Kavita Hosting

How Kavita works

Kavita scans folders containing supported digital publications and turns them into libraries with series, volumes, chapters, metadata, covers, and search. Readers open comics, manga, magazines, or ebooks in browser-based reading interfaces, while the server records progress and reading status separately for each user.

Administrators control library access, account permissions, and age-related restrictions, then rescan when files or metadata change. OPDS support lets compatible reading clients browse a server catalogue, although client behaviour and format support vary. Kavita organises files supplied by the customer; it does not sell books, remove digital rights management, or grant permission to copy and share protected works.

Key Kavita features

Libraries can separate media types or audiences, while collections and reading lists provide additional ways to group titles. Search, filters, metadata, and progress tracking make large folders easier to navigate. Scanning and metadata analysis create bursts of work after uploads or reorganisations, whereas ordinary browsing and direct reading are lighter.

The catalogue mounts a configuration directory and a /library volume for customer media. Books, comics, metadata providers, OPDS client applications, and reading devices are not included. Users must upload legally obtained, compatible, DRM-free files and keep independent originals because the hosted library is not a rights-management or permanent preservation service.

Who uses Kavita

Comic and manga collectors browse series from phones, tablets, and desktops. Families create separate accounts with individual progress, while reading groups maintain a shared authorised catalogue. Small archives can also use the interface to make an internal publication set searchable without distributing physical media.

Kavita is not a book shop, public lending licence, DRM removal tool, metadata guarantee, or substitute for original files. Compatibility should be tested with representative formats and preferred clients before a large collection is uploaded.

Self-hosting Kavita: requirements and cost

Kavita capacity is driven by library size, cover and metadata caches, concurrent readers, scans, file analysis, search, and the formats served to clients. The catalogue deploys Kavita without a PostgreSQL or MariaDB companion. Storage is the primary constraint because customer publications and generated library data remain on the hosted volumes. Kavita 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, Kavita uses Plan 1 at €2. The hosted Kavita package includes one-click deployment, a custom domain with automated HTTPS, automatic application updates, and scheduled backups. Customers supply authorised, compatible, DRM-free media and any external reading clients. The plan does not include books, metadata subscriptions, OPDS applications, format conversion services, rights clearance, or device support. Keep original files independently, verify account permissions, and test reading behaviour with representative content after major updates.