Free Programming Books 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?
Free Programming Books
Curated catalog of free programming ebooks and resources
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KOReader
Document and ebook reader for e-ink and mobile devices
| Feature | Free Programming Books | KOReader |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | CC-BY-4.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Lua |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 393,952 | ★ 28,800 |
| First released | 2013 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Paid technical book subscriptions | Kindle, Pocketbook reader |
Why pick each one
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 Free Programming Books or KOReader better?
Free Programming Books is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider KOReader if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Free Programming Books and KOReader free and open-source?
Yes. Free Programming Books is licensed under CC-BY-4.0 and KOReader under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Free Programming Books and KOReader with Docker?
Free Programming Books: check the project docs for container support. KOReader: check the project docs for container support.