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Calibre Web Hosting

Browse, read, and manage a Calibre ebook library through a polished web interface.

Order now No setup fees
  • One click deploy
  • 2 GB RAM Memory needed
  • 25 GB Disk Space Needed
  • From 5 € Price

Official links

Calibre Web’s official links and original website

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Tech

Docker image
lscr.io/linuxserver/calibre-web:latest
Default port
8083

How Calibre Web works

Calibre Web reads a valid Calibre library, including its metadata.db, and presents the books through a browser. Users can search and browse authors, series, tags, languages, ratings, formats, and shelves, then read supported formats in the browser or download files allowed by their account. OPDS support connects compatible reading applications to the same catalogue.

The server does not supply ebooks or create ownership rights. The catalogue mounts /books, but a valid Calibre library must be placed there before Calibre Web can use it. Upstream first-run guidance uses the documented administrator credentials admin / admin123; those credentials should be changed immediately after the initial sign-in.

Key Calibre Web features

Permissions can restrict downloads, uploads, metadata editing, and access to selected functions. Metadata can be edited and enriched through supported sources or plugins, while shelves provide personal or shared organisation. Remote metadata sources, plugins, and third-party covers may change or return incorrect information, so important bibliographic records should be reviewed.

Some workflows need optional software or external services. Format conversion relies on Calibre binaries, Kobo-specific processing may use kepubify, and sending books to an e-reader can require mail delivery. The catalogue does not configure those optional binaries, and application email is disabled, so conversion, Kobo tooling, and mail-to-device delivery are not included in the default package.

Who uses Calibre Web

Families share a legally acquired ebook collection, readers browse a home library from several devices, and small clubs provide controlled access to a curated catalogue. Administrators can use permissions and shelves to separate personal organisation from library-wide discovery.

Calibre Web is less suitable as a bookstore, digital-rights-management remover, public file-sharing site, rights-clearance service, or universal reader for every ebook format. Users must supply authorised files and compatible client software.

Self-hosting Calibre Web: requirements and cost

Calibre Web resource use grows with book count, cover images, file formats, users, search, metadata edits, OPDS traffic, browser reading, uploads, and downloads. The catalogue provisions no PostgreSQL or MariaDB service and persists /config plus /books. The software itself is free to run, but the ebook library is storage-driven and can grow much faster than the application configuration. Calibre Web is marked storage-driven in the plan mapping, so 50 GB on Plan 3 is a realistic starting point and 100 GB on Plan 4 provides more room for a large working set.

On AvaHost, Calibre Web uses Plan 2 at €5. The hosted Calibre Web package includes one-click deployment, a custom domain with automated HTTPS, automatic application updates, and scheduled backups. A valid Calibre library and authorised ebook files are not bundled. Change the upstream admin / admin123 credentials immediately. Calibre conversion binaries, kepubify, application email, send-to-device mail, DRM removal, ebook purchases, content licences, and compatibility with every reader or format are not included.

F.A.Q

  • Calibre Web starts at €5 on Plan 2. The application is light compared with a growing ebook collection, so file storage is the main capacity driver. Book count, formats, cover images, uploads, downloads, OPDS traffic, browser readers, users, searches, and metadata work determine when a larger storage plan is needed.

  • Calibre Web is marked storage-driven. Plan 3 provides 50 GB and is a realistic starting point for a moderate authorised library, while Plan 4 provides 100 GB for a larger collection. Count every ebook format and cover image, then leave room for configuration, updates, scheduled backups, and future additions.

  • You must provide a valid Calibre library containing `metadata.db` and authorised ebook files in the mounted library path. AvaHost does not bundle books, purchases, licences, or DRM removal. After the initial sign-in, replace the documented `admin` / `admin123` credentials, then verify metadata, permissions, downloads, and OPDS access before inviting readers.

  • The default catalogue package does not configure Calibre conversion binaries or `kepubify`, and application email is disabled. Format conversion, Kobo-specific processing, and mail-to-device delivery therefore are not included. Store books in formats supported by the intended readers, use compatible external tools where authorised, and test downloads or OPDS access on each device.