Ebook library hosting
personal Calibre library on the web
// official site: github.com ↗
MEDIA STACK · PRO TIER
Calibre Webpro
Calibre Web is a modern web UI for Calibre ebook libraries — browse your collection, read EPUB/PDF in-browser, send to Kindle via email, expose an OPDS feed for mobile apps. The lightweight replacement for Calibre's built-in content server.
// What it is
A closer look.
Calibre Web is a modern web UI for Calibre ebook libraries — browse your collection, read EPUB/PDF in-browser, send to Kindle via email, expose an OPDS feed for mobile apps. The lightweight replacement for Calibre's built-in content server.
If you have a Calibre library, this gives it a beautiful web face for personal or family use.
// Use cases
What it's for.
Concrete scenarios where teams pick Calibre Web over the SaaS alternative.
In-browser reading
EPUB/PDF/CBZ rendered without downloading
Send-to-Kindle
email-based push to Amazon devices
OPDS feed
mobile reader apps (Marvin, Aldiko, KOReader) auto-sync
Family sharing
per-user accounts and reading progress
// Who it's for
Built for these teams.
If your team profile matches one of these, Calibre Web is a strong fit out of the box.
Ebook collectors
with substantial Calibre libraries
Families
sharing reading material across members
Self-hosted enthusiasts
rejecting Amazon/Kobo platforms
Academic users
archiving PDF papers + books
Library curators
running niche / private collections
// Differentiators
Why teams pick Calibre Web.
When evaluating self-hosted options for this category, here are the dimensions on which Calibre Web consistently lands above the alternatives.
- ✓GPL-3.0 — fully open
- ✓Calibre-compatible — uses metadata.db directly; no migration needed
- ✓Light footprint — Python + SQLite; runs on Raspberry Pi
- ✓OPDS standard — works with most mobile ebook clients
- ✓Multi-user — accounts + per-user reading progress
- ✓Search + tags — fast browse over large libraries
// Integrations
Connects to.
The stack you'll plug Calibre Web into — services, protocols, and adjacent apps in the BluixApps catalog.
◇
Calibre desktop
metadata.db sync (read + write)
◈
OPDS
mobile reader apps consume the feed
◆
Kindle email
Amazon Send-to-Kindle integration
▣
Email (SMTP)
for Send-to-Kindle + invitations
▦
LDAP
optional auth backend
▩
Reverse proxy
runs cleanly behind nginx/traefik with TLS
// Adoption & deployment
Notable users & community
- 13k+ GitHub stars
- Standard in self-hosted media stacks (alongside Audiobookshelf, Komga)
- Featured in r/selfhosted ebook server roundups
- Multiple translation contributors (40+ languages)
- Steady release cadence
What we ship
- Docker (LinuxServer.io): calibre-web latest
- Pinned
lscr.io/linuxserver/calibre-web:latest - Port 8083 (HTTP), reverse-proxy ready
- Persistent volumes for config + books library
- PUID/PGID 1000 default (override in env if needed)
- Install report with first-login + library setup
- Backup hook covers config + Calibre metadata
// Tips & operations
Run it properly.
Operational guidance from running this in production — what to lock down, what surprises people.
// PERFORMANCE
Use Calibre desktop for ingestion
add books with Calibre, then Calibre Web reads metadata.db
// SECURITY
Backup metadata.db + books folder
rebuild from these two paths
// OPERATIONS
Send-to-Kindle email needs SMTP
Gmail/Mailgun/SES; configure in admin
// RELIABILITY
OPDS auth
keep separate from web auth for mobile reader pairing
// DEPLOYMENT
Plugins
limited; most extensions via env config
// SCALING
Permissions
bind-mount with UID:GID matching host user
512
// min ram (MB)
10
// min disk (GB)
8083
// access port
http
// protocol
pro
// bluixapps tier
// Alternatives in Media stack
Compare with
Project resources
Official sitegithub.com ↗