If you have a library of eBooks that you´re not sure how to manage, one of the best ways to keep them all in one place and easily manage them is to use an eBook management app or software.
For many people, Calibre offers a one-stop solution for all their eBook needs. Not only is it loved because it’s an open-source application, but it also has a cornucopia of features such as library management and eBook conversion.
Plus, Calibre also allows you to sync your eBook reader devices, download news from the internet, and convert the downloads into book form. It saves time on eBook library management, is usable everywhere, and allows you to share and backup your library easily.
However, Calibre comes with a few disadvantages such as its dated user interface, limited customization options, and lack of a native help file.
While Calibre is a great app, it’s not the only one out there that can offer all the features and services you need for your eBook collection. We’ve rounded up some of the best Calibre alternatives that have similar or even better features for every type of user.
Best Calibre Alternatives
1. Delicious Library
Delicious Library is an eBook manager that´s designed for use with Mac computers. The software is a bit different from Calibre because it´s not just for managing eBooks but everything else in your home.
One of the best features of Delicious Library is that you can enter books via Webcam shot, thereby allowing you to collect paper books as well. The tool recognizes ISBN codes and helps you catalog your media (music, photos, movies), books, tools, toys, video games, and electronics among other stuff you have.
You can import all your stuff via the iSight webcam to the digital shelves in Delicious Library. Alternatively, you can use the app´s wireless barcode or your keyboard.
To scan, hold the barcodes to your webcam and the scanned items will appear on the digital shelves. From here, you can rate them, loan them to others, or read up on the information for each that´s automatically downloaded to the shelves.
Delicious Library also lets you create a comprehensive eBook inventory, integrate your ratings, wishlist and friends so you can share your library with others, and get recommendations based on your collector profile.
You can also archive your stuff, view them alongside your iTunes collection, publish the library to the web, put items up for sale, and find out how much your stuff is worth.
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2. Alfa eBooks Manager
Alfa eBooks Manager is another great Calibre alternative with lots of templates and beautiful library visualization options.
The software allows you to update book data from Google Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble among other web sources. Plus, it´s good at file management and extracting metadata.
However, unlike Calibre, which has a learning curve, Alfa eBooks Manager is much easier to use.
Whether you´re a student, academician, book lover, collector, or you run a school or business library, this tool helps you organize all your print and electronic books in a single e-library.
You can also scan your computer faster for book files, add covers, custom fields, and tags, parse metadata, update book data from the web, and view your eBooks in 3D.
Alfa eBooks Manager also lets you catalog bok data, customize the look and feel of your e-library, and read eBooks in all popular formats including EPUB, MOBI, FB2, PDF, and AZW. On top of that, you can convert eBooks for your iPhone, Kindle, or Android reader, and even import eBooks from Calibre.
If you have audiobooks, Alfa eBooks Manager allows you to quickly add those and organize them using the native audiobook player.
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3. Hamster
Hamster is a free eBook converter tool that helps you read eBooks on your device. The tool works like Calibre, allowing you to convert eBooks in proprietary formats for over 200 devices including the Nook, Sony, Kindle, iPad, iRiver, iPhone, and Kobo among others.
You can convert your eBooks to PDF, TXT, LIT, FB2, PDB, PUB, and other formats, and then move them between devices.
In addition, you can use Hamster to convert multiple files in batch mode and make them compatible with other devices.
The main aim of this program is to allow you to read and enjoy your books on any eBook reader, regardless of the format it supports.
Once you have the eBook, just select it and output the format. Hamster will convert it and you can use it in over 40 languages compared to Calibre, which is only available in a dozen languages.
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4. Kindlian
Kindlian is an eBook organizer and manager that comes in handy when you use SD-cards to store books. This general-purpose eBook manager and organizer is specially designed for use with Kindle, which doesn´t support folders but supports its own collections.
Unlike Calibre, which is open-source and free to use, Kindlian is a paid app, but it´s still very beautiful and easy to use.
What makes it a better alternative to Calibre for Kindle users is that Kindlian allows you to manage Kindle Touch. Plus, you can use the desktop version of the app to view and manage your eBook collection.
When you launch the app, it´ll scan your Kindle, parse book metadata, and display a beautiful e-library. Moreover, you can move and copy books between your eBook collections using the drag and drop function of your mouse.
You can also get eBooks in other book formats when you add non-Kindle books from your computer to the Kindlian library. The software will automatically convert such eBooks to Kindle’s MOBI format, but you can also convert to other popular formats like FB2, EPUB, and HTML so as to read free eBooks on Kindle.
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5. KooBits
While Calibre can open most popular eBook formats, it’s not much of a reading app than it is a tool for opening books. If you want a tool that can do both, you can go with KooBits, which is a more comfortable desktop eBook reading software.
KooBits is compatible with most popular eBook formats including EPUB, PDF, KBJ, HTML, and XML among many others for easy and more comfortable reading on your device.
You can personalize your eBook using tools such as the Highlight or Stamp, making it easier to mark or highlight important sections. Plus, an Extraction tool is included that allows you to copy content and piece whatever you’ve copied together as you would in a scrapbook.
You can buy thousands of eBooks via KooBits, and conveniently view them, organize and manage all eBooks in PDF, or KooBits’ own interactive eBooks with multimedia and animation format.
Not only does KooBits have the basic functions you’d find in Calibre such as eBook management and viewing, but it also allows you to annotate with icons or symbols and bookmark them. You can also flip pages and use interactive functions like game elements with KooBits.
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6. LibraryThing
LibraryThing is software that you can use to catalog your eBooks and network with other book lovers. The software helps you create a catalog of books you own, have read or want to read, as well as books you have lent others with library-quality.
The app offers you a home for all your eBooks so you can enter what you’re currently reading or your entire library and network with a community of over 2.5 million book lovers.
Like Calibre, you can catalog your books but LibraryThing also lets you catalog your movies and music too. You can catalog books from The Library of Congress, Amazon, and over 4,900 other libraries.
It’s also free to use and you can find new books to read, talk about what you love with other like-minded and committed bibliophiles, and snag books from more than 2000 early-release titles monthly.
Plus, LibraryThing lets you track and lend your books, music, and movies. The app is available in 28 languages, with more languages in process unlike Calibre, which only offers a dozen languages.
Beyond your personal catalog, you can show and aggregate reviews, ratings, tags, and Common Knowledge about an author, book, award or series, contribute your own reviews, tags, and more.
If you have a small library, for example for a community center, classroom, or church, LibraryThing offers TinyCat, which turns your collection into a simple and professional online catalog for circulation and patron browsing. Larger libraries can use LibraryThing for Libraries with OPAC enhancements for a more informative and engaging library.
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7. Adobe Digital Editions
Adobe Digital Editions is a free tool that lets you read eBooks but also download and buy digital content. You can read the eBooks in online and offline mode, search for keywords across your eBook’s chapters and proofread your books too, especially if you’re a publisher.
The software helps you experience your books in the most optimum format across major operating systems and devices including Windows, Mac, or mobile devices like your smartphone or tablet.
Adobe Digital Editions offers a new ease of use experience unlike what you find in Calibre, which may require some learning to get used to. Plus, your book purchases appear automatically across all your devices, which is akin to Calibre’s syncing function.
You can also borrow eBooks easily from public libraries, organize your digital publications, and manage your devices. Plus, the eReader also lets you access all your eBooks in multiple file formats including PDF, EPUB, and EPUB3 with a richer reading experience.
For accessibility, Adobe Digital Editions can be used with JAWS, NVDA, Window-eyes, and Voiceover for MacOS among other screen reading devices.
You can access Adobe Digital Editions in major languages including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese – Simplified and Traditional – and many more.
In addition, Adobe Digital Editions allows you to bookmark, note or highlight important and favorite parts of the text from your eBook, borrow from public libraries, and organize your collection.
You can also print eBooks using the software, and it will maintain fidelity with what’s on your screen. If you’re a publisher, you can opt for restricted printing instead.
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8. Collectorz
Collectorz is a collection database that allows you to easily catalog your books, movies, music, games, and comics. You can use it on any device, whether it’s your laptop, computer, or mobile device, and sync data between them.
Like Calibre, the software also comes with a mobile app for iOS and Android devices, from which you can quickly access and view all your eBooks, and the data will be stored on your device. You can also use the native camera barcode to scan books and sync data to the CLZ Cloud if you want.
A web app is available for Windows and Mac users, which is easy to use, and you can log in from any computer. The data is stored in the CLZ cloud, and you get automatic updates, backups, and a free CLZ Barry barcode scanner app to scan your books.
For advanced Windows users, a special Collectorz download is available that comes with a free CLZ Barry barcode scanner app, and you can manage your data and image files. You can also sync data to the CLZ cloud if you want.
With Collectorz book collector, you can organize your eBook collection in no time, and download cover art and full book details, once you scan or enter the ISBN codes. This allows you to sort lists however you want, browse books in cover flow, and find them easily and quickly.
9. Readerware
Readerware is an innovative and unique library management, database, and inventory solution for booksellers, collectors, libraries, churches, schools, and other organizations.
You can feed a list of barcode scans, ISBNs, or UPCs in the software and it will automatically search the web and catalog your media files and books. The tool can merge information from multiple sites in order to automatically and effortlessly build up a complete database with cover art.
Readerware eliminates the chore of data entry and automatically retrieves full listing information while merging the data. You can also scan your images, catalog a CD, DVD, book or other files by scanning barcodes as the tool works with any barcode reader.
One of the unique features that make Readerware a great alternative to Calibre is that while the latter offers eBook format support, it doesn´t support all media formats. Readerware, on the other hand, supports all media formats including audiophile formats like DVD-Audio, SACD, and old vinyl LPs.
You can also catalog your LaserDiscs, videotapes, and new high-definition formats such as HD DVD and Blu-ray. Readerware offers easy-to-use wizards that guide you on how to catalog, import, or export books and backups among other processes.
Like Calibre, Readerware also offers mobile apps that allow you to take your database with you on the go, whether it’s an iPod, iPhone, iPad, or Android device.
Readerware isn’t free to use like Calibre, but you can get free trials on all its products and test run them before committing to a paid plan.
10. BookFusion
BookFusion is another solid Calibre alternative that allows you to read, share, organize and bookmark all your eBooks so as to make the most out of your reading experience.
The tool also lets you sync all your books because of its cross-platform capability and read or manage them across all your devices.
You can upload and organize eBooks regardless of the format and discover new books as well as like-minded readers.
While BookFusion supports more than 10 different eBook formats, which is a bit lower compared to what Calibre supports, you can use its sync plugin to access all your books in Calibre cloud and any eBook device.
However, in order to allow BookFusion to sync your bookmarks, books, highlights, and comments across devices, you need to sign in with a Facebook or Twitter account. This also gives you access to the web reader and use Send to Kindle among other features.
Calibre allows you to sync your books across devices without having to create an account, but with BookFusion, you can’t use any feature without installing the software.
Other benefits include reading more than 60,000 books for free, extensive reader settings including fonts, line spacing, vertical/horizontal margins, bold/italics, and font alignment among others.
You can also download books to any device for offline reading, sync reading progress and pick up where you left off, and read books in formats such as MOBI, PDF, EPUB, AZW, and more. On top of that, you get night mode, page animation, customizable text, and background color.
11. Book Crawler
Book Crawler is a book database that’s designed for iOS and Mac devices. You can use it on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac desktop to catalog and share your favorite book collections in a single app.
Unlike Calibre, which works on most major and popular platforms, Book Crawler doesn’t work with Windows computers, so you may have to use an alternative tool if you’re a Windows or other operating system user.
The personal portable book database was designed to offer a real-time solution for the avid reader looking for an intuitive yet powerful database to help you log, search, and organize authors and publications.
You can quickly and accurately upload your entire book collection, scan ISBN barcodes, preview cover art and eBooks via Google Books, and read book reviews via Goodreads.
The tool is ideal for teachers, students, library professionals, and book collectors looking to manage their books in a simple and fast manner. You can also find all your books and editions written by your favorite authors, use custom or selected parameters to sort and search your collection, and navigate your entries for quick recall.
Like Calibre, whose online community is growing, Book Crawler also lets you socialize with its community, or you can communicate via Facebook or Twitter.
You can also locate books at your local library via OCLC Worldcat, use Dropbox to transfer data, buy books via iBooks, and link your records to your favorite eBook reader.
12. All My Books
If you want a trendy way of collecting your books, All My Books is worth considering. The software loads all book information from online sources and you can share them with your friends so they too can see your collection.
You can type and get the complete data on any book by filling in the title, author name, or ISBN fields.
However, you can only use this software on Windows PCs and Android devices, unlike Calibre, which offers applications for multiple operating systems and platforms.
The tool lets you browse your book collection as cover thumbnails or a title list, locate the actual book using Book Number or Location fields, filter your books by Wishlist, Unread, or your own marks.
Plus, you can use the Quick search box to search your book catalog, group your collection into folders by genre, author, year, location, or binding type field values. In addition, you can read extended book information by publisher, author, or synopsis, view cover images or swipe to browse them, and more.
The tool offers the perfect electronic library for easy organization of your bookshelves into a convenient library for easy browsing. Plus, it can track your books so you can know who you lent to using the native loaner manager so you never have to lose a loaned book again.
All My Book isn’t a free, open-source tool like Calibre, but you can get the free trial of the app and try it before committing to a subscription.
Wrapping Up
Managing a whole book collection may not be easy to do manually. However, with an eBook management app, you can quickly and easily bring all your collections together and manage them automatically and effortlessly.
Any of these 12 Calibre alternatives will help you get started so you can enjoy your reading experience and share with others.
Tom Clayton
Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing. I started my first e-commerce company in college, designing and selling t-shirts for my campus bar crawl using print-on-demand. Having successfully established multiple 6 & 7-figure e-commerce businesses (in women’s fashion and hiking gear), I think I can share a tip or 2 to help you succeed.
