Kavita vs Audiobookshelf: Which Should You Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
They handle different content types — run both. Kavita is a reading server for manga, comics, and ebooks with an excellent browser-based reader. Audiobookshelf is an audiobook and podcast server with native mobile apps and playback tracking. If you have both text and audio content, these tools are complementary, not competitive.
Overview
Kavita is a self-hosted reading server optimized for manga, comics, and ebooks. It supports CBZ, CBR, EPUB, PDF, and image archives. The web-based reader handles page-by-page comic reading, continuous scrolling for manga, and flowing text for EPUBs. It has series tracking, read progress sync, smart collections, and OPDS support for external reading apps.
Audiobookshelf is a self-hosted audiobook and podcast server with native iOS and Android apps. It tracks listening progress per-device, supports chapter navigation, sleep timers, playback speed control (0.5x-3x), and automatic podcast downloads. It also handles basic ebook reading but audiobooks are its primary focus.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Kavita | Audiobookshelf |
|---|---|---|
| Primary content | Manga, comics, ebooks | Audiobooks, podcasts |
| Format: CBZ/CBR | Excellent (optimized) | No |
| Format: EPUB | Good (text reader) | Basic |
| Format: PDF | Yes | Basic |
| Format: MP3/M4B/M4A | No | Yes (full playback) |
| Browser-based reader | Excellent (multiple modes) | Basic (ebook only) |
| Mobile app | OPDS-compatible apps | Native iOS + Android |
| Reading/listening progress | Per-page tracking | Per-second tracking |
| Series management | Automatic (folder-based) | Automatic (folder-based) |
| Chapter navigation | Table of contents | Full chapter marks |
| Playback speed | N/A | 0.5x-3x |
| Sleep timer | N/A | Yes |
| Podcast support | No | Yes (RSS auto-download) |
| Smart collections | Yes | Yes (shelves) |
| Metadata sources | AniList, MAL, ComicVine, Google Books | Audible, Google Books, iTunes |
| Multi-user | Yes | Yes |
| OPDS catalog | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-library | Yes | Yes |
| Bookmarks | Yes | Yes |
| Statistics | Yes (reading stats) | Yes (listening stats) |
| Database | Embedded SQLite | Embedded SQLite |
| Docker containers | 1 | 1 |
| RAM usage | 100-250 MB | 100-200 MB |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
Installation Complexity
Both are trivially simple — single container deployments with no external database.
Kavita: Mount your library directories, start the container. Create an admin account on first access. Kavita automatically scans directories and organizes content into libraries, series, and volumes based on folder structure and file naming.
Audiobookshelf: Mount your audiobook and podcast directories, start the container. One critical note: the /config directory must be on a local filesystem — NFS or SMB causes SQLITE_BUSY errors.
Both detect new files automatically and update their libraries without manual intervention.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Metric | Kavita | Audiobookshelf |
|---|---|---|
| RAM (idle) | 100-250 MB | 100-200 MB |
| RAM (active use) | 150-350 MB | 150-300 MB |
| CPU (library scan) | Moderate (cover extraction) | Low-moderate |
| Disk (application) | ~50 MB | ~200 MB |
| Startup time | 3-5 seconds | 3-5 seconds |
Resource usage is similar. Kavita spikes higher during library scans because it extracts cover images and processes comic metadata. Audiobookshelf generates chapter thumbnails and waveforms during initial import, but this is a one-time operation.
Community and Support
Kavita has an active community (~8K GitHub stars) with regular releases. The developer is responsive, and the Discord community is helpful. Manga/comic reader communities (Tachiyomi/Mihon users) have adopted Kavita as a preferred backend alongside Komga.
Audiobookshelf has grown rapidly (~10K GitHub stars) and is one of the most popular self-hosted audiobook solutions. The developer ships frequent updates, native mobile apps are well-maintained, and the community is engaged. Being one of the few dedicated audiobook servers gives it strong niche adoption.
Use Cases
Choose Kavita If…
- You have a manga, comic, or graphic novel collection
- You want an in-browser reading experience (no app installation required)
- You need smart series management with automatic organization
- You want metadata from AniList, MyAnimeList, or ComicVine
- You read EPUBs and want a decent browser-based reader alongside comics
- You use Tachiyomi/Mihon on Android
Choose Audiobookshelf If…
- You have an audiobook collection
- You want native mobile apps with offline downloads
- Playback speed, sleep timers, and chapter navigation matter
- You listen to podcasts and want a self-hosted podcast manager
- You want listening progress synced across devices in real-time
- You want metadata from Audible
Run Both If…
- You have both reading material and audiobooks
- They don’t overlap meaningfully — Kavita handles visual/text, Audiobookshelf handles audio
- Combined resource usage is under 500 MB RAM
Final Verdict
These aren’t competitors — they’re complementary tools. Kavita excels at visual and text content (manga, comics, ebooks). Audiobookshelf excels at audio content (audiobooks, podcasts). Neither replaces the other.
If you must pick one: choose based on your content. Manga/comics/ebooks → Kavita. Audiobooks → Audiobookshelf. But there’s no reason not to run both — combined, they use under 500 MB of RAM and provide a complete self-hosted reading and listening experience.
FAQ
Can Audiobookshelf handle ebooks well?
It has basic EPUB reading support, but Kavita’s reader is significantly better for text content. Audiobookshelf’s strength is audio, not text.
Can Kavita play audiobooks?
No. Kavita is a reading server only — it handles visual and text content. For audio content, you need Audiobookshelf.
Do they integrate with each other?
Not directly. They’re independent services. However, both support OPDS, so a single OPDS client app could theoretically browse both libraries.
Which handles light novels better?
Kavita. Light novels are typically EPUB files with occasional illustrations — Kavita’s text reader handles these well. Audiobookshelf would only handle light novels if you have audiobook versions.
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