Lexarii, Calibre-Web, Kavita and Komga compared, for a self-hosted ebook library

If you want your books on your own server, there are several good free options, and they are not interchangeable. Each was built around a different kind of reader. Here is our honest view of four of them, including where you should pick something other than Lexarii.

Projects change quickly, so check each one's own documentation before you decide; this reflects them as we understand them at the time of writing.

Calibre-Web: if your library already lives in Calibre

Calibre is the long-standing desktop application for ebook collections: metadata editing, format conversion and sending books to devices. Calibre-Web puts a web front-end on a Calibre library, so you can browse, read and download it from any device, and serve it to reading apps over OPDS.

Choose it if you already curate your collection in Calibre and want it on the web without changing how you work. Your Calibre library stays the source of truth.

Kavita: if you read comics and manga as well as books

Kavita is a self-hosted reading server for manga, comics and books, with a web reader and OPDS, several users, and good handling of series and volumes.

Choose it if a large part of your collection is CBZ and CBR, or you want one server for comics and prose alike.

Komga: if comics are the heart of it

Komga is a media server built for comics and manga first, with strong series and collection handling, a web reader and OPDS.

Choose it if your library is mostly comics and you want a server designed around them.

Lexarii: if you read closely and want to ask your books

Lexarii is built for prose you read closely and come back to: study, research, reference, writing.

A research assistant. Ask a question across your whole library and get an answer that cites the exact passage, with a link that opens the book at that line, or that tells you plainly your books do not cover it. As far as we know, none of the other three has this built in.
A catalogue that builds itself from the books' own metadata, grouping files into works and editions, with subjects to browse.
A reader that keeps its marks. Paginated like a book, with positions and highlights anchored to the text, so they survive font changes and devices.
Your folder, read-only. It scans a folder it never writes to, or takes uploads.
OPDS, for KOReader, Thorium, Foliate and the rest.

Where Lexarii is the wrong choice, today:

Comics. CBZ and CBR files are catalogued and shelved, but the reader cannot open them yet. For a comics library, Kavita or Komga.
Kindle formats. MOBI and AZW3 are shelved, not readable.
Format conversion and sending to devices. Calibre does this; Lexarii does not.
Maturity. Lexarii is young, and the others have years of use behind them. Our Android app is still being built.

The short version

Your Calibre library on the web: Calibre-Web.
One server for comics, manga and books: Kavita.
A server built around comics: Komga.
To read closely, keep notes, and ask your books questions with citations: Lexarii.

Nothing stops you running two. Lexarii reads a folder without ever writing to it, so it can sit beside another server on the same books.

Try it

The demo needs no account. Run it yourself, free, or let us keep it for you.