# Calibre vs Whirl

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

| | Calibre | Whirl |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 52/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 19 in Ebook Management | #23 of 69 in AI Chat |
| GitHub stars | 26 274 ✓ | 510 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +265 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v9.17.0 · 23 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Calibre scores 83/100 against 52/100 for Whirl, so it is the safer default.

Calibre ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Whirl.

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

Calibre is growing faster right now (+265 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Calibre](https://selfhost.directory/project/calibre) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/calibre.md)
- [Whirl](https://selfhost.directory/project/whirl) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/whirl.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/calibre-vs-whirl