Readest 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.
Not the right match-up?
Readest
Cross-platform ebook reader with sync server
VS
Tranga
Automated manga downloader for Komga and Kavita
| Feature | Readest | Tranga |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,192 | ★ 386 |
| First released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Kindle, Apple Books | ComiXology |
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Readest or Tranga better?
Neither is universally better. Readest has the larger community, while Tranga is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Readest and Tranga free and open-source?
Yes. Readest is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tranga under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Readest and Tranga with Docker?
Readest: yes. Tranga: yes.