head to head · open source
calibre-web vs WritingTools
calibre-web has 18,530 GitHub stars, 1,902 forks, 409 open issues and last shipped 26 days ago. WritingTools has 2,480 stars, 165 forks, 79 open issues and last shipped 3 months ago. calibre-web leads on adoption by 647% (18,530 vs 2,480 stars). calibre-web is written in Fluent under GPL-3.0; WritingTools is written in Swift under GPL-3.0. calibre-web has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, WritingTools 7%. calibre-web was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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
| calibre-web | WritingTools | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 19K | ★ 2.5K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Fluent | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-10-10 | 2026-08-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.9K | ⑂ 165 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick calibre-web if
- You weight community size — 19K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Fluent
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick WritingTools if
- You want the WritingTools feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You evaluated both and WritingTools fits your workflow better
About calibre-web
Calibre Web Calibre Web is a web app that offers a clean and intuitive interface for browsing, reading, and downloading eBooks using a valid Calibre database. Table of Contents (click to expand) 1. About 2. Features 3. Installation Installation via pip (recommended) Quick start Requirements 4. Docker Images 5. Troubleshooting 6. Contributor Recognition 7. Contact 8. Contributing to Calibre Web This software is a fork of library and licensed under the GPL v3 License. Features Modern and responsive Bootstrap 3 HTML5 interface Full graphical setup Comprehensive user management with fine grained per user permissions…
read the full calibre-web overview →
About WritingTools
Writing Tools 🍎 Using a Mac? Jump to the macOS (Native Swift Port) section → macOS Instantly proofread and optimize your writing system wide with AI: Summarize content (webpages, YouTube videos, documents...) in a click: Add your own buttons for unlimited potential! ✨ What is Writing Tools? Writing Tools is an Apple Intelligence inspired application for Windows, Linux, and macOS that supercharges your writing with an AI LLM (cloud based or local). With one hotkey press system wide, it lets you fix grammar, optimize text according to your instructions, summarize content (webpages, YouTube videos, etc.), and…
read the full WritingTools overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is calibre-web or WritingTools more popular?
calibre-web has 18,530 GitHub stars and WritingTools has 2,480. calibre-web has the larger community by that measure.
Are calibre-web and WritingTools free?
Both are open source. calibre-web is licensed under GPL-3.0 and WritingTools under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between calibre-web and WritingTools?
calibre-web is written in Fluent and WritingTools in Swift. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, calibre-web or WritingTools?
Choose calibre-web if you want the larger community (18,530 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose WritingTools if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.