Kavita
$9.00 / month with a 7-day free trial and a $1.00 sign-up fee
Self-hosted reading server for ebooks, manga, comics, and webtoons — fast, polished, FOSS.
A managed Kavita instance hosted on ElfHosted. Stream EPUB, PDF, CBZ, CBR, and webtoon files from your own library with reading-progress sync, bookmarks, and a polished mobile-friendly UI. Companion mobile apps via Tachiyomi/Mihon and OPDS-aware readers. Fully FOSS, no subscription. Bring your own ebook/comic files.
Kavita is what Calibre would be if it were redesigned for active reading on phones and tablets, not for managing a Calibre database. Open the app, pick up where you left off.
What is Kavita?
Kavita is a fast, modern, fully open-source reading server for digital libraries — ebooks, manga, comics, light novels, and webtoons. Its built-in web reader works beautifully on desktop and mobile browsers, and OPDS support means external apps like Tachiyomi/Mihon, Moon+ Reader, and KOReader can browse and download from your library.
This is a managed Kavita instance on ElfHosted: pre-configured with mounts, TLS, and SSO. You bring your library (upload directly or rclone-mount cloud storage), Kavita scans the metadata, and you start reading.
Key Features
- 📚 Wide format support: EPUB, PDF, CBZ, CBR, CB7, ZIP, RAR, and image-folder webtoons. Drop almost any digital reading format in and Kavita handles it.
- 📱 Built-in web reader + OPDS: read in any modern browser; for phone-native apps, Kavita exposes an OPDS catalog that Tachiyomi/Mihon, Moon+ Reader, and KOReader can browse.
- 🔄 Progress & bookmarks sync: read on desktop, continue on phone, finish on tablet — Kavita keeps your place across every device.
- 📂 Smart library organisation: series, volumes, authors, tags, genres, and custom reading lists. Metadata pulled from ComicVine, MyAnimeList, and built-in scrapers.
- 👥 Multi-user: per-user libraries with custom permissions — share with the household without sharing reading history.
- 🔓 Fully FOSS: no subscription, no telemetry, no ads. Codebase is open-source under GPL-3.
- 🔄 Updates handled: ElfHosted keeps Kavita current.
Kavita vs Calibre Web vs Komga
Three of the most popular self-hosted reading servers. Picking the right one depends on your library:
- Kavita (this product) — best all-rounder for mixed libraries (ebooks + comics + manga). Fast, modern UI; phone-friendly; great for active reading.
- Komga — comics/manga specialist. Excellent metadata handling for series and reading order; less ergonomic for pure ebook libraries.
- Calibre Web (Automated) — front-end on a Calibre database. Indispensable if you already manage your library in Calibre desktop; less polished as a pure reading experience.
If your collection is mostly text ebooks and comics/manga, Kavita is the most pragmatic single answer. Many users run Kavita for active reading and Calibre Web for library management.
Why Run Kavita on ElfHosted?
Kavita is happy to run on a Raspberry Pi at home — until you want to read on your phone away from home, or you want OPDS clients to authenticate cleanly over HTTPS. ElfHosted handles all of that:
- HTTPS on your own ElfHosted subdomain — phone reading apps connect from anywhere.
- Library storage via rclone-mounted cloud (Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, B2) or upload directly.
- SSO on the web UI; OPDS uses Kavita's own user accounts.
- Updates roll out without you touching anything.
Technical Specifications
- 🛠️ Software: Kavita (FOSS, GPL-3.0)
- 📚 Formats: EPUB, PDF, CBZ, CBR, CB7, ZIP, RAR, image-folder webtoons
- 📡 OPDS: compatible with Tachiyomi/Mihon, Moon+ Reader, KOReader, and any OPDS v1.2 client
- 🔑 Subscription: none required — Kavita is fully FOSS
- 📂 Library storage: bring your own files; rclone-mount cloud storage or upload directly
- 🌐 Access: hosted on your ElfHosted subdomain with TLS
- 🔄 Updates: handled by ElfHosted
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this come with books?
No. Kavita is the server — bring your own ebook, comic, and manga files. Many users source from libraries they already own (DRM-free purchases, public-domain archives like Project Gutenberg, etc.).
Does it work on my phone?
Yes — two ways. Kavita's built-in web reader works in any modern mobile browser. Or use OPDS-aware native apps: Tachiyomi/Mihon for manga/comics on Android, Moon+ Reader for ebooks, KOReader for both. They authenticate against Kavita and stream content directly.
How is this different from Calibre Web?
Calibre Web is a web front-end for a Calibre database — it inherits Calibre's library model and metadata. Kavita is a purpose-built reading server with its own scanner and metadata, optimised for active reading rather than library curation. Many users run both: Calibre to manage, Kavita to read.
How is this different from Komga?
Komga specialises in comics and manga with stronger series-management features. Kavita handles a wider mix (text ebooks + comics + manga) with a more polished general reader. If your library is 95% comics, Komga edges ahead; for mixed libraries, Kavita.
Can I read offline?
The web reader is online-only. For offline reading, use an OPDS app like Moon+ Reader or KOReader to download books and read them disconnected.
Is there an audiobook server here too?
Kavita is for reading, not listening. For audiobooks, see Audiobookshelf — they're complementary, and many users run both.
Hosted Kavita is the modern self-hosted reading server for ebooks, manga, comics, and webtoons. Built-in reader plus OPDS for phone apps, multi-user with progress sync, fully FOSS. Bring your library; we run the server.
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