Best Self-Hosted Ebook Servers in 2026

Quick Picks

Use Case	Best Choice	Why
Best overall for ebooks	Calibre-Web	Most mature, best Calibre integration, OPDS for e-readers
Best for manga and comics	Kavita	Native manga/comic support, reader quality, metadata scraping
Best for comics specifically	Komga	Excellent comic/manga server with strong metadata management
Best lightweight option	Stump	Minimal resources, fast, focused on comics/manga
Best for audiobooks	Audiobookshelf	Purpose-built for audiobooks and podcasts, mobile apps
Best for automation	Readarr + Calibre-Web	Automated ebook acquisition with polished reading interface

The Full Ranking

1. Calibre-Web — Best Overall for Ebooks

Calibre-Web is the most mature self-hosted ebook server. It provides a web interface for Calibre libraries with user management, reading in the browser, OPDS feeds for e-readers (Kindle, Kobo), and format conversion via Calibre’s backend. If you already use Calibre to manage your ebook library, Calibre-Web is the natural extension.

Pros:

• Mature, battle-tested project with years of development
• OPDS feed for direct syncing to e-readers (Kobo, Kindle via apps)
• Browser-based reading for EPUB and PDF
• Calibre integration — leverage the Calibre metadata database and format conversion
• User management with per-user library access
• Supports EPUB, PDF, MOBI, CBR, CBZ, and more
• Send-to-Kindle functionality

Cons:

• Requires a pre-existing Calibre library database (metadata.db)
• UI is functional but not modern
• No native manga/comic reader — CBR/CBZ reading is basic
• Calibre binary needed on the server for format conversion

Best for: Anyone with an existing Calibre library who wants web access and e-reader sync.

[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Calibre-Web]

2. Kavita — Best for Manga and Comics

Kavita is a fast, modern ebook server with first-class support for manga, comics, and light novels alongside standard ebooks. The built-in reader handles manga right-to-left reading, double-page spreads, and webtoon scrolling. Metadata scraping from ComicVine, AniList, and MAL is built in.

Pros:

• Native manga reader with right-to-left, webtoon, and double-page modes
• Supports EPUB, PDF, CBR, CBZ, CB7, and raw image folders
• Automatic metadata scraping (ComicVine, AniList, MAL)
• Modern, responsive web UI
• Reading progress tracking and bookmarking
• User management with library-level permissions
• OPDS support for e-reader sync
• Active development with frequent releases

Cons:

• No Calibre integration — uses its own metadata format
• Library organization expects a specific folder structure
• No format conversion

Best for: Manga and comic readers who want a polished reading experience with automatic metadata.

[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Kavita]

3. Komga — Best Comic and Manga Server

Komga is a media server specifically built for comics and manga. It scans your library, scrapes metadata, and provides a clean web reader. The API is well-documented, and it integrates with Tachiyomi (Android manga reader) and other third-party apps.

Pros:

• Purpose-built for comics and manga
• Clean, fast web UI
• Metadata scraping and manual editing
• Tachiyomi integration for mobile reading
• OPDS feed for e-reader apps
• Series, collections, and reading lists
• User management with per-library permissions

Cons:

• No native EPUB support — comics and manga only (CBR, CBZ, PDF, EP images)
• JVM-based — slightly heavier on RAM than alternatives
• Smaller community than Calibre-Web or Kavita

Best for: Dedicated comic and manga readers who want a focused, clean experience.

[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Komga]

4. Stump — Best Lightweight Option

Stump is a newer, lightweight comic and ebook server written in Rust. It’s fast, uses minimal resources, and focuses on simplicity. While not as feature-rich as Kavita or Komga, it’s the best option if you want something light and fast.

Pros:

• Very lightweight (Rust binary, minimal RAM usage)
• Fast scanning and serving
• Clean web UI
• Supports CBR, CBZ, ZIP, RAR, EPUB, PDF
• OPDS support
• Active development

Cons:

• Newer project — fewer features than established options
• Smaller community
• Limited metadata scraping compared to Kavita/Komga
• No audiobook support

Best for: Users who want a lightweight, fast ebook/comic server without the overhead of larger projects.

[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Stump]

5. Audiobookshelf — Best for Audiobooks

Audiobookshelf is purpose-built for audiobooks and podcasts. It tracks listening progress across devices, supports M4B and MP3 chapter markers, and has excellent mobile apps (iOS and Android). If audiobooks are your primary use case, nothing else comes close.

Pros:

• Purpose-built for audiobooks and podcasts
• Native iOS and Android apps with offline playback
• Chapter detection and navigation
• Listening progress sync across devices
• Library sharing with multiple users
• Metadata from Audible, Google Books, iTunes
• Sleep timer, playback speed, bookmarks

Cons:

• Audiobooks only — no ebooks or comics
• Library organization requires specific folder structure
• No OPDS support (not needed for audiobooks)

Best for: Audiobook listeners who want a Spotify-like experience for their library.

Full Comparison Table

Feature	Calibre-Web	Kavita	Komga	Stump	Audiobookshelf
EPUB Support	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
PDF Support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
CBR/CBZ Support	Basic	Excellent	Excellent	Yes	No
Manga Support	Basic	Excellent	Excellent	Yes	No
Audiobook Support	No	No	No	No	Excellent
OPDS Feed	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Mobile Apps	Via OPDS	PWA	Tachiyomi	Via OPDS	iOS + Android
Metadata Scraping	Via Calibre	ComicVine, AniList	ComicVine	Limited	Audible, GBooks
Format Conversion	Yes (Calibre)	No	No	No	No
User Management	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Min RAM	128 MB	256 MB	512 MB	64 MB	256 MB
Language	Python	.NET	Kotlin (JVM)	Rust	Node.js
License	GPL-3.0	GPL-3.0	MIT	MIT	GPL-3.0

How We Evaluated

We evaluated each platform on:

1. Format support — which file types does it handle?
2. Reader quality — how good is the in-browser reading experience?
3. Metadata management — automatic scraping, manual editing, organization
4. E-reader sync — OPDS support, mobile apps, cross-device progress
5. Resource usage — RAM, CPU, and disk requirements
6. Active development — release frequency, community size, responsiveness

Building the Complete Stack

For a comprehensive reading setup:

1. Readarr — automated ebook acquisition from indexers
2. Calibre-Web — web interface for your Calibre library, OPDS for e-readers
3. Kavita — dedicated manga/comic reading with superior reader
4. Audiobookshelf — audiobook and podcast management

Use Readarr to automate acquisitions into your Calibre library, Calibre-Web for ebook access, Kavita for manga/comics, and Audiobookshelf for audiobooks.

Related

• How to Self-Host Calibre-Web
• How to Self-Host Kavita
• How to Self-Host Komga
• How to Self-Host Stump
• How to Self-Host Audiobookshelf
• How to Self-Host Readarr
• How to Self-Host LazyLibrarian
• Kavita vs Calibre-Web
• Komga vs Kavita
• Kavita vs Komga
• Stump vs Komga
• Readarr vs LazyLibrarian
• Self-Hosted Alternatives to Kindle Unlimited
• Docker Compose Basics