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BookOrbit

BookOrbit is a self-hosted digital library and reading platform for ebooks, PDFs, comics, and audiobooks.

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BookOrbit is a self-hosted digital library and reading platform for ebooks, PDFs, comics, and audiobooks. It organizes your media, provides built-in readers, tracks reading progress, looks up metadata, and supports reading statistics. It is for people who want to keep their books on their own hardware and read across web, Kobo, and KOReader devices. Use it to maintain a private library with multi-user accounts and OpenID Connect sign-on.

Platform availability

Available on 4 of 6 install platforms

Also on GitHub

Health score

27/100 Low

Maintained
0GitHub repository no longer exists
Popular
No data
Easy to install
654 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
502 GB minimum RAM

Based on 3 of 4 factors.

How is this calculated?

A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 11 days ago

No GitHub repository data collected yet.

Checked 10 days ago - source: GitHub (BigBearTechWorld/bookorbit)

Resources & Compatibility

Minimum requirements: 2 GB RAM, 2 CPU core(s), 25 GB disk.

Checked 10 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Make folders and config files first Before starting BookOrbit, create the bookorbit folder plus books, data/app, and data/postgres folders, and download the example .env (the app's settings file) and docker-compose.yml into that folder. These folders keep your books, settings, and database separate, so your library and configuration aren't lost when the app restarts. source
  • Fill in your .env settings Open the downloaded .env settings file and add any personal values it asks for before starting the app. This file controls how BookOrbit runs; missing or wrong values can stop it from starting or prevent it from finding your books and database. source
  • Start BookOrbit in the background From the folder with docker-compose.yml, run docker compose up -d; Docker Compose is the tool that starts the app and its database together. This runs them in the background, so you can leave the terminal and check later if something isn't working. source
  • Install companion database and network Before starting BookOrbit, install the companion database template or a PostgreSQL/pgvector database and let it fully start. Put BookOrbit and the database on the same custom Docker network named bookorbit, or use the database IP and port. Generate required secrets such as the Postgres password with openssl rand -hex 24. source

Fetched 6 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (12)

  • Audible - Explore a vast library of premium audiobooks with features like chapter navigation and variable narration speed accessible through the comp…
  • Audibly
  • Audiobookshelf - Self-hosted audiobook and podcast server and web app.
  • Funkwhale - Open-source, self-hosted streaming platform supports Android, iOS, podcasts, uploads, sharing, no ads or tracking, federated across decentr…
  • Goodreads - See what your friends are reading.
  • Jellyfin - Jellyfin is a Free Software Media System that puts you in control of managing and streaming your media.
  • Libby by Overdrive - Meet Libby. Discover ebooks and audiobooks from your local library.
  • LibriVox - Free audiobooks from the public domain, volunteer recorded, open source, and accessible globally, hosted by Internet Archive.
  • Openlib - Openlib is an open source app to download and read books from shadow library (Anna’s Archive).
  • Openreads - An Android app for keeping track of books you have read and want to read.
  • Still - Minimalist audiobook player connects securely to private servers, offers offline downloads, seamless cross-device sync, and ensures a distr…
  • Tellico - Tellico is a software application for organizing your collections.

Checked 7 days ago - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

What should I prepare before starting BookOrbit for the first time?

Create the bookorbit folder plus books, data/app, and data/postgres folders, and put the example .env and docker-compose.yml there. Fill in the .env values, then run docker compose up -d from that folder. Missing or wrong .env values can stop startup or prevent it from finding your books and database.

Is there an official app for reading and audiobooks away from the browser?

Yes, the official native BookOrbit app connects directly to your self-hosted server. It reads ebooks, PDFs, and comics, streams or downloads audiobooks, uses text to speech, and supports offline reading; Apple Watch also brings downloaded audiobooks.

Does BookOrbit include sync for Kobo or KOReader devices?

The installation documentation lists Kobo Sync and KOReader Sync under metadata sync and integrations. It also mentions a KOReader plugin.

Can BookOrbit use SSO for user sign-on?

Yes, the documentation lists OIDC / SSO Authentication under admin and security. It also has an SMTP and OIDC configuration section.

Answers sourced from bookorbit.app, github.com, github.com

Community

Collected 10 days ago - public community threads