head to head · open source
readest vs Lector
readest has 24,413 GitHub stars, 1,586 forks, 145 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Lector has 1,552 stars, 208 forks, 52 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. readest leads on adoption by 1,473% (24,413 vs 1,552 stars). readest is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; Lector is written in Python under GPL-3.0. readest has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Lector 13%. readest was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 4 topic tags (ebook, ebook-reader, epub, mobi), 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 | Lector | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 24K | ★ 1.6K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-07-10 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 208 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick readest if
- You weight community size — 24K 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 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 readest
Readest is an open source, cross platform ebook reader built with Next.js 16 and Tauri v2 for readers who want one modern library across macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and the web.
read the full readest overview →
About Lector
Lector is a Python and Qt desktop ebook reader released under GPL 3.0 or later. It lives in the Qt and Python desktop ecosystem, and its topics describe it as a crossplatform reader for ebooks and comics. The README shows a graphical application with views for reading, table browsing, distraction free reading, comics, annotations, bookmarks, view profiles, metadata, and a dictionary.
read the full Lector overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is readest or Lector more popular?
readest has 24,413 GitHub stars and Lector has 1,552. readest has the larger community by that measure.
Are readest and Lector free?
Both are open source. readest is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Lector under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between readest and Lector?
readest is written in TypeScript 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, readest or Lector?
Choose readest if you want the larger community (24,413 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.