# Audiobookshelf vs Steward

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

| | Audiobookshelf | Steward |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 ✓ | 46/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 15 in Audiobook Management | #2 of 2 in Cloud |
| GitHub stars | 14 839 ✓ | 201 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +402 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 ✓ | 6 |
| Latest release | v2.37.2 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.4.0 · 4 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Audiobookshelf scores 79/100 against 46/100 for Steward, so it is the safer default.

Audiobookshelf ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Steward.

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

Audiobookshelf is growing faster right now (+402 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/audiobookshelf-vs-steward