Self-Hosted Book Libraries

If you have a homelab — or even a Raspberry Pi — the FOSS book-server stack in 2026 is the default, not the alternative. Calibre Web Automated, Audiobookshelf, Komga, and LazyLibrarian between them cover ebooks, audiobooks, comics, and *arr-shape automation, with mobile / e-ink / desktop clients and zero data lock-in. Pair with KOReader, OPDS Protocol, reader apps, and format / DRM tools. For a broader homelab tour see Self-Host Photos & Media.

Self-host first

The hosted ebook-store / Goodreads / Audible-shape world charges money AND takes your data. The self-host stack is free, runs on a $50 mini-PC or NAS, and your library is yours forever. Pick a combo from below — most homelabbers run CWA + ABS + Komga behind a single reverse proxy and call it done.

Ebook servers (FOSS)

• ★ ★ Calibre Web Automated (CWA) — community fork of Calibre-Web that fixes the historic pain: automatic library import folder (drop an EPUB, it lands in your Calibre library with metadata + cover scraped), automatic metadata / cover refresh, send-to-Kindle / Kobo, OPDS, built-in EPUB / KEPUB / PDF web reader, multi-user. The default ebook server in 2024-26. Replaces vanilla Calibre-Web for almost everyone.
  • https://github.com/crocodilestick/Calibre-Web-Automated
• ★ Calibre-Web — the original; still actively maintained; OPDS; web reader; Kindle send / Kobo sync. Pick CWA over this unless you have a reason.
  • https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web
• ★ Calibre Content Server — Calibre's built-in server (run calibre-server); OPDS + reader; the no-extra-container option if you already use Calibre desktop.
• ★ Stump — modern Rust + React self-host server for comics + ebooks; OPDS; mobile-first reader; lighter and faster than Komga / Kavita; v0.x but rapidly maturing 2024-26.
  • https://github.com/stumpapp/stump
• Booklore — newer self-host book tracker + library combo; tries to combine library + reading tracking in one app. Smaller community; worth watching.
  • https://github.com/booklore-app/booklore
• Ubooquity — older Java OPDS server; comics + ebooks; freeware (not open source); small but active community for "just works" deployments.

Audiobook servers (FOSS)

• ★ ★ Audiobookshelf (ABS) — audiobooks + podcasts; iOS / Android apps; chapters; multi-user; Sonos / CarPlay / Android Auto; the gold standard. See Audiobook Self-Host for depth.
  • https://github.com/advplyr/audiobookshelf
• ★ Storyteller — open-source read-along audiobook + ebook sync platform; pairs an EPUB with its audiobook so highlighting in one drives the other. Killer for re-reads.
  • https://gitlab.com/smoores/storyteller
• Booksonic — older Subsonic fork for audiobooks; community largely moved to ABS.
• Lyrion / Plex Audiobooks — see Audiobook Self-Host (Plex is paid + closed source — secondary).

Comics / manga servers (FOSS)

• ★ Komga — comics / manga / CBZ / EPUB; OPDS; Tachiyomi-compatible; series-aware; the long-running default.
  • https://github.com/gotson/komga
• ★ Kavita — comics + ebooks + manga in one; some readers prefer it for mixed libraries; has EPUB reader built-in.
  • https://github.com/Kareadita/Kavita
• ★ Stump — see above; the modern lightweight pick.
• ★ Suwayomi (Tachidesk) — self-host manga reader that runs Tachiyomi extensions server-side; lets you read all the same scanlation sources as the Mihon / Tachiyomi mobile app via web or any OPDS-ish client. Pairs beautifully with Komga as a "manga inbox".
  • https://github.com/Suwayomi/Suwayomi-Server
• Mylar3 — comics download manager; *arr-shape; pair with Komga.
  • https://github.com/mylar3/mylar3

*arr-shape automation (FOSS)

• ★ LazyLibrarian — long-running Python-based ebook + audiobook automation; "Sonarr for books"; subscribes to authors, watches for new releases, fetches via NZB / torrent / direct. Less polished than Sonarr but the most complete book *arr in 2026.
  • https://gitlab.com/LazyLibrarian/LazyLibrarian
• ★ Readarr — books / audiobooks; ★arr-stack; Sonarr-shape UI. Less mature than Sonarr / Radarr; project has had drama 2024-25. Several community forks (e.g. Readarr-Develop) keep it alive. Try LazyLibrarian first.
  • https://github.com/Readarr/Readarr
• ★ AudioBookRequest (ABR) — Overseerr-shape request system for Audiobookshelf; users request audiobooks, admin approves, ABR fetches and drops into ABS. The missing piece for family / friend ABS deployments.
  • https://github.com/markbeep/AudioBookRequest
• Mylar3 — comics; see above.
• Audiobookshelf + Manual upload — many people just buy / convert audiobooks and drop them into ABS without an *arr.

OPDS clients (read from any of the above)

OPDS = Open Publication Distribution System — the universal protocol for self-host ebook stores. See the dedicated OPDS Protocol page.

• ★ ★ KOReader — see the dedicated page; native OPDS browser with auth; runs on Kindle / Kobo / Boox / desktop.
• ★ Moon+ Reader (Android) — paid + free; OPDS; very long-running; deep customisation.
• ★ FBReader — free OSS; Android / iOS / desktop; OPDS; the open-source default.
• ★ Aldiko Next, Lithium, Librera — Android OPDS readers.
• Panels (iOS) — paid; OPDS comics reader.
• Chunky (iOS) — paid; comics + OPDS.
• Tachiyomi / Mihon (Android) — Komga / Kavita / Stump extensions for manga.
• Komelia — community Komga desktop client.
• Thorium Reader — free OSS desktop EPUB reader; OPDS support.

Sync, send-to-Kindle, send-to-Kobo (FOSS)

• ★ Calibre Web Automated "Send to Kindle" — built-in; email-based; auto-converts.
• ★ KOSync — self-host reading-position sync server for KOReader; tiny Lua / SQLite app. See KOReader.
• Calibre + KOReader companion — wireless device API; sideload via local network.
• Kobo Sync via Calibre-Web / CWA — proxy that lets a Kobo think it's talking to kobo.com while pulling from your library.
• Audiobookshelf mobile apps — direct streaming + offline downloads; sync built-in.

Cross-device reading position (FOSS)

• ★ KOSync — see above; the cleanest cross-device sync for KOReader users.
• WebDAV / Nextcloud — many readers (KOReader, Moon+, FBReader) can sync bookmarks / position via WebDAV. Nextcloud Books + Nextcloud Notes make a serviceable shelf+highlights pairing.
• Syncthing — sync the EPUB folder + sidecar metadata files between devices; "poor man's sync" that always works.

Backup / library hygiene

• ★ Restic / Kopia — encrypted snapshot backups for your Calibre library + ABS data dirs; see Backup & Disaster Recovery.
• rclone + S3 / Backblaze B2 — back up the EPUBs / metadata DB.
• Calibre's built-in "Save to disk" — flat-file export for migration.
• CWA's auto-import inbox — keep the inbox folder in your backup; it's the one place where unprocessed books live.

Index / search

• Calibre's full-text search — added in Calibre 6 / 2022; surprisingly good; CWA exposes it.
• Recoll — desktop full-text search across EPUB / PDF / etc.
• See Document management for Paperless-ngx if your library is mostly PDFs.

Hosted alternatives (paid, secondary)

If self-hosting is genuinely a hassle:

• Bookfusion — paid; hosted EPUB library + highlights; the closed-source convenience option.
• Plex Audiobooks — paid Plex Pass; closed source; community has largely moved to ABS.
• Amazon Kindle / Apple Books / Google Play Books — paid + DRM; the data-give-up default. Strip DRM and import into CWA — see DRM & Format Conversion.

Pick this if…

• Default modern ebook server (FOSS): Calibre Web Automated.
• Default audiobook server (FOSS): Audiobookshelf.
• Comics / manga (FOSS): Komga (or Kavita for mixed; Stump for lightweight).
• Manga with auto-download: Suwayomi → Komga.
• *Ebook + audiobook arr automation: LazyLibrarian (+ AudioBookRequest for ABS users).
• Read-along audio + ebook sync: Storyteller.
• Read on a Kindle / Kobo from your library: CWA's Send to Kindle / Kobo sync.
• Read on a Boox / Linux / desktop: any OPDS client pointed at the above.