Kthoom vs Tranga
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 | Tranga |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 56 · Fair | 59 · Fair |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 150 | ★ 389 |
| First released | 2011 | 2023 |
| Replaces | ComiXology | ComiXology |
What are Kthoom and Tranga?
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
Tranga
Tranga is an automated manga downloader that monitors series from various connectors and saves them in formats ready for Komga and Kavita. It supports scheduling and notifications for new chapters.
- Automated manga downloading
- Komga and Kavita output
- Scheduled checks
- New-chapter notifications
Kthoom vs Tranga: key differences
Kthoom is written in JavaScript, while Tranga is built with C#. Licensing differs — MIT for Kthoom versus GPL-3.0 for Tranga. Kthoom is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Tranga. Kthoom is the more established project (first released 2011), while Tranga arrived in 2023. Tranga has the considerably larger community, at 389 GitHub stars versus 150. Tranga 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 Tranga if…
- Good companion to manga readers
- Active development
Watch out for
- Connector legality varies
- Manga-focused
Frequently asked questions
Is Kthoom or Tranga better?
Neither is universally better. Tranga has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Kthoom and Tranga free and open-source?
Yes. Kthoom is licensed under MIT and Tranga under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kthoom and Tranga with Docker?
Kthoom: check the project docs for container support. Tranga: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kthoom or Tranga?
Kthoom has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Tranga. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.