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.
Best self-hosted Document Management - E-books software in 2026
Ebook library management software.
We track 18 open-source, self-hosted Document Management - E-books apps. 16 of them had commits in the last 90 days, 12 can run with Docker, and the most common licenses are GPL-3.0 (8), MIT (4), AGPL-3.0 (2). The most-used languages are Python, Java, Nodejs. Below are the top picks by GitHub stars, followed by every app ranked by stars weighted by maintenance health.
Top 5 by GitHub stars
| # | App | Stars | Health | Last activity | License | Language | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calibre | 26.4k | Active | 2026-11-09 | GPL-3.0 | Python, deb | – |
| 2 | Calibre Web | 18.5k | Active | 2026-09-20 | GPL-3.0 | Python | – |
| 3 | Audiobookshelf | 15k | Active | 2026-11-09 | GPL-3.0 | Docker, deb | ✓ |
| 4 | Kavita | 12.1k | Active | 2026-11-09 | GPL-3.0 | .NET, Docker | ✓ |
| 5 | Komga | 6.8k | Active | 2026-11-10 | MIT | Java, Docker | ✓ |
- 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 Web — Browse, read and download eBooks using an existing Calibre database.
- Audiobookshelf — Audiobook and podcast server. It streams all audio formats, keeps and syncs progress across devices. Comes with apps for Android and iOS.
- Kavita — Cross-platform e-book/manga/comic/pdf server and web reader with user management, ratings and reviews, and metadata support.
- Komga — Media server for comics/mangas/BDs with API and OPDS support, a modern web interface for exploring your libraries, as well as a web reader.
Head-to-head comparisons
Calibre vs Calibre WebAudiobookshelf vs CalibreCalibre vs KavitaAudiobookshelf vs Calibre WebCalibre Web vs KavitaAudiobookshelf vs Kavita
All 18 self-hosted Document Management - E-books apps
Ranked by GitHub stars weighted by maintenance health.
Calibre Web
Browse, read and download eBooks using an existing Calibre database.
Audiobookshelf
Audiobook and podcast server. It streams all audio formats, keeps and syncs progress across devices. Comes with apps for Android and iOS.
Kavita
Cross-platform e-book/manga/comic/pdf server and web reader with user management, ratings and reviews, and metadata support.
Komga
Media server for comics/mangas/BDs with API and OPDS support, a modern web interface for exploring your libraries, as well as a web reader.
Calibre Web Automated
All-in-one solution, combining the modern lightweight web UI from Calibre-Web with the robust, versatile feature set of Calibre (fork of Calibre Web).
Grimmory
Library for ebooks, comics and audiobooks with a built-in reader, metadata lookup, multi-user support, OPDS, and Kobo/KOReader sync.
Bookwyrm
Social network for tracking your reading, talking about books, writing reviews, and discovering what to read next.
Stump
Fast comics, manga and digital book server with OPDS support.
Kapowarr
Build and manage a comic book library. Download, rename, move and convert issues of the volume to your liking.
kiwix-serve
HTTP daemon for serving wikis from ZIM files.
BookLogr
Manage your personal book library with ease.
Tome
Ebook and manga library server with web reader, OPDS and metadata fetching. A KOReader plugin records every reading session and syncs positions both ways, powering streaks, pace, heatmaps and per-book stats.
Bindery
Folder-watching converter for e-books and comics. EPUB to Kobo KEPUB via kepubify, CBZ/CBR/PDF via Kindle Comic Converter, with per-device profiles, ComicInfo.xml naming, chapter-to-volume bundling and a web UI.
Atsumeru
Manga/comic/light novel media server with clients for Windows, Linux, macOS and Android.
MyMangaDB
Manga collection manager with automatic metadata, MyAnimeList import and detailed collection statistics.
Inkheart
Lightweight PDF library and reader.
Ubooquity
Free to use, versatile, lightweight, multi-platform, and secure home server for your comic and e-book library.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best self-hosted Document Management - E-books software in 2026?
By GitHub stars, the most popular self-hosted Document Management - E-books apps are Calibre (26,397 stars), Calibre Web (18,547 stars), Audiobookshelf (14,963 stars). Popularity is only one signal: also check maintenance health, license and whether it fits your setup.
How many self-hosted Document Management - E-books apps are actively maintained?
16 of the 18 apps listed had commits in the last 90 days and 1 more in the last 12 months; for 1 we have no repository activity data.
Which self-hosted Document Management - E-books apps can I run with Docker?
12 of the 18 apps can run with Docker; 2 publish an image on Docker Hub, including Audiobookshelf and Calibre Web Automated.
Which licenses do self-hosted Document Management - E-books apps use?
The most common licenses in this category are GPL-3.0 (8 apps), MIT (4 apps), AGPL-3.0 (2 apps).
How much does it cost to self-host Document Management - E-books software?
The software itself is free to download. Based on our rough hardware estimates, the cheapest suitable VPS plan starts at about $3.5/month (median $5/month across apps in this category). Several light apps can share one server.
Figures from GitHub and Docker Hub as of 2026-11-15; hosting costs are rough estimates.