Calibre-Web Automated vs Komga
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Komga
Media server for comics, manga and e-books
| Feature | Calibre-Web Automated | Komga |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Kotlin |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,332 | ★ 6,688 |
| First released | 2024 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Kindle | ComiXology, Kindle |
What are Calibre-Web Automated and Komga?
Calibre-Web Automated
Calibre-Web Automated extends the popular Calibre-Web with automatic book ingestion, conversion, and metadata enforcement. Dropped-in files are processed and added to your library without manual steps.
- Automatic book ingestion
- Format conversion on import
- Metadata enforcement
- Calibre-Web feature base
Komga
Komga is a self-hosted media server focused on comics, manga, BD, and e-books with a clean web reader and OPDS support. It targets comic and manga collectors. It is deployed via Docker.
- Comic and manga focused
- Web reader with OPDS
- Metadata and collections
- REST API
Calibre-Web Automated vs Komga: key differences
Calibre-Web Automated is written in JavaScript, while Komga is built with Kotlin. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Calibre-Web Automated versus MIT for Komga. Komga is the more established project (first released 2019), while Calibre-Web Automated arrived in 2024.
Why pick each one
Choose Calibre-Web Automated if…
- Hands-off library updates
- Builds on a proven UI
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Inherits Calibre-Web limits
Choose Komga if…
- Excellent for comics
- Good metadata handling
- OPDS for apps
Watch out for
- Less ideal for plain e-books
- Niche focus
Frequently asked questions
Is Calibre-Web Automated or Komga better?
Neither is universally better. Komga has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Calibre-Web Automated and Komga free and open-source?
Yes. Calibre-Web Automated is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Komga under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Calibre-Web Automated and Komga with Docker?
Calibre-Web Automated: yes. Komga: yes.