# Nowen Reader vs Owncast

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

| | Nowen Reader | Owncast |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 51/100 | 73/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #4 of 19 in Ebook Management | #1 of 4 in Live Streaming |
| GitHub stars | 180 | 11 631 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +78 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 ✓ | 3 |
| Latest release | v1.2.3 · 25 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.3.0 · 2 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Owncast 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 3 for Owncast.

Owncast is growing faster right now (+78 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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