Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Readlang

Lute is a reading-centered language-learning web application that helps learners convert texts into interactive learning material. It is implemented in Python using the Flask web framework and is distributed as the lute3 package for local installation. (github.com)

Key Features

• Interactive reading interface where individual words are clickable to create/edit terms and view definitions. (luteorg.github.io)
• Term and dictionary management with parent-term support, multi-word terms, and support for images attached to terms. (luteorg.github.io)
• Plugin architecture and language parser plugins (e.g., Mandarin, Thai) to add specialized tokenizers/parsers for languages that need them. (luteorg.github.io)
• Export and study integrations (Anki card creation/export workflows) plus keyboard shortcuts and progress tracking for reading sessions. (luteorg.github.io)
• Typical Python web-stack packaging and deployment options (pip package, Docker support and project configuration files). (pypi.org)

Use Cases

• Learners who want to learn vocabulary and grammar by reading graded or authentic texts with in-place term creation and review.
• Teachers preparing reading lessons and exporting vocabulary lists or flashcards for students.
• Language hobbyists building customized dictionaries, importing texts, and tracking reading progress across multiple languages. (luteorg.github.io)

Limitations and Considerations

• Some language support requires external system tools (for example, Japanese installations require MeCab for morphological analysis). (pypi.org)

Lute is a focused tool for reading-driven language study with a mature feature set for term management, plugin extensibility, and export workflows. It is actively maintained on its repository and distributed via Python packaging for local deployment and customization. (github.com)