LANraragi 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.
| Feature | LANraragi | Suwayomi-Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | MIT | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,114 | ★ 7,747 |
| First released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Replaces | ComiXology | ComiXology |
What are LANraragi and Suwayomi-Server?
LANraragi
LANraragi is a web application for archiving and reading manga and doujinshi collections stored in archive files. It offers tagging, search, and a responsive reader, all running from a single Docker container.
- Archive-based comic library
- Tagging and search
- Responsive web reader
- Plugin system
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
LANraragi vs Suwayomi-Server: key differences
LANraragi is written in Perl, while Suwayomi-Server is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for LANraragi versus MPL-2.0 for Suwayomi-Server. LANraragi is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Suwayomi-Server. LANraragi is the more established project (first released 2016), while Suwayomi-Server arrived in 2021. Suwayomi-Server has the considerably larger community, at 7,747 GitHub stars versus 3,114.
Why pick each one
Choose LANraragi if…
- Simple single-container deploy
- Good for large archives
Watch out for
- Archive files only
- Niche audience
Choose Suwayomi-Server if…
- Large extension ecosystem
- Active community
Watch out for
- Extension legality varies
- Manga-focused only
Frequently asked questions
Is LANraragi or Suwayomi-Server better?
Neither is universally better. Suwayomi-Server has the larger community, while LANraragi is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are LANraragi and Suwayomi-Server free and open-source?
Yes. LANraragi is licensed under MIT and Suwayomi-Server under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LANraragi and Suwayomi-Server with Docker?
LANraragi: yes. Suwayomi-Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, LANraragi or Suwayomi-Server?
LANraragi has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Suwayomi-Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.