Audiobookshelf
Audiobook and podcast server. It streams all audio formats, keeps and syncs progress across devices. Comes with apps for Android and iOS.
Audiobookshelf vs Calibre Web
Two self-hosted Document Management - E-books apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| Audiobookshelf | Calibre Web | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Audiobook and podcast server. It streams all audio formats, keeps and syncs progress across devices. Comes with apps for Android and iOS. | Browse, read and download eBooks using an existing Calibre database. |
| GitHub stars | 14,911 | 18,532 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 447 | 260 |
| Last activity | 2026-11-04 | 2026-09-20 |
| Latest release | v2.37.2 (2026-10-23) | 0.6.27 (2026-08-08) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language / platform | Docker, deb, Nodejs | Python |
| Docker Hub image | advplyr/audiobookshelf | – |
| Docker pulls | 6350.5k | – |
| Est. server size | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $5/mo | $5/mo |
| Categories | Media Streaming - Audio Streaming, Document Management - E-books | Document Management - E-books |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Calibre Web is more popular on GitHub: 18.5k stars vs 14.9k for Audiobookshelf.
- Audiobookshelf had more commits in the last 12 months (447 vs 260).
- Audiobookshelf has more recent repository activity (2026-11-04 vs 2026-09-20).
- Audiobookshelf published a release more recently (v2.37.2 on 2026-10-23; Calibre Web's latest is 0.6.27 on 2026-08-08).
- Both are licensed under GPL-3.0.
- Audiobookshelf is written in Nodejs; Calibre Web in Python.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Audiobookshelf: Docker, deb; Calibre Web: none listed.
- Only Audiobookshelf has a Docker Hub image that we detected (advplyr/audiobookshelf).
Summary: Audiobookshelf leads on commit activity, recent activity and Docker Hub availability; Calibre Web leads on GitHub popularity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.
Get the Docker images
Audiobookshelf
docker pull advplyr/audiobookshelfImage on Docker Hub. Ports, volumes and environment variables differ per app; follow the official docs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Audiobookshelf or Calibre Web more popular?
Calibre Web has more GitHub stars (18,532 vs 14,911 for Audiobookshelf, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Audiobookshelf or Calibre Web?
Audiobookshelf had more commits over the last 12 months (447 vs 260). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-04 for Audiobookshelf and 2026-09-20 for Calibre Web. Our health labels: Audiobookshelf is “Active”, Calibre Web is “Active”.
What licenses do Audiobookshelf and Calibre Web use?
Both use GPL-3.0.
Can I run Audiobookshelf and Calibre Web with Docker?
Audiobookshelf has a Docker Hub image (advplyr/audiobookshelf). We did not find one for Calibre Web; check its documentation for install options.
Read more
Calibre Web
Browse, read and download eBooks using an existing Calibre database.
Browse all self-hosted Document Management - E-books apps.