Evergreen
Highly-scalable software for libraries that helps library patrons find library materials, and helps libraries manage, catalog, and circulate those materials.
Evergreen vs Koha
Two self-hosted Document Management - Integrated Library Systems (ILS) apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| Evergreen | Koha | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Highly-scalable software for libraries that helps library patrons find library materials, and helps libraries manage, catalog, and circulate those materials. | Enterprise-class ILS with modules for acquisitions, circulation, cataloging, label printing, offline circulation for when Internet access is not available, and much more. |
| GitHub stars | 157 | 598 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 521 | 3.6k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-04 |
| Latest release | – | – |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language / platform | PLpgSQL | Perl |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU | ~512 MB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $5/mo | $3.5/mo |
| Categories | Document Management - Integrated Library Systems (ILS) | Document Management - Integrated Library Systems (ILS) |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Koha is more popular on GitHub: 598 stars vs 157 for Evergreen.
- Koha had more commits in the last 12 months (3,643 vs 521).
- Evergreen is licensed under GPL-2.0, Koha under GPL-3.0.
- Evergreen is written in PLpgSQL; Koha in Perl.
- Our rough hardware estimate is lighter for Koha (~512 MB server) than Evergreen (~1 GB); this is an estimate from the stack and category, not a benchmark.
Summary: Koha 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 Evergreen or Koha more popular?
Koha has more GitHub stars (598 vs 157 for Evergreen, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Evergreen or Koha?
Koha had more commits over the last 12 months (3,643 vs 521). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-03 for Evergreen and 2026-11-04 for Koha. Our health labels: Evergreen is “Active”, Koha is “Active”.
What licenses do Evergreen and Koha use?
Evergreen: GPL-2.0. Koha: GPL-3.0.
Can I run Evergreen and Koha with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Koha
Enterprise-class ILS with modules for acquisitions, circulation, cataloging, label printing, offline circulation for when Internet access is not available, and much more.
Browse all self-hosted Document Management - Integrated Library Systems (ILS) apps.