Kthoom vs Mylar3
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 | Mylar3 |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 56 · Fair | 60 · Good |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 150 | ★ 1,461 |
| First released | 2011 | 2018 |
| Replaces | ComiXology | ComiXology |
What are Kthoom and Mylar3?
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
Mylar3
Mylar3 is an automated comic book downloader and manager for tracking series and grabbing new issues. It maintains a metadata-rich library that pairs well with comic readers like Komga and Kavita.
- Automated comic downloading
- Series tracking
- ComicVine metadata
- Library organization
Kthoom vs Mylar3: key differences
Kthoom is written in JavaScript, while Mylar3 is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Kthoom versus GPL-3.0 for Mylar3. Kthoom is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Mylar3. Kthoom is the more established project (first released 2011), while Mylar3 arrived in 2018. Mylar3 has the considerably larger community, at 1,461 GitHub stars versus 150. Mylar3 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 Mylar3 if…
- Strong comic automation
- Good metadata handling
Watch out for
- Configuration is involved
- Depends on external sources
Frequently asked questions
Is Kthoom or Mylar3 better?
Neither is universally better. Mylar3 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 Mylar3 free and open-source?
Yes. Kthoom is licensed under MIT and Mylar3 under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kthoom and Mylar3 with Docker?
Kthoom: check the project docs for container support. Mylar3: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kthoom or Mylar3?
Kthoom has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Mylar3. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.