Kthoom vs Mango
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Kthoom | Mango |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 56 · Fair | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Crystal |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 150 | ★ 1,777 |
| First released | 2011 | 2020 |
| Replaces | ComiXology | ComiXology |
What are Kthoom and Mango?
Kthoom
Kthoom is a comic book reader that runs entirely in the web browser, opening CBZ, CBR, and other archive formats. It can be self-hosted as static files for reading comics from any device.
- In-browser comic reading
- CBZ and CBR support
- Static self-hosting
- No server runtime needed
Mango
Mango is a self-hosted manga server and reader written in Crystal, designed to be fast and lightweight. It supports multi-user accounts, reading progress tracking, and an OPDS feed for external readers.
- Manga library and reader
- Multi-user accounts
- Reading progress tracking
- OPDS feed support
Kthoom vs Mango: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Mango's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Kthoom is actively maintained. Kthoom is written in JavaScript, while Mango is built with Crystal. Kthoom is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Mango. Kthoom is the more established project (first released 2011), while Mango arrived in 2020. Mango has the considerably larger community, at 1,777 GitHub stars versus 150. Mango lists first-class Docker deployment; Kthoom does not.
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
Watch out for
- Reader only, no library
- Minimal organization
Choose Mango if…
- Very lightweight
- Simple to deploy
Watch out for
- Slower development
- Manga-focused only
Frequently asked questions
Is Kthoom or Mango better?
Neither is universally better. Mango has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Kthoom and Mango free and open-source?
Yes. Kthoom is licensed under MIT and Mango under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kthoom and Mango with Docker?
Kthoom: check the project docs for container support. Mango: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kthoom or Mango?
Kthoom has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Mango. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.