Ebook2audiobook vs Readarr
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Readarr
Archived
E-book and audiobook collection manager
| Feature | Ebook2audiobook | Readarr |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 20,218 | ★ 3,468 |
| First released | 2024 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Audible, Speechify | Goodreads, Audible |
What are Ebook2audiobook and Readarr?
Ebook2audiobook
Ebook2audiobook is a self-hosted tool that converts EPUB and other ebook formats into narrated audiobooks using local text-to-speech engines. It chapters output and adds metadata automatically.
- Ebook to audiobook conversion
- Local text-to-speech
- Automatic chaptering
- Metadata tagging
Readarr
Readarr is an e-book and audiobook collection manager that automates organizing and acquiring titles, in the Servarr family. It targets users automating their reading library. It is deployed via Docker or binaries.
- Automated library management
- Author and series tracking
- Integrates with download clients
- Servarr-family UI
Ebook2audiobook vs Readarr: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Readarr's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Ebook2audiobook is actively maintained. Ebook2audiobook is written in Python, while Readarr is built with C#. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Ebook2audiobook versus GPL-3.0 for Readarr. Readarr is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Ebook2audiobook. Readarr is the more established project (first released 2020), while Ebook2audiobook arrived in 2024. Ebook2audiobook has the considerably larger community, at 20,218 GitHub stars versus 3,468.
Why pick each one
Choose Ebook2audiobook if…
- Free audiobook generation
- Voice cloning support
- Automatic chaptering
Watch out for
- Slow without GPU
- Large model downloads
Choose Readarr if…
- Automates collection
- Familiar Servarr interface
- Good metadata tracking
Watch out for
- Project entered retirement
- Metadata sources are limited
Frequently asked questions
Is Ebook2audiobook or Readarr better?
Neither is universally better. Ebook2audiobook has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ebook2audiobook and Readarr free and open-source?
Yes. Ebook2audiobook is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Readarr under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ebook2audiobook and Readarr with Docker?
Ebook2audiobook: yes. Readarr: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ebook2audiobook or Readarr?
Readarr has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Ebook2audiobook. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.