head to head · open source
koreader vs Tangent
koreader has 30,818 GitHub stars, 2,019 forks, 1,345 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Tangent has 583 stars, 41 forks, 112 open issues and last shipped yesterday. koreader leads on adoption by 5,186% (30,818 vs 583 stars). koreader is written in Lua under AGPL-3.0; Tangent is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. koreader has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, Tangent 7%. koreader 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
| koreader | Tangent | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 31K | ★ 583 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Lua | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.0K | ⑂ 41 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick koreader if
- You weight community size — 31K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Lua
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Tangent if
- You want the Tangent feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Tangent fits your workflow better
About koreader
KOReader is a document viewer primarily aimed at e ink readers. [![AGPL Licence][badge license]](COPYING) [![Latest release][badge release]][link gh releases] [![Gitter][badge gitter]][link gitter] [![Mobileread][badge mobileread]][link forum] [![Build Status][badge circleci]][link circleci] [![Coverage Status][badge coverage]][link coverage] [![Weblate Status][badge weblate]][link weblate] Download • User guide • Wiki • Developer docs Main features portable : runs on embedded devices (Cervantes, Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook, reMarkable), Android and Linux computers. Developers can run a KOReader emulator in Linux…
read the full koreader overview →
About Tangent
Tangent This is the monorepo for the Tangent project. Tangent is a local note writing / personal knowledge management tool. It was heavily inspired by Obsidian, and has drifted in its own direction. It uses [[Wiki Links]] and a slightly customized markdown syntax. Notes are fully styled as you write. Markdown syntax is hidden and revealed as needed. Other key features: An innovative, two dimensional connected map of your navigation and linking history. "Sliding Panel" UX inspired by Andy Matuschak's notes. Writing focus mode: highlight your current paragraph, line, or sentence. Customizable note views: view your…
read the full Tangent overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is koreader or Tangent more popular?
koreader has 30,818 GitHub stars and Tangent has 583. koreader has the larger community by that measure.
Are koreader and Tangent free?
Both are open source. koreader is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tangent under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between koreader and Tangent?
koreader is written in Lua and Tangent in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, koreader or Tangent?
Choose koreader if you want the larger community (30,818 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Tangent if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.