head to head · open source
readest vs Openlib
readest has 25,874 GitHub stars, 1,805 forks, 145 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Openlib has 2,510 stars, 136 forks, 87 open issues and last shipped 10 months ago. readest leads on adoption by 931% (25,874 vs 2,510 stars). readest is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; Openlib is written in Dart under GPL-3.0. readest has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, Openlib 5%. readest was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ebook-reader, 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 | Openlib | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 2.5K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Dart |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-01-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 136 |
| 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 Openlib if
- You want the Openlib feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Dart
- You evaluated both and Openlib 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 Openlib
Openlib An Open source app to download and read books from shadow library (Anna’s Archive) Note 📝 WARNING: This App Is In Beta Stage, So You May Encounter Bugs. If You Do, Open An Issue In Github Repository. Publishing Openlib, Or Any Fork Of It In The Google Play Store Violates Their Terms And Conditions Screenshots 🖼️ Description 📖 Openlib Is An Open Source App To Download And Read Books From Shadow Library (Anna’s Archive). The App Has Built In Reader to Read Books As Anna’s Archive Doesn't Have An API. The App Works By Sending Request To Anna’s Archive And Parses The Response To objects. The App Extracts…
read the full Openlib overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is readest or Openlib more popular?
readest has 25,874 GitHub stars and Openlib has 2,510. readest has the larger community by that measure.
Are readest and Openlib free?
Both are open source. readest is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Openlib under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between readest and Openlib?
readest is written in TypeScript and Openlib in Dart. 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 Openlib?
Choose readest if you want the larger community (25,874 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Openlib if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.