from Amazon called "Send to Kindle" that allows you to send your mobi files converted with Caliber directly to your kindle over WIFI.
  
  
  ---
  
  