SHSelfHostIndex

Calibre-Web vs Audiobookshelf-tools

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
CA Calibre-Web Web app to browse and read your Calibre library VS AU Audiobookshelf-tools Self-hosted e-book and library management server
FeatureCalibre-WebAudiobookshelf-tools
CategoryE-books & Media LibraryE-books & Media Library
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageHTMLJava
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM256 MB512 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker
GitHub stars★ 17,830★ 760
First released20172024
ReplacesKindle, GoodreadsKindle, Goodreads

Why pick each one

Choose Calibre-Web if…

  • Great companion to Calibre
  • Multi-user access
  • Lightweight
Calibre-Web details

Choose Audiobookshelf-tools if…

  • Tidy library management
  • Web reader included
  • Active development
Audiobookshelf-tools details

Frequently asked questions

Is Calibre-Web or Audiobookshelf-tools 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 Audiobookshelf-tools free and open-source?

Yes. Calibre-Web is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Audiobookshelf-tools under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Calibre-Web and Audiobookshelf-tools with Docker?

Calibre-Web: yes. Audiobookshelf-tools: yes.

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