khal vs Open Event Server
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted calendar & contacts options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
khal
Command-line calendar built on CalDAV
VS
Open Event Server
Self-hosted event management and ticketing backend
| Feature | khal | Open Event Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Calendar & Contacts | Calendar & Contacts |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,039 | ★ 3,006 |
| First released | 2013 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Calendar | Eventbrite, Sched |
Why pick each one
Choose khal if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Open Event Server if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is khal or Open Event Server better?
khal is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Open Event Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are khal and Open Event Server free and open-source?
Yes. khal is licensed under MIT and Open Event Server under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run khal and Open Event Server with Docker?
khal: check the project docs for container support. Open Event Server: yes.