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Komga vs Suwayomi-Server

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?
Komga Media server for comics, manga and e-books VS SU Suwayomi-Server Self-hosted manga reader and downloader server
FeatureKomgaSuwayomi-Server
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score91 · Excellent92 · Excellent
CategoryE-books & Media LibraryE-books & Media Library
LicenseMITMPL-2.0
LanguageKotlinJava
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 6,688★ 7,747
First released20192021
ReplacesComiXology, KindleComiXology

What are Komga and Suwayomi-Server?

Komga

Komga is a self-hosted media server focused on comics, manga, BD, and e-books with a clean web reader and OPDS support. It targets comic and manga collectors. It is deployed via Docker.

  • Comic and manga focused
  • Web reader with OPDS
  • Metadata and collections
  • REST API

Read the full Komga guide →

Suwayomi-Server

Suwayomi-Server, formerly Tachidesk, is a self-hosted manga reader and downloader that uses Tachiyomi-style extensions to fetch content. It provides a web UI and can sync reading progress across devices.

  • Manga reading and downloading
  • Tachiyomi-style extensions
  • Web user interface
  • Cross-device progress sync

Read the full Suwayomi-Server guide →

Komga vs Suwayomi-Server: key differences

Komga is written in Kotlin, while Suwayomi-Server is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for Komga versus MPL-2.0 for Suwayomi-Server. Komga is the more established project (first released 2019), while Suwayomi-Server arrived in 2021.

Why pick each one

Choose Komga if…

  • Excellent for comics
  • Good metadata handling
  • OPDS for apps

Watch out for

  • Less ideal for plain e-books
  • Niche focus
Komga details

Choose Suwayomi-Server if…

  • Large extension ecosystem
  • Active community

Watch out for

  • Extension legality varies
  • Manga-focused only
Suwayomi-Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is Komga or Suwayomi-Server better?

Neither is universally better. Suwayomi-Server has the larger community, while Komga is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Komga and Suwayomi-Server free and open-source?

Yes. Komga is licensed under MIT and Suwayomi-Server under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Komga and Suwayomi-Server with Docker?

Komga: yes. Suwayomi-Server: yes.

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