Komga vs Kavita

You want a self-hosted comic and manga reader. Both Komga and Kavita are excellent — but they solve slightly different problems. Komga is a focused comics and manga media server built for metadata precision and deep integration with Android readers like Tachiyomi/Mihon. Kavita is a broader digital library that handles manga, comics, ebooks, and light novels in a single interface with a superior built-in web reader. The right choice depends on what you read and how you read it.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Komga	Kavita
Comic formats	CBZ, CBR, PDF, EPUB	CBZ, CBR, CB7, ZIP, RAR, 7Z
Ebook support	EPUB, PDF (basic reader)	EPUB, PDF (full-featured reader)
Raw image folders	No	Yes (JPG/PNG/WebP folders)
Manga/webtoon reading	Page-oriented reader	Webtoon vertical scroll mode + page mode
OPDS feed	OPDS v1 and v2	OPDS v1
Metadata handling	ComicInfo.xml import, manual editing, KOReader/Kobo Sync	Folder-based auto-detection, Kavita+ metadata (optional paid)
Reading progress	Per-user, per-book, syncs to Tachiyomi/Mihon	Per-user, per-series/volume
Collections/libraries	Server-wide collections + per-user reading lists	User collections, library-level organization
Multi-user	Per-library access control, age and label restrictions	Multi-user with role-based management, age restrictions, OIDC
Mobile apps	First-class Tachiyomi/Mihon integration	Tachiyomi/Mihon extension available
API	Comprehensive REST API with Swagger docs	REST API
Docker setup	Single container, embedded H2 database	Single container, embedded database
Resource usage (idle)	~200 MB RAM (JVM)	~150 MB RAM (.NET)
Update frequency	Regular releases (monthly)	Active development (monthly releases)
Community	Discord, 4,500+ GitHub stars	Discord, 8,000+ GitHub stars
License	MIT	GPLv3

Metadata: Where Komga Pulls Ahead

Metadata management is Komga’s strongest differentiator. Komga natively reads ComicInfo.xml files embedded in CBZ/CBR archives — the standard metadata format used by tools like ComicTagger, Mylar3, and ComicRack. It extracts titles, series info, authors, publishers, age ratings, and more, then makes all of it searchable and filterable.

You can also manually edit metadata through Komga’s web interface, override scanned values, and manage series groupings without touching the filesystem. Komga supports both KOReader Sync and Kobo Sync protocols, so reading progress tracks across e-ink devices automatically.

Kavita takes a different approach. It relies primarily on folder structure for organization — your directory hierarchy determines series groupings. Kavita’s metadata scraping is available through Kavita+, an optional paid service that pulls metadata from external sources. Without Kavita+, you get filename and folder-based detection, which works well for organized libraries but lacks the granular control Komga offers out of the box.

If your workflow involves tagging files with ComicTagger or managing metadata through the *arr stack, Komga fits that pipeline better.

The Reading Experience: Where Kavita Wins

Kavita’s built-in web reader is the better reading experience. It supports manga-style right-to-left reading, vertical webtoon scrolling, and standard left-to-right comics. The EPUB reader handles reflowable text properly with adjustable fonts, margins, and themes. Kavita even supports EPUB annotations and highlights.

Komga’s reader handles comics and manga well but is more page-oriented. It lacks native webtoon vertical scrolling, and its EPUB rendering is basic compared to Kavita’s dedicated ebook reader.

If you read in the browser on a tablet or desktop, Kavita provides the smoother experience — especially for mixed libraries with both manga and ebooks.

Format Support

Kavita supports more formats out of the box. Beyond standard CBZ and CBR, it handles CB7, ZIP, RAR, RAR5, 7-Zip, and raw image folders (directories of JPG/PNG/WebP files treated as chapters). This matters if you have webtoons or manga distributed as loose images rather than archives.

Komga sticks to CBZ, CBR, PDF, and EPUB. It does not support raw image folders. If your library is entirely CBZ/CBR files (the most common comic archive formats), this limitation never matters. If you deal with varied source formats, Kavita is more flexible.

Both handle EPUB and PDF, but Kavita treats them as first-class citizens with a proper ebook reader. Komga renders them but with a more basic viewer.

Docker Setup

Both apps deploy as a single Docker container with an embedded database — no PostgreSQL or Redis required.

Komga

services:
  komga:
    image: gotson/komga:1.24.1
    container_name: komga
    ports:
      - "25600:25600"
    environment:
      - TZ=UTC
    volumes:
      - ./komga-config:/config   # Must be local storage (not NFS)
      - /path/to/comics:/data    # Your comic/manga library
    user: "1000:1000"
    restart: unless-stopped

Komga’s config directory must reside on local storage — the embedded H2 database requires file locking, which fails over NFS or CIFS mounts. The data volume can be on network storage.

See the full setup guide: How to Self-Host Komga

Kavita

services:
  kavita:
    image: jvmilazz0/kavita:0.8.9.1
    container_name: kavita
    ports:
      - "5000:5000"
    environment:
      - TZ=UTC
    volumes:
      - ./kavita-config:/kavita/config
      - /path/to/library:/manga   # Your manga/comics/ebooks
    restart: unless-stopped

Kavita mounts your library to /manga inside the container (the name is a convention — it handles all formats, not just manga). You can add multiple library paths by mounting additional volumes.

See the full setup guide: How to Self-Host Kavita

Both start with docker compose up -d and present a web setup wizard on first launch.

Performance and Resource Usage

Metric	Komga	Kavita
Idle RAM	~200 MB (JVM baseline)	~150 MB (.NET runtime)
Large library (50K+ files)	500 MB — 2 GB (tune with -Xmx)	300 — 500 MB
Initial library scan	Moderate (generates thumbnails)	Fast
Thumbnail/cover cache	500 MB — 2 GB	1 — 5 GB

Komga runs on the JVM, which carries higher baseline memory usage. For large libraries (50,000+ files), you may need to set JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS=-Xmx2g to increase the heap. Kavita’s .NET runtime is lighter at idle and handles large libraries without manual tuning.

Both perform well for typical home libraries of a few thousand files. Resource differences only matter at scale.

Multi-User and Access Control

Both support multiple users with individual reading progress, but the permission models differ.

Komga offers per-library access control combined with age-based and label-based restrictions. You assign users to specific libraries and restrict content using labels you define. The server-wide collections feature lets admins curate reading lists visible to all users, while individual users maintain their own reading lists.

Kavita provides role-based access management with age restrictions and supports OIDC for external authentication (useful if you run Authelia or Authentik). User management is straightforward through the admin panel, and each user gets personalized recommendations based on reading history.

Tachiyomi/Mihon Integration

This is often the deciding factor. If you read manga on Android using Tachiyomi or its successor Mihon, Komga’s integration is superior. The Komga extension for Tachiyomi/Mihon provides native-feeling library browsing, series tracking, and bidirectional reading progress sync. New additions to your Komga library appear automatically in the app.

Kavita also has a Tachiyomi/Mihon extension, and it works. But the Komga integration is deeper — it was designed as a core use case rather than an add-on. Series metadata, collections, and reading lists all map cleanly to Tachiyomi’s UI.

If you do not use Tachiyomi/Mihon, this advantage is irrelevant. Both apps support OPDS for other reader apps on iOS, Android, and e-ink devices.

Use Cases

Choose Komga If…

• You read manga on Android with Tachiyomi or Mihon
• You use ComicTagger, Mylar3, or other metadata tools in your pipeline
• You want granular metadata editing through the web UI
• You need OPDS v2 support or KOReader/Kobo Sync
• You prefer MIT-licensed software
• You want a comprehensive API for building custom integrations

Choose Kavita If…

• You read primarily in the browser on a desktop or tablet
• Your library mixes manga, comics, ebooks, and light novels
• You want the better built-in reader (especially for EPUB and webtoons)
• You prefer lighter resource usage without JVM tuning
• You have raw image folders or CB7/7-Zip archives
• You want OIDC integration for single sign-on

Verdict

For pure manga and comics, Komga is the stronger choice. Its metadata handling is more mature, its Tachiyomi/Mihon integration is the best in the self-hosted space, and the API makes it the backbone of a well-automated media pipeline. If your library is CBZ/CBR files organized with ComicInfo.xml metadata, Komga fits like a glove.

For a mixed reading library, Kavita is the better pick. If you want one server for manga, comics, EPUB novels, PDF textbooks, and light novels — all with a polished browser-based reader — Kavita delivers. Its webtoon scrolling mode, EPUB annotation support, and broader format compatibility make it a more versatile digital library.

Neither is a bad choice. Both are actively maintained, easy to deploy, and handle large libraries well. Pick the one that matches how you actually read. And if you are still unsure — both are free, both run in a single Docker container, and you can point them at the same library directory to try each one without duplicating files.

Related

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• How to Self-Host Kavita
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• Kavita vs Calibre-Web
• Calibre-Web vs Komga
• Docker Compose Basics
• Reverse Proxy Explained