head to head · open source
PyMuPDF vs Calibre-Web-Automated
PyMuPDF has 11,057 GitHub stars, 831 forks, 58 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Calibre-Web-Automated has 6,547 stars, 565 forks, 443 open issues and last shipped 27 days ago. PyMuPDF leads on adoption by 69% (11,057 vs 6,547 stars). PyMuPDF is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; Calibre-Web-Automated is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. PyMuPDF has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Calibre-Web-Automated 9%. PyMuPDF was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (epub), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| PyMuPDF | Calibre-Web-Automated | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 11K | ★ 6.5K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-10-09 |
| Forks | ⑂ 831 | ⑂ 565 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick PyMuPDF if
- You weight community size — 11K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Calibre-Web-Automated if
- You want the Calibre-Web-Automated feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and Calibre-Web-Automated fits your workflow better
About PyMuPDF
PyMuPDF The PDF engine behind over 50 million monthly downloads, powering AI pipelines worldwide. PyMuPDF is a high performance Python library for data extraction, analysis, conversion, rendering and manipulation of PDF (and other) documents. Built on top of MuPDF — a lightweight, fast C engine — PyMuPDF gives you precise, low level control over documents alongside high level convenience APIs. No mandatory external dependencies. Why PyMuPDF? Fast — powered by MuPDF, a best in class C rendering engine Accurate — pixel perfect text extraction with font, color, and position metadata Versatile — read, write…
read the full PyMuPDF overview →
About Calibre-Web-Automated
Calibre Web Automated (formerly Calibre Web Automator) Making Calibre Web your dream , all in one self hosted digital library solution. Supporting the Project ❤️ CWA is and always will be free and open source. If it makes your library life easier and you're able to support development, contributions go directly to: Testing hardware (ereader devices & tablets ect.) Development tools and infrastructure Coffee ☕ (lots of coffee) Quick Access Features 🪄 Releases 🆕 Roadmap 🛣️ How to Install: 📖 Quick Install 🚀 Docker Compose 🐋⭐(Recommended) Users Migrating from stock Calibre Web 🔄 Post Install Tasks 🏁 Default…
read the full Calibre-Web-Automated overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PyMuPDF or Calibre-Web-Automated more popular?
PyMuPDF has 11,057 GitHub stars and Calibre-Web-Automated has 6,547. PyMuPDF has the larger community by that measure.
Are PyMuPDF and Calibre-Web-Automated free?
Both are open source. PyMuPDF is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Calibre-Web-Automated under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PyMuPDF and Calibre-Web-Automated?
PyMuPDF is written in Python and Calibre-Web-Automated in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, PyMuPDF or Calibre-Web-Automated?
Choose PyMuPDF if you want the larger community (11,057 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Calibre-Web-Automated if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.