COPS vs KOReader
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | COPS | KOReader |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 73 · Good | 98 · Excellent |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Lua |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 134 | ★ 29,880 |
| First released | 2013 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Kindle | Kindle, Pocketbook reader |
What are COPS and KOReader?
COPS
COPS is a lightweight Calibre OPDS and HTML PHP server that exposes a Calibre library without needing Calibre running. It targets users wanting a minimal way to share their library. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- OPDS and HTML catalog
- Reads Calibre metadata database
- Very lightweight
- No Calibre process needed
KOReader
KOReader is an open-source document viewer for EPUB, PDF, DjVu, and many other formats, optimized for e-ink screens. It can connect to self-hosted OPDS catalogs and supports syncing reading progress.
- E-ink optimized rendering
- Many document formats
- OPDS catalog support
- Reading progress sync
COPS vs KOReader: key differences
COPS is written in PHP, while KOReader is built with Lua. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for COPS versus AGPL-3.0 for KOReader. COPS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for KOReader. KOReader has the considerably larger community, at 29,880 GitHub stars versus 134. COPS lists first-class Docker deployment; KOReader does not.
Why pick each one
Choose COPS if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Easy to host
- Good OPDS support
Watch out for
- Read-only catalog
- Basic interface
Choose KOReader if…
- Excellent e-ink support
- Huge format support
- Highly customizable reading
Watch out for
- Dense menu system
- Install varies by device
Frequently asked questions
Is COPS or KOReader better?
Neither is universally better. KOReader has the larger community, while COPS is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are COPS and KOReader free and open-source?
Yes. COPS is licensed under GPL-2.0 and KOReader under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run COPS and KOReader with Docker?
COPS: yes. KOReader: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, COPS or KOReader?
COPS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for KOReader. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.