# Backstage vs OpenReader

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

| | Backstage | OpenReader |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 ✓ | 59/100 |
| Rank in category | #8 of 166 in Developer Tools | #4 of 15 in Audiobook Management |
| GitHub stars | 34 732 ✓ | 550 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +50 ✓ | +35 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 18 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.57.0-next.0 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | v5.3.0 · 20 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Backstage scores 78/100 against 59/100 for OpenReader, so it is the safer default.

OpenReader ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for Backstage.

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

## Details

- [Backstage](https://selfhost.directory/project/backstage) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/backstage.md)
- [OpenReader](https://selfhost.directory/project/openreader) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openreader.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/backstage-vs-openreader