Komf vs Librum
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Librum
Modern e-book reader with self-hostable sync
| Feature | Komf | Librum |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 59 · Fair |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Kotlin | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 713 | ★ 5,319 |
| First released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Goodreads | Kindle, Goodreads |
What are Komf and Librum?
Komf
Komf is a companion service that automatically fetches and applies metadata to series in Komga and Kavita libraries. It pulls from sources like AniList, MangaUpdates, and MyAnimeList to enrich your collection.
- Automatic metadata fetching
- Komga and Kavita integration
- Multiple metadata sources
- Cover art updates
Librum
Librum is a modern e-book reader application with a clean interface and a self-hostable server for syncing a library across devices. It targets readers who want a private, synced reading setup. It is deployed via Docker.
- Modern cross-platform reader
- Self-hostable sync server
- Annotations and bookmarks
- Free e-book sources
Komf vs Librum: key differences
Komf is written in Kotlin, while Librum is built with C++. Licensing differs — MIT for Komf versus GPL-3.0 for Librum. Komf is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Librum. Librum has the considerably larger community, at 5,319 GitHub stars versus 713.
Why pick each one
Choose Komf if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Kotlin
Watch out for
- Companion tool only
- Requires Komga or Kavita
Choose Librum if…
- Clean modern reader
- Syncs across devices
- Open source
Watch out for
- Self-hosting sync is newer
- Smaller ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is Komf or Librum better?
Neither is universally better. Librum has the larger community, while Komf is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Komf and Librum free and open-source?
Yes. Komf is licensed under MIT and Librum under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Komf and Librum with Docker?
Komf: yes. Librum: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Komf or Librum?
Komf has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Librum. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.