head to head · open source
readest vs Calibre-Web-Automated
readest has 25,874 GitHub stars, 1,805 forks, 145 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Calibre-Web-Automated has 6,537 stars, 565 forks, 443 open issues and last shipped 25 days ago. readest leads on adoption by 296% (25,874 vs 6,537 stars). readest is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; Calibre-Web-Automated is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. readest has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, Calibre-Web-Automated 9%. readest was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 4 topic tags (calibre, ebook, epub, kindle), 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 | Calibre-Web-Automated | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 6.5K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-09 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 565 |
| 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 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 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 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 readest or Calibre-Web-Automated more popular?
readest has 25,874 GitHub stars and Calibre-Web-Automated has 6,537. readest has the larger community by that measure.
Are readest and Calibre-Web-Automated free?
Both are open source. readest is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Calibre-Web-Automated under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between readest and Calibre-Web-Automated?
readest is written in TypeScript 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, readest or Calibre-Web-Automated?
Choose readest if you want the larger community (25,874 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.