How to Self-Host Kavita: Digital Library for Manga, Comics, and Books 2026

TL;DR

Kavita (GPL 3.0, ~6K GitHub stars, C#) is a self-hosted digital library server for manga, comics, and books. It reads CBZ/CBR (comics), EPUB (ebooks), and PDF files, tracks your reading progress across devices, and organizes series automatically from folder structure. Kindle Unlimited is $9.99/month for a rotating selection. Kavita serves your own collection — everything you've purchased, downloaded, or converted — for free. Pair it with a tablet or the Paperback iOS app for a near-native reading experience.

Key Takeaways

• Kavita: GPL 3.0, ~6K stars, C# — manga/comics/books server with reading progress sync
• Formats: CBZ, CBR, CB7, PDF (comics/manga), EPUB, PDF (books) — all major formats
• Series detection: Automatically groups volumes by series from folder/filename patterns
• OPDS: Expose your library as an OPDS catalog for any compatible reading app
• Reading progress: Tracks page/chapter progress per book, syncs across devices
• vs Jellyfin: Jellyfin is for video/audio; Kavita is the equivalent for books/comics

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Kavita vs Komga vs Calibre-Web

Feature	Kavita	Komga	Calibre-Web
License	GPL 3.0	MIT	GPL 3.0
Focus	Manga + Comics + Books	Manga + Comics	Books (EPUB)
OPDS	Yes	Yes	Yes
Formats	CBZ/CBR/EPUB/PDF	CBZ/CBR/PDF	EPUB/PDF/MOBI
Series grouping	Auto	Auto	Manual/Calibre
Reading in browser	Yes	Yes	Yes
Progress sync	Yes	Yes	No
User management	Yes	Yes	Yes
Metadata fetch	AniList/MangaDex	AniList/MangaDex	Google Books

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Part 1: Docker Setup

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  kavita:
    image: jvmilazz0/kavita:latest
    container_name: kavita
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "5000:5000"
    volumes:
      - /path/to/your/manga:/manga        # Your manga library
      - /path/to/your/comics:/comics      # Your comics library
      - /path/to/your/books:/books        # Your ebooks library
      - kavita_config:/kavita/config
    environment:
      TZ: America/Los_Angeles

volumes:
  kavita_config:

docker compose up -d

Visit http://your-server:5000 → complete initial setup wizard.

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Part 2: HTTPS with Caddy

library.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:5000
}

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Part 3: Library Organization

Kavita reads your folder structure to identify series. Use this structure:

Manga library

/manga/
├── Attack on Titan/
│   ├── Attack on Titan v01.cbz
│   ├── Attack on Titan v02.cbz
│   └── Attack on Titan v03.cbz
├── One Piece/
│   ├── One Piece v001.cbz
│   └── One Piece v002.cbz
└── Demon Slayer/
    ├── Chapter 001.cbz
    └── Chapter 002.cbz

Comics library

/comics/
├── Batman/
│   ├── Batman #001 (1940).cbz
│   └── Batman #002 (1940).cbz
└── Spider-Man/
    ├── Amazing Spider-Man v01 #001.cbz
    └── Amazing Spider-Man v01 #002.cbz

Books library

/books/
├── Dune/
│   ├── Dune (1965) - Frank Herbert.epub
│   └── Dune Messiah (1969) - Frank Herbert.epub
└── Technical/
    ├── Clean Code - Robert C Martin.epub
    └── The Pragmatic Programmer.epub

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Part 4: First Setup

Add libraries

1. Admin → Libraries → Add Library
2. Name: Manga, Comics, or Books
3. Type: Manga / Comic / Book (affects how Kavita scans)
4. Folder: /manga (the mounted path)
5. Save → Scan Library

Scan and metadata

After scanning, Kavita:

• Groups files into series by folder name
• Detects volume/chapter numbers from filenames
• Fetches metadata from AniList (manga) or Marvel/ComicVine (comics)

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Part 5: OPDS Feed

OPDS (Open Publication Distribution System) lets any compatible reading app connect to Kavita:

OPDS URL: https://library.yourdomain.com/api/opds/YOUR_API_KEY

Find your API key: Profile → User API Key

Compatible OPDS reading apps

App	Platform	Notes
Paperback	iOS	Best manga app for iPhone/iPad — free
Chunky Comic Reader	iPad	Excellent CBZ reader for iPad
Panels	iOS/macOS	Clean comic reader with OPDS
Moon+ Reader	Android	EPUB/PDF with OPDS support
KOReader	E-Ink	Best for e-readers (Kobo, Kindle)
Tachiyomi (Mihon)	Android	Manga reader with OPDS extension

Paperback (iOS) setup

1. Install Paperback from App Store
2. Settings → Trackers → + Add source
3. Choose "Kavita (OPDS)"
4. URL: https://library.yourdomain.com
5. API Key: your Kavita API key
6. Your manga library appears in Paperback

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Part 6: Reading in Browser

Kavita has a built-in web reader:

1. Browse library → Click series → Click volume/chapter
2. Web reader opens with:
   • Left/right navigation (click sides or arrow keys)
   • Reading direction: Left→Right or Right→Left (manga mode)
   • Page fit: Width, Height, Original, Full
   • Double-page spread mode
   • Bookmarks

Mobile web reader

The web reader is responsive and works on phones:

• Tap left → previous page
• Tap right → next page
• Tap center → show controls

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Part 7: Metadata and Covers

Fetch metadata automatically

1. Admin → Tasks → Refresh Metadata
2. Kavita connects to:
   • AniList — for manga series info, descriptions, genres
   • MangaDex — for manga covers and descriptions
   • ComicVine — for Western comics

Manual metadata override

Right-click series → Edit Metadata:

• Custom cover image (paste URL or upload)
• Summary, genres, tags
• Publication status, year

Cover images

Kavita uses embedded covers in CBZ files. Add custom cover:

# CBZ = ZIP file — add cover.jpg as the first file:
unzip series_v01.cbz -d /tmp/cbz
cp custom-cover.jpg /tmp/cbz/!cover.jpg  # ! sorts first alphabetically
cd /tmp/cbz && zip -r ../series_v01.cbz .

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Part 8: User Management and Sharing

# Create users in Admin → Users:
# - Admin: full access
# - User: read library, track progress
# - Guest: read-only, no progress tracking

# Share specific libraries:
# Admin → Libraries → select library → Manage Access
# → Grant access to specific users only

Reading lists and collections

1. + → Create Reading List — ordered list of chapters across series
2. + → Create Collection — group related series (e.g., "Isekai favorites")

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Maintenance

# Update:
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

# Backup (config only — your files are on your filesystem):
tar -czf kavita-config-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz \
  $(docker volume inspect kavita_kavita_config --format '{{.Mountpoint}}')

# Trigger library scan:
# Admin → Libraries → Scan All Libraries

# Logs:
docker compose logs -f kavita

# Check disk usage by library:
# Admin → Dashboard → Storage stats

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See all open source media library tools at OSSAlt.com/categories/media.