Readarr

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Readarr

A curated collection of the 4 best self hosted alternatives to Readarr.

Readarr is an ebook and audiobook collection manager that monitors releases, automates downloads via indexers and download clients, and organizes libraries with metadata, tagging and Calibre integration.

Alternatives List

#1
Readarr

Readarr

Self-hosted ebook and audiobook collection manager that automates searches, downloads, upgrades, and library organization via Usenet and BitTorrent clients.

Readarr screenshot

Readarr is an ebook and audiobook collection manager that automates acquisition and organization of books for Usenet and BitTorrent users. It monitors authors and RSS feeds, searches indexers, and imports releases into a structured library with consistent naming.

Key Features

  • Monitors authors and lists to automatically detect and grab new releases
  • Integrates with Usenet and BitTorrent download clients for automated fetching
  • Quality profiles and automatic upgrades (for example, replacing lower-quality formats)
  • Library import, sorting, and configurable renaming
  • Handles failed downloads by retrying alternative releases
  • Manual search and release selection for troubleshooting and fine control
  • Calibre integration for adding to library and optional conversion (requires Calibre Content Server)
  • Web-based UI and multi-platform support (Linux, Windows, macOS, and others)

Use Cases

  • Automate building and maintaining an ebook library from preferred authors
  • Manage an audiobook collection with consistent naming and folder structure
  • Keep a library complete by scanning existing folders and fetching missing titles

Limitations and Considerations

  • The project has been officially retired by its maintainers, which may impact long-term maintenance and metadata reliability
  • Only one type per book is supported per instance; managing both ebook and audiobook versions typically requires separate instances

Readarr fits well in a Servarr-style media automation stack where you want hands-off discovery, downloading, and library organization for books. It is best suited for users comfortable with indexers and download client workflows and who can account for its retired project status.

3.4kstars
263forks
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#2
Shelfmark

Shelfmark

Unified web UI to search, aggregate, and download books and audiobooks from multiple sources, with queue management, metadata providers, and client integrations.

Shelfmark (formerly Calibre Web Automated Book Downloader) is a standalone web application that lets you search, aggregate, and download books and audiobooks from multiple sources in one place. It is designed to act as a download hub that can feed library managers such as Calibre-Web-Automated, Booklore, or Audiobookshelf.

Key Features

  • Unified search and browse UI with direct downloads and metadata-driven discovery
  • Supports multiple release sources including web sources, torrents, Usenet, and IRC
  • Audiobook-focused search and processing support
  • Unified download queue with real-time progress and status updates
  • Two search modes: direct source search and “universal” search via metadata providers
  • Pluggable architecture for adding metadata providers, sources, and download client integrations
  • Optional authentication, including proxy auth and reuse of a Calibre-Web user database

Use Cases

  • Centralize book and audiobook acquisition before importing into a library manager
  • Automate downloads using external indexers/download clients (for example via Prowlarr)
  • Run an all-in-one download UI with filtering by format/language and configurable processing

Limitations and Considerations

  • Some “universal” features require configuring external metadata providers and API keys
  • Access to some sources may require Cloudflare solving/bypass configuration depending on your chosen image and setup

Shelfmark provides an opinionated, practical workflow for discovering and downloading ebooks and audiobooks with minimal setup. It works well as a companion service for building and maintaining a personal digital library and supports extending functionality through its plugin-based design.

1.7kstars
114forks
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#3
Autocaliweb

Autocaliweb

Fork of Calibre-Web providing a Bootstrap-based web UI to browse, read, convert and serve eBooks, comics and PDFs from a Calibre database with Docker support.

Autocaliweb is a web application that provides a clean, Bootstrap-based interface to browse, read, manage and serve eBooks, eComics and PDFs backed by a valid Calibre library database. It bundles user/admin management, OPDS support and automation services and is distributed as a Docker image with manual-install options. (github.com)

Key Features

  • Bootstrap 3 responsive web UI with multilingual support and admin/user role management.
  • OPDS feed support for eReader clients and in-browser reading for multiple file formats.
  • eBook conversion using Calibre binaries (installed in the container) and integration with kepubify for kepub generation.
  • Advanced search/filtering, custom shelves, metadata editing and multiple metadata providers (ISBNDB, LitRes, Amazon JP, Hardcover).
  • Kobo sync, send-to-eReader features, automatic ingestion/conversion/metadata/cover enforcement and backup services.
  • Docker-first distribution (official gelbphoenix image), docker-compose template and Proxmox helper script; manual install script available. (github.com)

Use Cases

  • Self-hosted personal or small-team eBook library to browse, read and distribute content to eReaders (via OPDS or send-to-device).
  • Automated ingestion and metadata enrichment pipeline for newly added eBooks (auto-convert, fix epubs, fetch metadata, generate covers).
  • Manage and serve mixed libraries containing eBooks, comics and PDFs with per-user content visibility and Kobo/KOReader synchronization.

Limitations and Considerations

  • Conversion features rely on externally provided Calibre binaries (installed at build/runtime); heavy conversions require adequate CPU/RAM and may be resource-intensive. (raw.githubusercontent.com)
  • Project documentation is primarily in-repo and the wiki is noted as "not finished"; some advanced integrations may require reading source/config and community support. (github.com)

Autocaliweb is a pragmatic fork of Calibre-Web and Calibre-Web Automated focused on additional automation, Kobo/metadata integrations and Docker-friendly deployment. It is suitable for users who want an extensible, self-managed web front-end for Calibre libraries with automation features and broad eReader compatibility. (github.com)

219stars
6forks
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#4
LazyLibrarian

LazyLibrarian

LazyLibrarian tracks authors, fetches book metadata, and automates ebook/audiobook downloads via Usenet or torrents, with Calibre integration and an OPDS catalog.

LazyLibrarian screenshot

LazyLibrarian is an automation tool for managing ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines by tracking authors and titles you want. It collects metadata from multiple book data sources, searches for matching releases, and can hand off downloads to supported Usenet or torrent clients.

Key Features

  • Track authors and automatically discover their books
  • Mark ebooks and audiobooks as wanted and monitor availability
  • Search for NZB files, torrents, or magnet links for wanted titles
  • Send downloads to supported clients (e.g., SABnzbd, NZBGet, Deluge, Transmission, qBittorrent) or use a “black hole” directory
  • Optional import and integration with existing Calibre libraries, including tools like calibredb
  • Save cover art and write Calibre-compatible metadata (metadata.opf) alongside downloaded files
  • OPDS catalog interface for browsing and downloading from compatible ebook clients
  • Magazine search and monitoring for new issues
  • Responsive web UI designed to work well on smaller screens

Use Cases

  • Automatically keep a personal ebook/audiobook library up to date as authors release new titles
  • Enrich an existing library with consistent metadata and cover art compatible with Calibre
  • Provide an OPDS feed for ebook devices and apps to browse and download your collection

Limitations and Considerations

  • Search and download capabilities depend on external indexers/providers and the configuration of your download clients
  • Metadata quality and matching accuracy can vary by source and edition

LazyLibrarian is well-suited for readers who want a largely hands-off workflow for discovering, downloading, and organizing digital books. With Calibre integration and OPDS support, it can fit into both curated library setups and automated acquisition pipelines.

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Why choose an open source alternative?

  • •Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • •No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • •Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • •Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running