# Kavita vs Nowen Reader

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

| | Kavita | Nowen Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 ✓ | 51/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Comics | #4 of 19 in Ebook Management |
| GitHub stars | 11 964 ✓ | 180 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +236 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 8 | 10 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.9.1.4 · 2 Sept 2026 | v1.2.3 · 25 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | C# | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Kavita scores 73/100 against 51/100 for Nowen Reader, so it is the safer default.

Nowen Reader ships more often: 10 stable releases in the past year, against 8 for Kavita.

Kavita is growing faster right now (+236 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Kavita](https://selfhost.directory/project/kavita) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kavita.md)
- [Nowen Reader](https://selfhost.directory/project/nowen-reader) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nowen-reader.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/kavita-vs-nowen-reader