I tried a few, in particular calibre web, but Booklore is the first one that I found that really worked for me. The kobo sync integration was a dealbreaker for me, so most of these aren’t an...
I tried a few, in particular calibre web, but Booklore is the first one that I found that really worked for me. The kobo sync integration was a dealbreaker for me, so most of these aren’t an option for me. But I can say that booklore is pretty good.
Another option that isn’t mentioned is audiobookshelf. Despite the name, it also supports ebooks. And it is definitely the best way to manage audiobooks.
Does BookLore work with the stock Kobo firmware? I got my partner one as a gift for their upcoming birthday, but I was figuring I'd just put KOReader on it and sync it to Ubooquity that way. If BL...
Does BookLore work with the stock Kobo firmware? I got my partner one as a gift for their upcoming birthday, but I was figuring I'd just put KOReader on it and sync it to Ubooquity that way. If BL supports syncing with stock hardware, that might actually change my calculus on switching servers.
It does! The kobo software is actually incredibly open. When you plug it into a computer, it mounts as a removable device. That is how you sideload books. But there is a hidden folder with some...
It does!
The kobo software is actually incredibly open. When you plug it into a computer, it mounts as a removable device. That is how you sideload books. But there is a hidden folder with some config files. One of the config files has a key for the kobo api. You replace that api with a url generated by booklore. Your server does need to be publicly accessible, or syncing will only work on the local network (I use tailscale funnel for this). Booklore will pretend to be the kobo api and let you download your books. It also proxies to the real kobo api, so your kobo purchased books are still there, you can buy new books, and you can rent books from the library still.
Just set up a Booklore instance on my home server and I'm really liking it! Managing metadata feels significantly less clunky than Calibre. Searching for and swapping covers is super easy. The...
Just set up a Booklore instance on my home server and I'm really liking it! Managing metadata feels significantly less clunky than Calibre. Searching for and swapping covers is super easy. The OPDS server setup was fairly easy and I can now sync with koreader which is extra handy since I'm using a Pocketbook device.
I love seeing Audiobookshelf appear in this sort of discussion. I use the app daily now and it has helped me improve my quality of sleep measurably. It's been rock solid as an LXC on my proxmox...
I love seeing Audiobookshelf appear in this sort of discussion. I use the app daily now and it has helped me improve my quality of sleep measurably. It's been rock solid as an LXC on my proxmox setup, taking in books and helping me edit metadata etc.
I have used it passively for the last 3 or 4 years, but about 6 months ago when I got bit into by Mark Greaney's book series "The Gray Man", I rarely go more than 48 hours without using it. I may...
I have used it passively for the last 3 or 4 years, but about 6 months ago when I got bit into by Mark Greaney's book series "The Gray Man", I rarely go more than 48 hours without using it. I may have burned through all the books and the Gray Man series, but doing so relit my fire for enjoying audiobooks, given how little time I have to sit down and read. And Audio Bookshelf is my favorite way to do so, such a solid application.
I think it's worth pointing out that the article is incorrect about Calibre-web being an extension of Calibre. It's an understandable mistake given the shared name but they are seperate projects....
I think it's worth pointing out that the article is incorrect about Calibre-web being an extension of Calibre. It's an understandable mistake given the shared name but they are seperate projects.
Calibre is the desktop software that (as far as I know) is still completely unmatched when it comes to ebook management. I'm not sure most alternatives even attempt to match the features Calibre has in terms of plugins and ebook editing, let alone all of the other small features Calibre has accumulated over the years.
Calibre-web is a web app that is essentially a front end for an existing Calibre database. Calibre itself is not needed at all with Calibre-web beyond the initial creation of the database.
Calibre itself actually has an option to run as a webserver so you can access its built-in reader functionality from a web browser. But again, this is different from what Calibre-web does.
For my personal usage, I have Calibre as a book server and I access it from KOReader using OPDS. I sync reading progress between devices using a KOReader sync server I host and I sync my reading statistics to a webdav share on my server.
I'm grateful that this conversation has kept popping up because until now I haven't seen any reason to deal with an ebook server until this moment when I accidentally clicked in and saw a...
I'm grateful that this conversation has kept popping up because until now I haven't seen any reason to deal with an ebook server until this moment when I accidentally clicked in and saw a reference to Apple Books. I didn't see what the purpose of having a dedicated server over a basic file server. But now that I realize that they are also syncing the reading status, bookmarks, and annotations, it seems incredibly useful! That was the one reason why I liked using Apple Books for my school texts - it let me read on the go as well as during my scheduled study time at the computer. I also have an ebook reader and having it sync with everything else could be very useful to me.
I have calibre on my mac already for a certain extension needed for, um, reasons, and my ebook reader has koreader which has calibre integration. The only missing part here is on my iPhone. Can I get any recommendations? There's about a million options out there.
Kinda sad that Storyteller didn't make the cut. Its library management features are still a little nacent, but it has standalone ebook and audiobook support (both on the server and in the apps),...
Kinda sad that Storyteller didn't make the cut. Its library management features are still a little nacent, but it has standalone ebook and audiobook support (both on the server and in the apps), as well as support for auto-aligned "readaloud" books (a la WhisperSync).
I have Calibre-web, but I've found that when it comes to e-books I prefer Apple Books. I usually just transfer one book at a time to it. It means I have TTS on my phone or desktop with automatic...
I have Calibre-web, but I've found that when it comes to e-books I prefer Apple Books. I usually just transfer one book at a time to it. It means I have TTS on my phone or desktop with automatic page turning. Any highlights I make can be exported (using Klib). This as also supplanted my Kindle e-reader for now.
That said, I did not realise quite how unethical Apple are as a company when I got into this ecosystem, and I'm planning a gradual exit of big tech one device at a time. So I'll need to figure out something else.
I actually keep my books in a folder now and find that easiest to browse. The Storygraph is where I find details and leave reviews for books.
I do use Audiobookshelf for audiobooks, but can't imagine adding e-books to it now with the setup I have.
It’s not self-hosted or open source, but BookFusion might be a good replacement for you. It has all the features you mention and works cross-device. I frequently read on my PC, phone, and ereader,...
It’s not self-hosted or open source, but BookFusion might be a good replacement for you. It has all the features you mention and works cross-device. I frequently read on my PC, phone, and ereader, and it works across all of them swimmingly.
The only caveats I have for it are:
The TTS voices aren’t up to par. It uses the built-in Apple ones on my iPhone, so this might not be BookFusion’s fault, but none of them come close to a natural-sounding voice.
If you want it on an ereader, currently you have to get an Android-capable one (I use Boox devices). KOReader integration is on their roadmap, but it’s not yet implemented.
Beyond those minor sticking points though, I absolutely love the platform. It now houses my full ebook collection (literally THOUSANDS of books). They have a Calibre plugin, so I do all of my staging of the files on my computer then use the plugin to sync it to their servers.
If you have any questions about it, let me know. I’m a very happy subscriber.
Thanks for this. It’s great to have such a well tailored recommendation! I have the app on my phone now and the TTS is fine for me. It’s what I’m used to and I actually prefer it to some...
Thanks for this. It’s great to have such a well tailored recommendation! I have the app on my phone now and the TTS is fine for me. It’s what I’m used to and I actually prefer it to some voices/accents I hear on certain audiobooks.
It seems to sync progress between mobile and desktop too, which is great.
Can it sync highlights and export them? That’s probably the only other feature I need. Thanks again, I really appreciate the voice of experience.
I'm glad you're liking it! I pretty much willfully shill for BookFusion whenever I can because I love it so much. XD I'm also glad the TTS meets your needs! I keep hoping Apple will add a more...
I'm glad you're liking it! I pretty much willfully shill for BookFusion whenever I can because I love it so much. XD
I'm also glad the TTS meets your needs! I keep hoping Apple will add a more Siri-style natural voice option (or BookFusion will add their own), as even Ava (Premium) (which sounds the best to me) is still a touch robotic for my tastes.
It does sync highlights, and you can export them (see here) though the caveat for that is that you can only do it one book at a time. As far as I can figure out, there's no way to export all highlights across all your books all at once.
Also, that linked article isn't quite up to date. It says it'll export them to CSV, but when I went to test it, I could choose between CSV, Markdown, HTML, PDF, and Readwise.
This is absolutely excellent news! I really wasn’t expecting a decent competitor the the defaults of a trillion dollar company :) Thanks again. I’ll start gradually with the mobile app first and...
This is absolutely excellent news! I really wasn’t expecting a decent competitor the the defaults of a trillion dollar company :) Thanks again. I’ll start gradually with the mobile app first and listen to a few epubs that way. Eventually I’ll try out the other features.
I’ll try to stay within the free tier because I’m retired now but if I end up using it often enough I’ll register and subscribe - which might be necessary for some of those features anyway.
Has anyone tried any of the alternatives to Calibre Web? I have one setup and running and it's really hit or miss on any of the functions actually working. If it did work properly it would be...
Has anyone tried any of the alternatives to Calibre Web? I have one setup and running and it's really hit or miss on any of the functions actually working. If it did work properly it would be wonderful since I have my server running and have tailscale enabled on my eBook Reader (Boox Go 7).
I've been using Ubooquity for years with no issues. I don't use the web interface all that often, but it works fine and the OPDS support has never given me an issue. BookLore looks nice, but...
I've been using Ubooquity for years with no issues. I don't use the web interface all that often, but it works fine and the OPDS support has never given me an issue.
BookLore looks nice, but unless Ubooquity stops working for me at some point, I don't feel like putting in the effort to switch yet.
I have Ubooquity installed - it's been pretty solid for me. I primarily use it for graphic novels as I really like the full screen interface on a portrait screen Unfortunately I still don't own a...
I have Ubooquity installed - it's been pretty solid for me. I primarily use it for graphic novels as I really like the full screen interface on a portrait screen
Unfortunately I still don't own a tablet to actually use it with, but it's there and I know how it works so maybe one day I'll have a good one stop shop
Do any of these allow me to zoom into specific areas of the comic when I double-tap or click? I have tried Kavita and Komga, but they don’t let me do that, which is frustrating.
Do any of these allow me to zoom into specific areas of the comic when I double-tap or click? I have tried Kavita and Komga, but they don’t let me do that, which is frustrating.
I don't need a server, it's just a bunch of files. I use ebook-convert (CLI tool from Calibre) for conversions and layout changes. Been doing it this way since the Sony PRS-505 days.
I don't need a server, it's just a bunch of files. I use ebook-convert (CLI tool from Calibre) for conversions and layout changes. Been doing it this way since the Sony PRS-505 days.
I tried a few, in particular calibre web, but Booklore is the first one that I found that really worked for me. The kobo sync integration was a dealbreaker for me, so most of these aren’t an option for me. But I can say that booklore is pretty good.
Another option that isn’t mentioned is audiobookshelf. Despite the name, it also supports ebooks. And it is definitely the best way to manage audiobooks.
Does BookLore work with the stock Kobo firmware? I got my partner one as a gift for their upcoming birthday, but I was figuring I'd just put KOReader on it and sync it to Ubooquity that way. If BL supports syncing with stock hardware, that might actually change my calculus on switching servers.
It does!
The kobo software is actually incredibly open. When you plug it into a computer, it mounts as a removable device. That is how you sideload books. But there is a hidden folder with some config files. One of the config files has a key for the kobo api. You replace that api with a url generated by booklore. Your server does need to be publicly accessible, or syncing will only work on the local network (I use tailscale funnel for this). Booklore will pretend to be the kobo api and let you download your books. It also proxies to the real kobo api, so your kobo purchased books are still there, you can buy new books, and you can rent books from the library still.
Edit: https://booklore.org/docs/integration/kobo
Just set up a Booklore instance on my home server and I'm really liking it! Managing metadata feels significantly less clunky than Calibre. Searching for and swapping covers is super easy. The OPDS server setup was fairly easy and I can now sync with koreader which is extra handy since I'm using a Pocketbook device.
I don't see Audio Bookshelf listed, but it's been a fantastic solution (for me) to self host audiobooks. And it does have eBook support.
I love seeing Audiobookshelf appear in this sort of discussion. I use the app daily now and it has helped me improve my quality of sleep measurably. It's been rock solid as an LXC on my proxmox setup, taking in books and helping me edit metadata etc.
I have used it passively for the last 3 or 4 years, but about 6 months ago when I got bit into by Mark Greaney's book series "The Gray Man", I rarely go more than 48 hours without using it. I may have burned through all the books and the Gray Man series, but doing so relit my fire for enjoying audiobooks, given how little time I have to sit down and read. And Audio Bookshelf is my favorite way to do so, such a solid application.
I think it's worth pointing out that the article is incorrect about Calibre-web being an extension of Calibre. It's an understandable mistake given the shared name but they are seperate projects.
Calibre is the desktop software that (as far as I know) is still completely unmatched when it comes to ebook management. I'm not sure most alternatives even attempt to match the features Calibre has in terms of plugins and ebook editing, let alone all of the other small features Calibre has accumulated over the years.
Calibre-web is a web app that is essentially a front end for an existing Calibre database. Calibre itself is not needed at all with Calibre-web beyond the initial creation of the database.
Calibre itself actually has an option to run as a webserver so you can access its built-in reader functionality from a web browser. But again, this is different from what Calibre-web does.
For my personal usage, I have Calibre as a book server and I access it from KOReader using OPDS. I sync reading progress between devices using a KOReader sync server I host and I sync my reading statistics to a webdav share on my server.
Correction:
This is not needed, calibre-web can create the database.
It ships a database which you can overwrite
https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web/issues/2403
Ah, cool. I haven't tried it in a while.
I'm grateful that this conversation has kept popping up because until now I haven't seen any reason to deal with an ebook server until this moment when I accidentally clicked in and saw a reference to Apple Books. I didn't see what the purpose of having a dedicated server over a basic file server. But now that I realize that they are also syncing the reading status, bookmarks, and annotations, it seems incredibly useful! That was the one reason why I liked using Apple Books for my school texts - it let me read on the go as well as during my scheduled study time at the computer. I also have an ebook reader and having it sync with everything else could be very useful to me.
I have calibre on my mac already for a certain extension needed for, um, reasons, and my ebook reader has koreader which has calibre integration. The only missing part here is on my iPhone. Can I get any recommendations? There's about a million options out there.
Thinking about self-hosting an ebook library? Here are some open-source software options you can consider.
I just got a Kobo ereader and have been (unsuccessfully) doing research on how to host an ebook library in my homelab - thank you for posting!
Kinda sad that Storyteller didn't make the cut. Its library management features are still a little nacent, but it has standalone ebook and audiobook support (both on the server and in the apps), as well as support for auto-aligned "readaloud" books (a la WhisperSync).
I have Calibre-web, but I've found that when it comes to e-books I prefer Apple Books. I usually just transfer one book at a time to it. It means I have TTS on my phone or desktop with automatic page turning. Any highlights I make can be exported (using Klib). This as also supplanted my Kindle e-reader for now.
That said, I did not realise quite how unethical Apple are as a company when I got into this ecosystem, and I'm planning a gradual exit of big tech one device at a time. So I'll need to figure out something else.
I actually keep my books in a folder now and find that easiest to browse. The Storygraph is where I find details and leave reviews for books.
I do use Audiobookshelf for audiobooks, but can't imagine adding e-books to it now with the setup I have.
It’s not self-hosted or open source, but BookFusion might be a good replacement for you. It has all the features you mention and works cross-device. I frequently read on my PC, phone, and ereader, and it works across all of them swimmingly.
The only caveats I have for it are:
The TTS voices aren’t up to par. It uses the built-in Apple ones on my iPhone, so this might not be BookFusion’s fault, but none of them come close to a natural-sounding voice.
If you want it on an ereader, currently you have to get an Android-capable one (I use Boox devices). KOReader integration is on their roadmap, but it’s not yet implemented.
Beyond those minor sticking points though, I absolutely love the platform. It now houses my full ebook collection (literally THOUSANDS of books). They have a Calibre plugin, so I do all of my staging of the files on my computer then use the plugin to sync it to their servers.
If you have any questions about it, let me know. I’m a very happy subscriber.
Thanks for this. It’s great to have such a well tailored recommendation! I have the app on my phone now and the TTS is fine for me. It’s what I’m used to and I actually prefer it to some voices/accents I hear on certain audiobooks.
It seems to sync progress between mobile and desktop too, which is great.
Can it sync highlights and export them? That’s probably the only other feature I need. Thanks again, I really appreciate the voice of experience.
I'm glad you're liking it! I pretty much willfully shill for BookFusion whenever I can because I love it so much. XD
I'm also glad the TTS meets your needs! I keep hoping Apple will add a more Siri-style natural voice option (or BookFusion will add their own), as even
Ava (Premium)(which sounds the best to me) is still a touch robotic for my tastes.It does sync highlights, and you can export them (see here) though the caveat for that is that you can only do it one book at a time. As far as I can figure out, there's no way to export all highlights across all your books all at once.
Also, that linked article isn't quite up to date. It says it'll export them to CSV, but when I went to test it, I could choose between CSV, Markdown, HTML, PDF, and Readwise.
This is absolutely excellent news! I really wasn’t expecting a decent competitor the the defaults of a trillion dollar company :) Thanks again. I’ll start gradually with the mobile app first and listen to a few epubs that way. Eventually I’ll try out the other features.
I’ll try to stay within the free tier because I’m retired now but if I end up using it often enough I’ll register and subscribe - which might be necessary for some of those features anyway.
Has anyone tried any of the alternatives to Calibre Web? I have one setup and running and it's really hit or miss on any of the functions actually working. If it did work properly it would be wonderful since I have my server running and have tailscale enabled on my eBook Reader (Boox Go 7).
I've been using Ubooquity for years with no issues. I don't use the web interface all that often, but it works fine and the OPDS support has never given me an issue.
BookLore looks nice, but unless Ubooquity stops working for me at some point, I don't feel like putting in the effort to switch yet.
I have Ubooquity installed - it's been pretty solid for me. I primarily use it for graphic novels as I really like the full screen interface on a portrait screen
Unfortunately I still don't own a tablet to actually use it with, but it's there and I know how it works so maybe one day I'll have a good one stop shop
Do any of these allow me to zoom into specific areas of the comic when I double-tap or click? I have tried Kavita and Komga, but they don’t let me do that, which is frustrating.
I don't need a server, it's just a bunch of files. I use ebook-convert (CLI tool from Calibre) for conversions and layout changes. Been doing it this way since the Sony PRS-505 days.