Calibre-Web Automated 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.
Stump
Fast, low-resource comic and ebook media server
| Feature | Calibre-Web Automated | Stump |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,332 | ★ 2,714 |
| First released | 2024 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Kindle | Kindle, ComiXology |
What are Calibre-Web Automated and Stump?
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
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-Web Automated vs Stump: key differences
Calibre-Web Automated is written in JavaScript, while Stump is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Calibre-Web Automated versus MIT for Stump. Stump is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Calibre-Web Automated. Stump is the more established project (first released 2022), while Calibre-Web Automated arrived in 2024. Calibre-Web Automated has the considerably larger community, at 6,332 GitHub stars versus 2,714.
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 Stump if…
- Fast and lightweight
- Clean interface
Watch out for
- Still pre-1.0
- Fewer features than Komga
Frequently asked questions
Is Calibre-Web Automated or Stump better?
Neither is universally better. Calibre-Web Automated has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Calibre-Web Automated and Stump free and open-source?
Yes. Calibre-Web Automated is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Stump under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Calibre-Web Automated and Stump with Docker?
Calibre-Web Automated: yes. Stump: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Calibre-Web Automated or Stump?
Stump has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Calibre-Web Automated. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.