Readest vs Sonarr
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Readest
Cross-platform ebook reader with sync server
VS
Sonarr
Series collection manager for Usenet and BitTorrent users
| Feature | Readest | Sonarr |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | Media Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0-only |
| Language | TypeScript | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,192 | ★ 15,005 |
| First released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Kindle, Apple Books | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Readest if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 23.2k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Sonarr if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 15k GitHub stars
- Written in C#
Frequently asked questions
Is Readest or Sonarr better?
Neither is universally better. Readest has the larger community, while Sonarr is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Readest and Sonarr free and open-source?
Yes. Readest is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Sonarr under GPL-3.0-only. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Readest and Sonarr with Docker?
Readest: yes. Sonarr: check the project docs for container support.