*This article documents my dive into e-reading workflows. I compare the open and closed tools I’ve tested across my devices, highlight where lock-in shows up, and share the setup I currently use to keep my books and annotations portable, future-proof and useful to me.* In December 2025, I bought a new e-reader (a Boox e-ink tablet running a heavily modified version of Android 12) with the intention of developing a better reading habit alongside. This led me down an e-reading rabbit hole, exploring new software and hardware to see what would work for me. My goal was simple: read and annotate on a dedicated device, then extract that information to my desktop environment so I could reflect on it and connect ideas in my note app of choice later. Here's a more details list of requirements : - I want to read on devices designed for reading, not my desktop or phone. (It's helpful to check books on these devices for annotations, though.) - I don't want my content locked in a closed ecosystem or device. - I want to open any EPUB or PDF. - I don't want to rely on specific stores or sources to buy, borrow, or find books. - I don't want a two-tiered system like Kobo or Kindle, where only account-linked books sync, leaving local files and annotations locked on the device. - I should be able to access common functions offline, unless I'm reading web content. - I should be able to export annotations to Markdown or another convenient format. - I want access to my EPUBs or PDFs on desktop, or at least all my annotations (highlights, notes, etc.). # **Hardware: The Devices I Use** | Boox Go 10.3 (Android) | **Main e-reader** E-ink benefits for extended reading with big screen | | --- | --- | | Kobo Aura Edition 2 | **Old e-reader** Restrictive Kobo OS but compact form factor | | iPad | **Heavy annotations and mixed media** Responsive UI, color support, ideal for articles/newsletters | | MacBook | **Desktop work environment** Library management and annotation review | I don't rely on my phone or intend to rely on it, even though I use some apps listed in this article on it. # **Supporting Tools** ## Calibre https://calibre-ebook.com/ The requirements I listed are often about openness, and so I need to choose what is the entry point of any book in my workflow. I need to manage my e-books independently from the store where I bought them or the shady places on the internet where I found them. I need to have some sort of e-library to store them that acts as the main source of truth concerning the raw books. The role of Calibre is not to manage anything related to annotations but just to have one local place that conveniently stores all the books, so I can easily edit metadata, export, and strip DRM when needed. For that, Calibre does not need to be something crazy that's accessible from anywhere. It is an open-source software with a native app for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It serves its purpose excellently. ## Readwise (close source) https://readwise.io/ I have stumbled into Readwise during my [[Reading & Annotate Across Devices - E-Readers, iPad, and limited lock-in|Koreader]] install experiment. It's a subscription-based service that gives diverse import tools to make all your annotations flow to one place. You can directly plug in to many services that notably do not let you easily extract your annotations. But it's not the main reason I use it. More importantly, Readwise has great features to revisit your highlights, re-edit them, and export them directly to your note app of choice. It's mostly a convenience layer in my setup, where I've tried to be able to easily cut my subscription if necessary without too much suffering. The service isn't designed to be malicious anyway and gives many cool export options if you ever decide to quit. It packs with many little useful things, but more notably, the [[Reading & Annotate Across Devices - E-Readers, iPad, and limited lock-in|Reader]] app bundled with it makes it a no-brainer for me, as an avid user of [Inoreader](https://www.inoreader.com/), a powerful "read later" web app. Reader is not as good at managing RSS or similar channels, it's more about the annotation and reading experience than scraping the entire internet, but it's sufficient so I can potentially wean myself off Inoreader. Also note that the Mac and iPad apps are well put together. # So where to read ? ## 1. Onyx Neo Reader (close source) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-BBvsf0drs I started by just trying the out-of-the-box software that comes with the Boox. But I rapidly ran into some problems in my use case. The handwritten annotations are gold, BUT… The two-way sync works great, but not with all cloud providers. Using Google Drive works well, but with Dropbox, you will not benefit from the annotation sync. Not all cloud providers come with the same rules, so I don't know if moving from Google Drive will be a problem in the future if I start to rely on it now. I have also noted that annotated documents cannot be opened by any PDF reader on macOS. The way Neo Reader saves annotations makes the file only openable in a browser, optimally Google Drive. It's not a requirement, but I also note that you can't sync with Readwise directly, so you need to upload the annotated PDF directly to Readwise; there's no integration. I know you could use an Onyx account, but it makes your synced notes inaccessible if you don't connect to the internet and doesn't come with major advantages over third-party cloud sync. It's not like you could access a web app in any way other than on Boox e-readers. It's the best reading and annotation experience on the device, but you have to organize around it, and so I don't imagine myself using it as my main reading app. ## 2. KoReader https://koreader.rocks/ ![[../_site-assets/Reading & Annotate Across Devices - E-Readers, iPad, and limited lock-in/image.png]] The main attractive point of KOReader is its ability to be installed on REALLY closed platforms like Kindle and Kobo. Even if you could theoretically install it on devices that are not e-readers, the ergonomics aren't made for it, and it could come with some headaches. It has a clear purpose: provide an excellent open solution where there is no other one. In my case, it's really useful for my old Kobo device. But for my modern Boox, I will prefer using the next solution, which offers a way more direct path toward what I'm looking for. > [!note] > If you plan to use Koreader, check the channel of Stefan Svartling. > > https://www.youtube.com/@svartling ## 3. Readest https://readest.com/ https://github.com/readest/readest Works on everything except Kindle and Kobo OS devices. Here, seamless is the name. You can choose to upload a book or just keep it locally and have the same reading experience. There is even a [KOReader sync plugin](https://github.com/readest/readest/wiki/Sync-with-Koreader-devices) if you have a device that cannot run it, so you can use Readest as an improved sync layer on top of KOReader. It's open source, but it's also the most convenient option of the bunch. It's really pleasant to be able to open a book on my desktop at the exact same point as my iPad or Boox, modify an annotation, and see it reflected on all devices. The risk could have been to make it a poor reading app — it's convenient, but the on-device experience is not great — but here, it's not a big deal. It has proven really robust, whatever the device. Only the Mac app doesn't feel as nice as something like Reader. But I think it's beside the point because the usage I have of it on my desktop remains limited. I want it to be best on the device I will use the most. You can pay for lifetime additional storage, but the free version doesn't gatekeep anything. It's a great middle ground between KOReader and something like Readwise Reader, which comes with a subscription, poor performance on e-readers, and over-reliance on AI even for tasks that should be possible locally, like checking a definition. The project evolved really quickly and is pretty young, but it's already at a point where it singlehandedly covers my needs for long-form reading and annotation across devices. ## 4. Readwise Reader (close source) https://readwise.io/read I include it here, but it's important to note that Readwise Reader doesn't compare directly to all the previous solutions, though it shares the ability to read long-form books in a package that is relatively close to Readest. That said, I don't think the app is currently mature for a good long-form reading experience (like no option to mark pages). The Android app on an e-reader is too heavy and doesn't come out super great. Like I said in the intro, it's something you use for other sorts of written content. It's a subscription-based app, and by a large margin the most expensive of the options available, and even if you pay for it, all the devices that could run it also run Readest. If you just want to read books, Reader is overkill and not well suited. ## Comparison table for long form reading | **Criteria** | **Onyx Neo Reader** | **KoReader** | **Readest** | **Readwise Reader** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Open Source** | ❌ Closed | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ Closed | | **Device Compatibility** | Boox only | Kindle, Kobo, Android (Boox) | Android, iOS, Web, Desktop | iOS, Android, Web, Desktop | | **Handwritten Annotations** | ✅ Excellent | ❌ No | 🔜 Coming | ❌ No | | **Text Annotations** | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Excellent | | **Readwise Integration** | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | 🔜 Coming | ✅ Native | | **Export Annotations** | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Multiple formats but there setup needed so you have them usable on desktop | ✅ Markdown | ✅ Multiple formats | | **Seamless Cross-Device Sync** | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | | **Optimized for E-Ink** | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Excellent (the best) | ✅ Good | ⚠️ Workable but not optimized | | **Offline Functionality (For what seem plausible)** | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ⚠️ Limited (not dictionary) | | **Pricing** | Free (with hardware) | Free | Free + paid storage | €11.99/month subscription | | **Best For** | Handwritten notes on Boox | Unlocking Kindle/Kobo | Cross-platform book reading & annotating | Articles, newsletters, iPad reading | # **My Setup** There's no magic thing such as an e-reader as responsive and complete as an iPad that could rule all the devices (I haven't tried really expensive Android e-readers, but I doubt they could really overcome the limitations of an e-ink screen). In this vein, there is now magic software that accommodates these magic devices. It's about context, trade-offs, and using suitable tools for the task. In my case, it all starts before any specific reading app. I will start by adding the book to Calibre and then export it to my drive inside a book folder. Next, I will either load it on the device for KOReader or upload it to Readest. This way, I am sure the book will stay in sync between the two if I decide to activate the sync later. It's not extra effort and covers my back for any future changes to my system. For anything I would like to read on Onyx Neo Reader, I make sure to export it to a dedicated subfolder inside the book that syncs annotations, so I am sure not to modify only a dedicated copy. Then it follows this schema. | Device | Device usage | App | App usage | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Boox Go 10.3 (Android) | Long reading session. Before sleeping. Reading fiction. | Readest | Main e-reading app | | | | KoReader (Readest sync + Readwise annotation sync) | Backup e-reading app | | | | Readwise Reader | I can, but since I use it on iPad, I'm not using it on Boox anymore. | | | | Onyx Neo Reader | I want to take handwritten notes. | | iPad | The all around To read, watch, and annotate all my "later stuff." Read stuff where I heavily annotate, chat with, or need color. | Readwise Reader | To read, watch, and annotate all my "later stuff." The pencil integration is really nice. | | | | Readest | For books that benefit from color or for mixed work sessions | | MacBook | Take notes. Work on stuff. | Readwise Reader | I mostly use the iPad app, but the Mac app is better for organizing. | | | | Readest | Organize, publish, or take a look | | Kobo Aura Edition 2 | Backup E-reader for fiction, only epud. | KoReader (Readwise annotation sync) | Main e-reading app (but on a backup device) | # **Recommendations** - If you have an non-android e-reader KOReader will be your only option, but if your e-reader is too old, the Readest sync plugin won't work, so Readwise becomes the most convenient choice for annotation export. That say, you could work around this with other solutions if you have the time and technical skills. - If you want to buy an e-reader Consider buying an Android one. They are generally pricier, but you can run way more stuff on it that can come in handy. It enables the best minimal setup with Readest. - If you need to choose only one e-reader If you need to choose only one e-reader app: Readest is young, so it hasn't fully proven itself yet. But if you share my requirements (open ecosystem, cross-device sync, annotation export), it covers more bases than any other single solution.