Buku vs Shiori
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted bookmarks & read-it-later options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
| Feature | Buku | Shiori |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,177 | ★ 11,574 |
| First released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Delicious | Pocket, Raindrop.io |
Why pick each one
Choose Shiori if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 11.6k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Buku or Shiori better?
Neither is universally better. Shiori has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Buku and Shiori free and open-source?
Yes. Buku is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Shiori under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buku and Shiori with Docker?
Buku: check the project docs for container support. Shiori: yes.