Which file formats does Kavita support?

Kavita supports EPUB, EPUB3, CBZ, CBR, CB7, CBT, PDF, and raw image archives (ZIP, RAR). EPUB with metadata (series, author, cover) is indexed automatically. CBZ and CBR files are organised into series by folder structure. PDFs are readable but not metadata-indexed.

What is Kavita+ and do I need it?

Kavita+ is an optional paid add-on ($4/month) that enables scrobbling to AniList and MyAnimeList and access to some community features. It is entirely optional — Kavita is fully functional for reading, library management and OPDS access without it.

How is Kavita different from Calibre-Web?

Calibre-Web is primarily a heavy library manager built on top of a Calibre database, with format conversion and email delivery. Kavita is lighter (single container, under 256 MB RAM) and focused on in-browser reading: it does not require a Calibre database and handles comics/manga (CBZ, CBR) natively, which Calibre-Web does not.

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Kavita

Kavita — your self-hosted ebook, comic and manga library readable from any browser, no cloud, no subscription.

< 256 MB RAM 1 vCPU Port 5000 In validation

In validation

Automatic installation for this solution is ready and currently going through our tests on a real server. Ordering will open as soon as validation is complete.

Source code

Tech stack

Docker.NETSQLite

Minimum RAM< 256 MB

Minimum CPU1 vCPU

Default port5000

Compatible OSChoice of Linux distributions

Kavita is a self-hosted, open-source (GPL-3.0) reading server for e-books, comics and manga, built with .NET and React. It lets you serve your entire digital library from a VPS — EPUB, CBZ, CBR, PDF and more — with a polished web reader, no third-party service involved.

Kavita runs as a single lightweight Docker container (under 256 MB RAM) with an embedded SQLite database, meaning there are no external services to manage. It supports OPDS so you can also connect any OPDS-compatible app (Moon+ Reader, KyBook, Yomu) alongside the built-in browser reader.

On a ServOrbit VPS, Kavita starts in minutes: upload your library via SFTP into the designated volume, create the admin account, and your entire collection is immediately searchable and readable — from any browser on any device.

Key features

EPUB, CBZ, CBR, PDF and more — read any standard e-book or comic format directly in the browser.

Polished web reader — page-turn or scroll mode, bookmarks, reading history, and dark theme.

OPDS catalogue — connect any OPDS-compatible mobile reader (Moon+ Reader, Yomu, KyBook).

Kavita+ (optional, $4/month) — scrobbling to AniList and MAL; not required for self-hosting.

Multi-user accounts — each reader has their own library access, reading progress and bookmarks.

Single lightweight container — under 256 MB RAM, embedded SQLite, zero external services.

When to use this solution?

1

Digital library without subscriptions

Upload your e-books and comics to the VPS via SFTP and access them from any browser or OPDS app. Your files stay on your server — no cloud, no DRM tracking, no monthly fee beyond your VPS cost.

2

Manga and comic reader for the household

Create accounts for each family member and let Kavita organize your CBZ and CBR files into series automatically. Everyone tracks their own reading progress independently.

3

Developer documentation library

Store technical PDFs, e-books and O'Reilly titles in a central library accessible from any device. Kavita's reading history helps you track where you left off across multiple books simultaneously.

Deploy Kavita on your VPS

Guide optimized for ServOrbit Cloud VPS.

01

Access Kavita

Kavita does not require a domain name. Open an SSH tunnel from your machine: ssh -L 5000:127.0.0.1:{{ expose_port }} root@<your-vps-ip> then open http://localhost:5000 in your browser. For permanent access from any device, attach a domain from your ServOrbit dashboard — nginx proxies to the container over HTTPS — or use the free {app}.{dns_slug}.servorbit-dns.com subdomain included with every VPS.

02

Complete the setup wizard

On first visit, Kavita shows a setup wizard. Create the admin account with a username and password, then add your first library: choose the type (Books, Comics/Mangas, or Mixed), give it a name, and point it at the /kavita/library volume path. Kavita scans and indexes all supported files automatically.

03

Upload your books and comics

Connect to your VPS via SFTP (FileZilla, Cyberduck or rsync) and upload your files to the library directory. Kavita detects new files within minutes and organises them into series by metadata and file structure. Manually trigger a scan from Settings → Libraries if you want immediate results.

04

Start reading

Open any book or comic series from the web interface. The built-in reader remembers your position and lets you switch between scroll and page-turn mode. To read on mobile, use the OPDS URL shown in Settings → User Dashboard with any compatible app.

Frequently asked questions

No. Kavita works without a domain via SSH tunnel: ssh -L 5000:127.0.0.1:<port> root@<vps-ip> then http://localhost:5000. For permanent access from mobile or tablet, attach a domain from your ServOrbit dashboard or use the free {app}.{dns_slug}.servorbit-dns.com subdomain included with every VPS.

Kavita stores all metadata, reading progress and settings in the /kavita/config Docker volume. Your book and comic files are in /kavita/library. Back them up independently: config via volume snapshot or SFTP copy; files via rsync from the VPS. Your original files are never modified by Kavita.

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