head to head · open source
readest vs Booktype
readest has 25,874 GitHub stars, 1,805 forks, 145 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Booktype has 961 stars, 196 forks, 8 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. readest leads on adoption by 2,592% (25,874 vs 961 stars). readest is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; Booktype is written in JavaScript under AGPL-3.0. readest has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, Booktype 20%. readest 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
| readest | Booktype | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 961 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-09-24 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 196 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick readest if
- You weight community size — 26K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Booktype if
- You want the Booktype feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and Booktype fits your workflow better
About readest
Readest [Readest][link website] is an open source ebook reader designed for immersive and deep reading experiences. Built as a modern rewrite of Foliate, it leverages Next.js 16 and Tauri v2 to deliver a smooth, cross platform experience across macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and the Web. [![Website][badge website]][link website] [![Web App][badge web app]][link web readest] [![OS][badge platforms]][link website] [![Discord][badge discord]][link discord] [![Reddit][badge reddit]][link reddit] [![AGPL Licence][badge license]](LICENSE) [![Language Coverage][badge language coverage]][link locales]…
read the full readest overview →
About Booktype
Booktype Booktype makes it easier and quicker for authors, companies and organisations to edit and publish books. It imports DOCX or EPUB files, converts them into single source HTML for online editing and proofreading, and uses CSS Paged Media to produce good looking output for print, the open web, and almost any ebook reader, in seconds. Booktype facilitates collaborative, agile production across time zones and borders. Booktype is built on the Django web framework and many great Python libraries. The Booktype user interface is being translated into many languages by our community of contributors. Your help…
read the full Booktype overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is readest or Booktype more popular?
readest has 25,874 GitHub stars and Booktype has 961. readest has the larger community by that measure.
Are readest and Booktype free?
Both are open source. readest is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Booktype under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between readest and Booktype?
readest is written in TypeScript and Booktype 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, readest or Booktype?
Choose readest if you want the larger community (25,874 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Booktype if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.