Calibre-Web 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.
Calibre-Web
Web app to browse and read your Calibre library
VS
Komga
Media server for comics, manga and e-books
| Feature | Calibre-Web | Komga |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 95 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Kotlin |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,229 | ★ 6,685 |
| First released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Kindle, Goodreads | ComiXology, Kindle |
What are Calibre-Web and Komga?
Calibre-Web
Calibre-Web is a web application that provides a clean interface to browse, read, and download books from an existing Calibre library. It targets users who want web access to their e-book collection. It is deployed via Docker.
- Web interface for Calibre libraries
- In-browser e-book reader
- Send to Kindle support
- OPDS feed for apps
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 vs Komga: key differences
Calibre-Web is written in Python, while Komga is built with Kotlin. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Calibre-Web versus MIT for Komga. Calibre-Web is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Komga. Calibre-Web is the more established project (first released 2017), while Komga arrived in 2019. Calibre-Web has the considerably larger community, at 18,229 GitHub stars versus 6,685.
Why pick each one
Choose Calibre-Web if…
- Great companion to Calibre
- Multi-user access
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Needs an existing Calibre library
- Not a metadata manager itself
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 or Komga better?
Neither is universally better. Calibre-Web has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Calibre-Web and Komga free and open-source?
Yes. Calibre-Web is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Komga under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Calibre-Web and Komga with Docker?
Calibre-Web: yes. Komga: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Calibre-Web or Komga?
Calibre-Web has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Komga. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.