Kavita

Kavita is a self-hosted reading server for manga, comics, and books. You point it at a folder of CBZ files, EPUBs, or PDFs, and it builds a browsable library with dedicated readers for each format, accessible from any browser.

The reading experience is built for each format rather than being a generic file viewer. Manga gets single-page, dual-page, and webtoon continuous scroll modes. EPUB and PDF have their own readers with annotation support, highlights, and note-taking, with the option to export highlights to Obsidian. The readers are responsive and work well on phones, tablets, and desktops.

Library management goes beyond file browsing. Folder watching imports new content automatically as you add files to monitored directories. Rich metadata support means you can filter and search by author, series, genre, and rating. Collections and reading lists let you curate thematic groupings across different format types, and per-user ratings and reviews track what you have read and what you thought of it.

Multi-user support covers household and small community use: role-based access control and per-user age restrictions let you share a server safely. OPDS compatibility means users can also connect through third-party readers like Yomu, Chunky, or Kybook. Kindle users can send books directly to their device from the web interface.

The core application is free and GPL-licensed. An optional Kavita+ subscription ($4/month) adds AniList sync, external ratings aggregation, metadata automation, and smart collections for users who want those features.