Kthoom 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?
Kthoom
In-browser comic book and archive reader
VS
KOReader
Document and ebook reader for e-ink and mobile devices
| Feature | Kthoom | KOReader |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Lua |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 150 | ★ 28,800 |
| First released | 2011 | 2012 |
| Replaces | ComiXology | Kindle, Pocketbook reader |
Why pick each one
Choose Kthoom if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
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 Kthoom or KOReader better?
Neither is universally better. KOReader has the larger community, while Kthoom is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Kthoom and KOReader free and open-source?
Yes. Kthoom is licensed under MIT and KOReader under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kthoom and KOReader with Docker?
Kthoom: check the project docs for container support. KOReader: check the project docs for container support.