head to head · open source
readest vs ebooklib
readest has 25,874 GitHub stars, 1,805 forks, 145 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ebooklib has 1,820 stars, 269 forks, 110 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. readest leads on adoption by 1,322% (25,874 vs 1,820 stars). readest is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; ebooklib is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. readest has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, ebooklib 15%. 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 | ebooklib | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 269 |
| 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 ebooklib if
- You want the ebooklib feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and ebooklib 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 ebooklib
About EbookLib EbookLib is a Python library for managing EPUB2/EPUB3. It's capable of reading and writing EPUB files programmatically. Heads up! EbookLib 0.20 was the final version supporting Python 2.7. Starting with the next release EbookLib requires Python 3.10+, has no dependency on six anymore and ships with type annotations. Want to contribute? It's easy! We welcome bug reports, suggestions, and Pull Requests. Before submitting a Pull Request, please take a quick look at our simple guidelines. Our contribution process is straightforward, with no special procedures to worry about. The API is designed to be…
read the full ebooklib overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is readest or ebooklib more popular?
readest has 25,874 GitHub stars and ebooklib has 1,820. readest has the larger community by that measure.
Are readest and ebooklib free?
Both are open source. readest is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ebooklib under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between readest and ebooklib?
readest is written in TypeScript and ebooklib 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, readest or ebooklib?
Choose readest if you want the larger community (25,874 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose ebooklib if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.