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 Kavita
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 | Kavita | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Audiobook and podcast server. It streams all audio formats, keeps and syncs progress across devices. Comes with apps for Android and iOS. | Cross-platform e-book/manga/comic/pdf server and web reader with user management, ratings and reviews, and metadata support. |
| GitHub stars | 14,911 | 12,052 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 447 | 383 |
| Last activity | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-01 |
| Latest release | v2.37.2 (2026-10-23) | v0.9.1.4 (2026-09-02) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language / platform | Docker, deb, Nodejs | .NET, Docker |
| 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
- Audiobookshelf is more popular on GitHub: 14.9k stars vs 12.1k for Kavita.
- Audiobookshelf published a release more recently (v2.37.2 on 2026-10-23; Kavita's latest is v0.9.1.4 on 2026-09-02).
- Both are licensed under GPL-3.0.
- Audiobookshelf is written in Nodejs; Kavita in .NET.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Audiobookshelf: Docker, deb; Kavita: Docker.
- Only Audiobookshelf has a Docker Hub image that we detected (advplyr/audiobookshelf).
Summary: Audiobookshelf leads on GitHub popularity and Docker Hub availability. 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 Kavita more popular?
Audiobookshelf has more GitHub stars (14,911 vs 12,052 for Kavita, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Audiobookshelf or Kavita?
Commits in the last 12 months: Audiobookshelf 447, Kavita 383. The last recorded activity was 2026-11-04 for Audiobookshelf and 2026-11-01 for Kavita. Our health labels: Audiobookshelf is “Active”, Kavita is “Active”.
What licenses do Audiobookshelf and Kavita use?
Both use GPL-3.0.
Can I run Audiobookshelf and Kavita with Docker?
Audiobookshelf has a Docker Hub image (advplyr/audiobookshelf). We did not find one for Kavita, though the upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option.
Read more
Kavita
Cross-platform e-book/manga/comic/pdf server and web reader with user management, ratings and reviews, and metadata support.
Browse all self-hosted Document Management - E-books apps.