DeDRM Tools vs Petrolette
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
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DeDRM Tools
Calibre plugin suite for removing DRM from purchased ebooks
VS
Petrolette
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| Feature | DeDRM Tools | Petrolette |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0-only |
| Language | Python | |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,275 | — |
| First released | 2014 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Adobe Digital Editions | Netvibes |
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 Petrolette if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is DeDRM Tools or Petrolette better?
Neither is universally better. DeDRM Tools has the larger community, while Petrolette is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are DeDRM Tools and Petrolette free and open-source?
Yes. DeDRM Tools is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Petrolette under AGPL-3.0-only. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run DeDRM Tools and Petrolette with Docker?
DeDRM Tools: check the project docs for container support. Petrolette: check the project docs for container support.