head to head · open source
koodo-reader vs Lector
koodo-reader has 28,699 GitHub stars, 2,148 forks, 271 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Lector has 1,556 stars, 207 forks, 52 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. koodo-reader leads on adoption by 1,744% (28,699 vs 1,556 stars). koodo-reader is written in JavaScript under AGPL-3.0; Lector is written in Python under GPL-3.0. koodo-reader has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, Lector 13%. koodo-reader was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ebook, 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
| koodo-reader | Lector | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 29K | ★ 1.6K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-01 | 2026-07-10 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.1K | ⑂ 207 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick koodo-reader if
- You weight community size — 29K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Lector if
- You want the Lector feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Lector fits your workflow better
About koodo-reader
简体中文 हिंदी Português Indonesian English Türkçe Koodo Reader A cross platform ebook reader Download Preview Roadmap Document Plugins Preview Features Format support: EPUB ( .epub ) PDF ( .pdf ) DRM free Mobipocket ( .mobi ) and Kindle ( .azw3 , .azw ) Plain text ( .txt ) FictionBook ( .fb2 ) Comic book archive ( .cbr , .cbz , .cbt , .cb7 ) Rich text ( .md , .docx ) HyperText ( .html , .xml , .xhtml , .mhtml , .htm ) Platform support: Windows , macOS , Linux , Android , iOS and Web Sync and backup your data with OneDrive , Google Drive , Dropbox , iCloud , MEGA , pCloud , Yandex Disk , Box , FTP , SFTP , WebDAV…
read the full koodo-reader overview →
About Lector
Qt based ebook reader Currently supports: pdf epub djvu fb2 mobi azw / azw3 / azw4 cbr / cbz md Contribute Paypal Bitcoin: 17jaxj26vFJNqQ2hEVerbBV5fpTusfqFro Requirements Needed Optional Support When reporting issues: Make sure you're at the latest commit. Run with $EXECUTABLEPATH debug . Include the log /.local/share/Lector/Lector.log AND terminal output. If you're having trouble with a book while the rest of the application / other books work, please link to a copy of the book itself. If nothing is working, please make sure the requirements mentioned above are all installed, and are at least at the version…
read the full Lector overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is koodo-reader or Lector more popular?
koodo-reader has 28,699 GitHub stars and Lector has 1,556. koodo-reader has the larger community by that measure.
Are koodo-reader and Lector free?
Both are open source. koodo-reader is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Lector under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between koodo-reader and Lector?
koodo-reader is written in JavaScript and Lector in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, koodo-reader or Lector?
Choose koodo-reader if you want the larger community (28,699 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Lector if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.