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How to send CBZ and CBR manga to a Kindle

Kindle doesn't support CBZ or CBR files. Here's how to convert the manga files you own to EPUB and send them to your Kindle, plus what to do with RAR-based CBRs.

CBZ (Comic Book Zip) and CBR (Comic Book Rar) are the usual formats for manga and western comics. They're easy to read on a computer, but Kindles can't open them. Email a .cbz to your Kindle address or copy it over USB, and the Kindle won't show it.

So the file has to be converted first. You can do that yourself with KCC and Calibre, or let MangaSendr convert and send it.

Convert it now: if you just need one file done, the free CBZ to EPUB converter turns a CBZ you own into a Kindle-ready EPUB right in your browser, with no account needed.

Converting it yourself with KCC and Calibre

The long-standing recommendation is KCC (Kindle Comic Converter), often used together with Calibre. For each new volume, the steps are:

  1. Download the volume (ZIP, RAR, or CBZ) to your computer.
  2. Open KCC, pick your Kindle model and turn on manga mode.
  3. Convert the file. KCC resizes the pages and builds an EPUB, AZW3 or MOBI.
  4. Optionally, open Calibre to fix the title, author or cover, or to keep your library organized.
  5. Send it to the Kindle: copy an AZW3 or MOBI over USB, or send the EPUB with Send to Kindle.

KCC is free and has far more settings than most readers need. If you read one volume now and then, this is fine. If you're working through a long series, you repeat these steps for every volume.

Converting to a plain PDF instead gives you small text, wide white margins and muddy contrast on the e-ink screen.

Letting MangaSendr convert and send it

MangaSendr takes a manga file you own and gets it onto your Kindle without conversion settings:

  1. In the web app, upload a .cbz or .zip file, pick your Kindle, and click Send to Kindle. It works in any browser, including on a phone.
  2. With the desktop app for Mac and Windows, you can instead save the file into a folder the app watches. It checks about once an hour and sends new files while the app is running.

Behind the scenes, MangaSendr:

  • Converts the file: It unzips your CBZ file and converts the images into a fixed-layout EPUB sized for your Kindle model, with right-to-left page order.
  • Processes the pages: It trims plain white borders, converts pages to grayscale for black-and-white Kindles (a Colorsoft keeps the color), and rotates wide double-page spreads so they fill the screen in landscape. A contrast boost for black-and-white Kindles is on by default, under the Enhance Contrast setting.
  • Sets the cover and title: The first page of the file becomes the cover and the file name becomes the title, so name your files clearly (for example Series Name v01.cbz).
  • Emails it: Amazon caps email attachments at 50MB, so big files are split by size into parts small enough for email, named like "(1 of 3)", each with its own cover. Everything is emailed from delivery@mangasendr.com to your Kindle's @kindle.com address.

Most files land on your Kindle within a few minutes.

For a Kobo or another e-reader: MangaSendr only emails Kindles. The free converter gives you a converted EPUB or CBZ to download and copy to the device yourself.

Sending a CBR file

Most CBR files are RAR archives, and MangaSendr can't open RAR. A few files named .cbr are actually ZIP archives inside, and those upload fine. For the rest, repackage the file first:

  1. Extract the CBR with a free archiver: 7-Zip on Windows, or Keka or The Unarchiver on macOS.
  2. Zip the folder of extracted images (right-click and compress it).
  3. Upload the ZIP to MangaSendr, or to the free converter, the same way you would a CBZ.

The page images inside don't change, so the result looks the same as if you'd started with a CBZ.

Frequently asked questions

Does Kindle support CBZ files natively?

No. Amazon Kindle devices do not support CBZ or CBR formats. These files must be converted to EPUB (recommended) or PDF before they can be read on a Kindle. MangaSendr handles this conversion automatically for CBZ and ZIP files.

What format does MangaSendr convert CBZ files to?

MangaSendr converts CBZ files (and ZIP-based CBRs) to a fixed-layout EPUB sized for your Kindle model, with right-to-left page order for manga. EPUB is a format Send to Kindle accepts.

Can I convert CBZ to Kindle without a computer?

Yes. The MangaSendr web app works in any browser, including on a phone. Upload the CBZ, pick your Kindle, and send it. The conversion happens on MangaSendr's servers. You only need the desktop app for Mac or Windows if you want watched folders or USB transfer.

What about CBR files? Are they different from CBZ?

CBR files use RAR compression while CBZ files use ZIP compression. The contents are identical: a sequence of image files representing manga pages. MangaSendr reads ZIP, so a RAR-based CBR has to be extracted and zipped again before you upload it (see the steps above).

Try it with a file you own

Create a free account and send a CBZ you own. Your first delivery is free, and pricing covers what's included after that.

Related guides

Try it with one of your own volumes

Send a CBZ, EPUB or PDF you have. MangaSendr sizes it for your Kindle model and sends it for you.

Send your first volume free

You don't need a card, and there's nothing to install.