# Lemmy vs Nowen Reader

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

| | Lemmy | Nowen Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 75/100 ✓ | 51/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #4 of 19 in Ebook Management |
| GitHub stars | 14 651 ✓ | 180 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +44 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 10 ✓ |
| Latest release | 0.19.21 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ | v1.2.3 · 25 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Rust | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Lemmy scores 75/100 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 3 for Lemmy.

If you want the quickest setup, Nowen Reader is easier to run; Lemmy needs more configuration.

Lemmy is growing faster right now (+44 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Lemmy](https://selfhost.directory/project/lemmy) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/lemmy.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/lemmy-vs-nowen-reader