Calibre vs Stump
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Calibre
Powerful ebook library manager with a built-in server
VS
Stump
Fast, low-resource comic and ebook media server
| Feature | Calibre | Stump |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 97 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 25,999 | ★ 2,714 |
| First released | 2006 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Kindle, Apple Books | Kindle, ComiXology |
What are Calibre and Stump?
Calibre
Calibre is a comprehensive ebook management application for organizing, converting, and reading digital books. Its built-in content server lets you browse and download your library from any device over the network.
- Ebook library management
- Format conversion
- Built-in content server
- Extensive plugin ecosystem
Stump
Stump is a free, open-source comic, manga, and ebook server built with Rust for speed and low resource use. It implements the OPDS standard and offers a modern web interface for browsing and reading.
- Comic and ebook serving
- OPDS support
- Modern web reader
- Very low resource use
Calibre vs Stump: key differences
Calibre is written in Python, while Stump is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Calibre versus MIT for Stump. Stump is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Calibre. Calibre is the more established project (first released 2006), while Stump arrived in 2022. Calibre has the considerably larger community, at 25,999 GitHub stars versus 2,714.
Why pick each one
Choose Calibre if…
- Industry-standard ebook tool
- Huge feature set
Watch out for
- Desktop UI feels dated
- Server is basic without add-ons
Choose Stump if…
- Fast and lightweight
- Clean interface
Watch out for
- Still pre-1.0
- Fewer features than Komga
Frequently asked questions
Is Calibre or Stump better?
Neither is universally better. Calibre has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Calibre and Stump free and open-source?
Yes. Calibre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Stump under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Calibre and Stump with Docker?
Calibre: yes. Stump: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Calibre or Stump?
Stump has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Calibre. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.