Librum vs pdf2htmlEX
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?
Librum
Modern e-book reader with self-hostable sync
VS
pdf2htmlEX
Converts PDF documents to HTML while preserving layout
| Feature | Librum | pdf2htmlEX |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | HTML |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,307 | ★ 5,578 |
| First released | 2023 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Kindle, Goodreads | Commercial PDF converters |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Librum or pdf2htmlEX better?
Neither is universally better. pdf2htmlEX has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Librum and pdf2htmlEX free and open-source?
Yes. Librum is licensed under GPL-3.0 and pdf2htmlEX under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Librum and pdf2htmlEX with Docker?
Librum: yes. pdf2htmlEX: yes.