dir2opds 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.
Not the right match-up?
dir2opds
Minimal OPDS server for personal ebook collections
VS
KOReader
Document and ebook reader for e-ink and mobile devices
| Feature | dir2opds | KOReader |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Lua |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 110 | ★ 28,800 |
| First released | 2018 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Calibre Content Server | Kindle, Pocketbook reader |
Why pick each one
Choose dir2opds if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
Choose KOReader if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 28.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Lua
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is dir2opds or KOReader better?
Neither is universally better. KOReader has the larger community, while dir2opds is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are dir2opds and KOReader free and open-source?
Yes. dir2opds is licensed under MIT and KOReader under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run dir2opds and KOReader with Docker?
dir2opds: yes. KOReader: check the project docs for container support.