Calibre
E-book library manager that can view, convert, and catalog e-books in most of the major e-book formats and provides a built-in Web server for remote clients.
Calibre 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
| Calibre | Kavita | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | E-book library manager that can view, convert, and catalog e-books in most of the major e-book formats and provides a built-in Web server for remote clients. | Cross-platform e-book/manga/comic/pdf server and web reader with user management, ratings and reviews, and metadata support. |
| GitHub stars | 26,351 | 12,052 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 3k | 383 |
| Last activity | 2026-11-05 | 2026-11-01 |
| Latest release | v9.17.0 (2026-10-23) | v0.9.1.4 (2026-09-02) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language / platform | Python, deb | .NET, Docker |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $5/mo | $5/mo |
| Categories | Document Management - E-books | Document Management - E-books |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Calibre is more popular on GitHub: 26.4k stars vs 12.1k for Kavita.
- Calibre had more commits in the last 12 months (2,989 vs 383).
- Calibre published a release more recently (v9.17.0 on 2026-10-23; Kavita's latest is v0.9.1.4 on 2026-09-02).
- Both are licensed under GPL-3.0.
- Calibre is written in Python; Kavita in .NET.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Calibre: deb; Kavita: Docker.
Summary: Calibre leads on GitHub popularity and commit activity. 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is Calibre or Kavita more popular?
Calibre has more GitHub stars (26,351 vs 12,052 for Kavita, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Calibre or Kavita?
Calibre had more commits over the last 12 months (2,989 vs 383). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-05 for Calibre and 2026-11-01 for Kavita. Our health labels: Calibre is “Active”, Kavita is “Active”.
What licenses do Calibre and Kavita use?
Both use GPL-3.0.
Can I run Calibre and Kavita with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for Kavita. Check each project's documentation for install options.
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.