.fb2

File format · Released 2004 · By Dmitry Gribov & FictionBook community (Russia)

About FB2 Files

FictionBook

FictionBook (FB2) is an XML-based eBook format popular in Russia and Eastern Europe. It provides structured semantic markup for fiction and non-fiction books.

Family

eBooks

Extension

.fb2

MIME Type

application/x-fictionbook+xml

Can Use As

Input

● Hex Magic-Bytes Signature (Offset 0x00) eBooks Binary/Text Stream

46 42 32 46 00 01 00 00 4B 41 49 4A ASCII: FB2F....KAIJ

Convert FB2 → PDF → 13+ CONVERSIONS ↓

WASM + ISO-27001 HYBRID ENGINE ⚡ 0ms Local Browser Mode

→

📏 Physical Size (CM / MM / Inch → 300 DPI Pixels)

Width ()

Height ()

Unit

Print Density (DPI)

Passport & ID Presets:

📈 Target Minimum File Size (Guaranteed ≥ KB)

Lossless JPEG Q100 + standard COM segment padding for government & exam portals

Tap to choose your file Drop files here or click to browse

Automatic format identification and lossless transcoding across 201+ formats.

Select Files

QUICK INGEST:

Max 25 MB · Free plan · No signup required

Convert to:

Detecting available formats...

Target Max File Size:

Optimize for:

Custom output filename (optional)

⚡ Instant In-Browser • 100% Private (0s)

Uploading...

→

Processing your file...

⚡ Need up to 1 GB or batch .ZIP with no subscription? 24h Pass (€4.99) or 7-Day Pass (€9.99) →

⚡ Converted locally in your browser (0ms upload)

READY!

🛡️ Verification Audit

✓
✓ sRGB Color Fidelity
✓

Continue with this converted file (0s zero re-upload):

⚡ Install Desktop App for 1-Click Conversions

Batch Conversion Ready!

⚡ Install Desktop App for 1-Click Conversions

Need to convert larger files or bigger batches right now?

Unlock up to 1 GB & priority cloud queue with 1-click Stripe checkout (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Card):

⚡ 24h Fast Pass · €4.99 (One-Time · up to 1 GB + Batch .ZIP) 🚀 7-Day Project Pass · €9.99 (One-Time · 7 Days Unlimited + Ad-Free) 🎟️ Only need this 1 single file today? Unlock Single-File Rescue Pass for €1.99 → View all plans (up to 2 GB) →

🕒 Recent Conversions (60m Session)

The story

HOW FB2 CAME TO BE.

FictionBook (FB2) is the Russian-speaking world’s answer to EPUB. Created in 2004 by Dmitry Gribov and a community of Russian developers and librarians, FB2 is an XML-based ebook format explicitly designed for fiction: one file holds the entire book as pure semantic markup (sections, paragraphs, italics, poems), with no CSS or visual styling. Readers apply their own typography, which makes FB2 refreshingly simple and radically portable.

FB2 became the dominant format of the largest Russian ebook sites (Flibusta, Lib.rus.ec, LitRes) and the preferred input for Russian e-readers (PocketBook, ONYX). Outside the Russian-speaking world FB2 is rare, but the format is technically superior to MOBI for text-only books — XML structure means perfect text extraction, search, and reflow on any screen.

ISO / MIME SPECS

Technical Specifications

MIME type: application/x-fictionbook+xml
Extensions: .fb2, .fb2.zip
Container: Single XML file (optionally zipped)
Standard: FictionBook community spec (maintained on GitHub)
Encoding: UTF-8 (required)

Typical Sizes & Weights

Novel (text only)

200-800 KB

Novel with cover image

300 KB - 1.5 MB

Illustrated children's book

5-30 MB

STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS.

Strengths

Pure XML — trivial to parse, search, and transform.
Single-file ebooks with inline images.
Excellent on low-powered e-readers.
De-facto standard in Russian-language ebook ecosystem.
Simple structure makes conversion to any other format straightforward.

Limitations

No styling, no custom fonts, no fixed layouts.
Minimal Western-language tooling.
Kindle and Apple Books do not support FB2 natively.
Non-fiction with complex typography (textbooks, cookbooks) is a poor fit.

CURIOSITIES & TRIVIA.

FB2 is essentially "EPUB without CSS" — semantic XML only, no visual styling.

The format dominates Russian-language ebook distribution through sites like Flibusta and LitRes.

FB2 files can contain Base64-encoded cover images and illustrations inline — no external assets.

The spec is maintained by a grassroots community, not a standards body — and has remained backward-compatible for 20 years.

PocketBook e-readers, popular in Eastern Europe, default to FB2 rather than EPUB.

STUDIO TOOLS FOR FB2

Specialized Utilities for .FB2 Files

View all 45 tools →

merge →

Merge PDF

Combine multiple PDF files into a single document. Drag and drop to reorder pages before merging. No software installation required.

split →

Split PDF

Split a PDF into separate files by page ranges or extract individual pages. Perfect for isolating chapters, invoices, or specific sections.

compress →

Compress PDF

Reduce PDF file size without visible quality loss. Choose from low, medium, or high compression levels. Ideal for email attachments and web uploads.

convert →

PDF to Word Converter

Convert PDF documents into editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) files online for free while preserving layout, tables, and typography.

convert →

Word to PDF Converter

Convert Microsoft Word documents (DOCX, DOC) into print-ready PDF files with exact font embedding and layout preservation.

convert →

PDF to Excel Converter

Extract tables, financial rows, and structured columns from PDF files directly into editable Microsoft Excel (XLSX) spreadsheets.

ocr →

Make PDF Searchable (OCR)

Add a searchable text layer to scanned PDF documents using OCR. The visual appearance stays the same but you can now search, select, and copy text.

decrypt →

Unlock PDF

Remove owner printing/copying restrictions and decrypt password-protected PDF files instantaneously once you enter the known password.

CONVERT FROM FB2

fb2 pdf fb2 docx fb2 odt fb2 txt fb2 md fb2 html fb2 epub fb2 mobi fb2 azw3 fb2 rst fb2 htmlz fb2 txtz fb2 pdb

CONVERT TO FB2

epub fb2 mobi fb2 azw3 fb2 htmlz fb2 txtz fb2 pdb fb2 lrf fb2 snb fb2 lit fb2 cbz fb2 cbr fb2

Common Use Cases

Russian-language eBooks, Eastern European digital libraries.