Mango vs Kavita
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?
Mango
Self-hosted manga server and web reader
VS
Kavita
Fast self-hosted digital library for all reading
| Feature | Mango | Kavita |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Crystal | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,782 | ★ 11,431 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | ComiXology | Kindle, ComiXology |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Mango or Kavita better?
Neither is universally better. Kavita has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mango and Kavita free and open-source?
Yes. Mango is licensed under MIT and Kavita under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mango and Kavita with Docker?
Mango: yes. Kavita: yes.