# Audiobookshelf vs media-journal

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Audiobookshelf | media-journal |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 ✓ | 45/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 15 in Audiobook Management | #97 of 142 in Media Management |
| GitHub stars | 14 843 ✓ | 138 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +406 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 20 ✓ |
| Latest release | v2.37.2 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ | v1.31.3 · 15 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Audiobookshelf scores 79/100 against 45/100 for media-journal, so it is the safer default.

media-journal ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for Audiobookshelf.

If you want the quickest setup, Audiobookshelf is easier to run; media-journal needs more configuration.

Audiobookshelf is growing faster right now (+406 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Audiobookshelf](https://selfhost.directory/project/audiobookshelf) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/audiobookshelf.md)
- [media-journal](https://selfhost.directory/project/media-journal) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/media-journal.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/audiobookshelf-vs-media-journal