# Guardian vs OpenReader

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

| | Guardian | OpenReader |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 41/100 | 59/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #95 of 118 in Media Server | #4 of 15 in Audiobook Management |
| GitHub stars | 174 | 550 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +35 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 13 | 19 ✓ |
| Latest release | v2.1.0 · 26 Oct 2026 | v5.4.0 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

OpenReader scores 59/100 against 41/100 for Guardian, so it is the safer default.

OpenReader ships more often: 19 stable releases in the past year, against 13 for Guardian.

OpenReader is growing faster right now (+35 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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