DeDRM Tools vs Ladder
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?
DeDRM Tools
Calibre plugin suite for removing DRM from purchased ebooks
VS
Ladder
Bypass paywalls as 12ft.io does
| Feature | DeDRM Tools | Ladder |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0-only |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 20 MB |
| Deployment | source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,275 | ★ 8,804 |
| First released | 2014 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Adobe Digital Editions | 12ft, 13ft |
Why pick each one
Choose DeDRM Tools if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 15.3k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Ladder if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 8.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is DeDRM Tools or Ladder better?
Neither is universally better. DeDRM Tools has the larger community, while Ladder is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are DeDRM Tools and Ladder free and open-source?
Yes. DeDRM Tools is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Ladder under GPL-3.0-only. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run DeDRM Tools and Ladder with Docker?
DeDRM Tools: check the project docs for container support. Ladder: check the project docs for container support.