head to head · open source
readest vs Tangent
readest has 24,413 GitHub stars, 1,586 forks, 145 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Tangent has 551 stars, 38 forks, 112 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. readest leads on adoption by 4,331% (24,413 vs 551 stars). readest is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; Tangent is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. readest has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Tangent 7%. readest was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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 | Tangent | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 24K | ★ 551 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 38 |
| 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 Tangent if
- You want the Tangent feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Tangent 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 Tangent
Tangent is a local note writing and personal knowledge management tool, distributed as a TypeScript monorepo, for writers, researchers, and personal knowledge management practitioners who want styled, link connected notes stored on their own machine rather than in a hosted service.
read the full Tangent overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is readest or Tangent more popular?
readest has 24,413 GitHub stars and Tangent has 551. readest has the larger community by that measure.
Are readest and Tangent free?
Both are open source. readest is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tangent under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between readest and Tangent?
readest is written in TypeScript and Tangent in TypeScript. 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 Tangent?
Choose readest if you want the larger community (24,413 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Tangent if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.