Download NarrateX

One codebase, native packages on Windows, macOS and Linux. Pick your platform and you have the newest release. Free and open source (GPL-3.0, with the UI layer under LGPL-3.0) with no account; everything runs locally, the same way on each. A commercial licence for my own code is also available, separately from the open-source licences: see commercial licensing.

Version 5.3.0
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Windows

Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit

Download for Windows

Setup program (.exe)

Windows may show a SmartScreen warning when you run this: here's why.

Run the setup: it installs per-user, so no administrator rights are needed.

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macOS

Apple Silicon (M1 or later)

Download for macOS

Disk image (.dmg)

Open the DMG and drag NarrateX into Applications.

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Linux

Any distribution with Flatpak

Download for Linux

Flatpak bundle (.flatpak)

Install with flatpak install narratex.flatpak.

What's new in this release  ·  All releases  ·  Source on GitHub

Frequently asked questions

Is NarrateX free?

Yes. NarrateX is free and open source, released under the GNU GPL-3.0 licence with the reusable UI layer under LGPL-3.0.

Does NarrateX work offline?

Yes. NarrateX runs entirely on your device with no cloud dependency. Nothing you read is uploaded anywhere. Once the voice model is downloaded, reading needs no connection and makes no network call. While a connection is available, one request recurs: a daily check of the project's GitHub releases for a newer version. It carries nothing about you or your books and falls back silently without a connection.

What does the narration sound like?

NarrateX uses the Kokoro neural text-to-speech voice running on your own machine, which is a long way from the robotic voices people remember. It is not as natural as the large cloud services; in exchange nothing you read leaves your computer, reading needs no internet once the voice model has downloaded on the first run and there is no per-word cost or usage cap.

Can I choose the voice?

Yes. NarrateX ships Kokoro's complete English inventory of 28 voices (8 British and 20 American), filtered by sex and region toggles, all running on-device.

Which file formats can NarrateX read?

EPUB, PDF, plain text and Markdown. Kindle formats (MOBI, AZW, AZW3, PRC and KFX) open as well when Calibre is installed, since it converts them for reading.

Which platforms does NarrateX run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux, shipped as an installer, a disk image (.dmg) and a Flatpak respectively.