Librum vs Stump
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Librum
Modern e-book reader with self-hostable sync
VS
Stump
Fast, low-resource comic and ebook media server
| Feature | Librum | Stump |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 59 · Fair | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,319 | ★ 2,714 |
| First released | 2023 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Kindle, Goodreads | Kindle, ComiXology |
What are Librum and Stump?
Librum
Librum is a modern e-book reader application with a clean interface and a self-hostable server for syncing a library across devices. It targets readers who want a private, synced reading setup. It is deployed via Docker.
- Modern cross-platform reader
- Self-hostable sync server
- Annotations and bookmarks
- Free e-book sources
Stump
Stump is a free, open-source comic, manga, and ebook server built with Rust for speed and low resource use. It implements the OPDS standard and offers a modern web interface for browsing and reading.
- Comic and ebook serving
- OPDS support
- Modern web reader
- Very low resource use
Librum vs Stump: key differences
Librum is written in C++, while Stump is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Librum versus MIT for Stump. Stump is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Librum.
Why pick each one
Choose Librum if…
- Clean modern reader
- Syncs across devices
- Open source
Watch out for
- Self-hosting sync is newer
- Smaller ecosystem
Choose Stump if…
- Fast and lightweight
- Clean interface
Watch out for
- Still pre-1.0
- Fewer features than Komga
Frequently asked questions
Is Librum or Stump better?
Neither is universally better. Librum has the larger community, while Stump is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Librum and Stump free and open-source?
Yes. Librum is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Stump under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Librum and Stump with Docker?
Librum: yes. Stump: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Librum or Stump?
Stump has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Librum. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.