Best Free & Open Source Alternatives to Scribd

What is Bookshelf?

Bookshelf is a self-hosted library for the ebooks you already own. It is a single server-rendered application that lists the books in your collection, filters them through a search box, serves downloads, and reads them in the browser through dedicated EPUB and PDF readers. There is no database — everything is read from object storage, which means backups are just the storage bucket.

The app ships with two interchangeable storage providers: a Cloudflare Worker backed by R2 object storage, or a plain Node server backed by a directory on disk. The same code drives both — only the storage adapter changes.

Key features

• One-page shelf. Books appear as a single server-rendered grid with covers, filterable through a search box and a Continue button that jumps straight back into the book being read.
• In-browser readers. EPUB and PDF each have their own reader. EPUB renders as a paginated reader in the browser; PDF is served with a native-style viewer.
• Profiles. Each reader picks a profile from a switcher, and reading positions are stored per profile so housemates or family members do not overwrite each other.
• Two storage providers. Cloudflare R2 via a Cloudflare Worker, or a local filesystem via a Node server. Docker is supported for the Node path.
• No database. The library is regenerated from the source files each time the sync tool runs, so there is nothing to migrate or back up beyond the storage itself.
• Public-domain demo. npm run demo populates the library with nine generated public-domain titles so the shelf can be tested or screenshotted without supplying your own ebooks.

Self-hosting

The fastest path is Docker: put EPUB and PDF files in a books/ directory and run docker compose up. The image includes the cwebp and pdftoppm image tools so covers come out right without installing anything on the host. A named library volume holds the published books, profiles, and reading positions — it is the only thing to back up.

Without Docker, Bookshelf runs on Node 24 or newer on any Unix-like system. Set bookshelf.config.json to point at a directory, run npm run sync -- --create, then npm start.

On Cloudflare, run npm run sync -- --create against an R2 bucket, then npm run deploy to ship the Worker. The repo includes checked-in wrangler.jsonc and bookshelf.config.json that need to agree about which bucket holds the library — the sync tool checks this before uploading.

A BOOKSHELF_READ_ONLY=1 environment flag tells a public instance to stop accepting writes while continuing to serve, useful for sharing a library without exposing the management interface.

What is BookOrbit?

BookOrbit is a self-hosted library and reading platform that organises your ebooks, audiobooks, PDFs, and comics and lets you read or listen to them across the built-in web reader, KOReader e-ink devices, and Kobo e-readers. Progress, highlights, and reading status sync bidirectionally between all three, so you can start a chapter in one place and finish it in another.

Around that core sit 14 metadata providers (Google Books, Open Library, Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, Hardcover, Audible, Audnexus, Libro.fm, iTunes, ComicVine, RanobeDB, Aladin, Lubimyczytać), reading statistics and achievements with a Reading DNA profile, OPDS and Send-to-Kindle delivery, multi-user accounts with OIDC/SSO, and automatic sync out to Hardcover, Readwise, and StoryGraph.

Key features

• Built-in web readers for ebooks (EPUB, KEPUB, MOBI, AZW3, AZW, FB2), PDFs, comics (CBZ, CBR, CB7), and audiobooks (M4B, MP3, M4A, OPUS, OGG, FLAC) with no extra plugins required.
• Three-way sync between Kobo devices, KOReader, and the BookOrbit web reader. Progress and annotations flow bidirectionally, including highlights and deletions.
• KOReader plugin with on-device catalog browsing, search, download, and rating management, plus full progress and annotation sync.
• Annotations & highlights from the web reader, KOReader, and Kobo merge into one searchable hub, filterable by colour, style, and source, and exportable as Markdown, CSV, or JSON.
• Hardcover, Readwise & StoryGraph sync push status, progress, reading dates, and ratings on configurable triggers. Hardcover read history can also be pulled back to backfill blank BookOrbit entries.
• Statistics, goals & achievements with daily reading time, heatmaps, streaks, library health, yearly goals, monthly challenges, and 50+ achievements across five categories.
• Multiple libraries with per-library folders, custom scan rules, and format priorities.
• Smart scopes & collections via curated lists and dynamic, rule-based saved filters.
• Multi-user & SSO with granular per-user permissions, isolated reading data, and native support for Authentik, Keycloak, and Authelia via OIDC.
• Multilingual interface managed on Crowdin with community translations.
• Content delivery via OPDS, Send-to-Kindle by email, browser drag-and-drop uploads, and a Book Dock drop folder for hands-free importing.

Self-hosting

BookOrbit ships a docker-compose.yml and a Dockerfile. The minimum setup uses Postgres and runs the server plus a static frontend on a single host. The official installation guide covers reverse proxies, file permissions on NAS, external databases, and the full environment variable reference. There are also dedicated migration guides for users coming from Audiobookshelf (one-time import) and Calibre-Web Automated (stopped-snapshot import).

How it compares to Audible, Scribd, and Kindle

Where Audible, Scribd, and Kindle lock your library inside their apps and bill you monthly for access, BookOrbit reads your own files on infrastructure you control. Highlights and progress follow you across the web reader, a Kobo, or KOReader instead of being trapped in one vendor's ecosystem. The audiobook player handles the same formats Audible does (M4B, MP3, M4A, OPUS, OGG, FLAC) without a subscription gate, and the Send-to-Kindle bridge lets you push EPUB and PDF files straight to a Kindle device if you still want one.