Calibre-Web vs Upvote RSS
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?
Calibre-Web
Web app to browse and read your Calibre library
VS
Upvote RSS
Generate rich RSS feeds from Reddit, Hacker News, Lemmy, Mbin
| Feature | Calibre-Web | Upvote RSS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | HTML | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 17,830 | ★ 492 |
| First released | 2017 | 2025 |
| Replaces | Kindle, Goodreads | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Upvote RSS if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Calibre-Web or Upvote RSS better?
Calibre-Web is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Upvote RSS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Calibre-Web and Upvote RSS free and open-source?
Yes. Calibre-Web is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Upvote RSS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Calibre-Web and Upvote RSS with Docker?
Calibre-Web: yes. Upvote RSS: check the project docs for container support.