The best open-source library management software, compared.

Open-source library management software ranges from systems that run national library networks to apps that run one school's shelf. The best one is the one your library can actually keep running. We make Khulla, so read this with that in mind: we've tried to be fair, and where another system suits you better, we say so.

Which open-source library software should you choose?

• A large academic or public library with IT staff, MARC records and a public online catalogue: Koha.
• A network of libraries sharing one catalogue: Evergreen.
• A small or medium library that can run a web server and wants a public online catalogue: SLiMS.
• A small library that wants a simple web catalogue: OpenBiblio.
• A desktop app to catalogue books alongside music, films and other media: BiblioteQ.
• One desk, no IT staff and no reliable internet: Khulla.

Open-source library management systems at a glance

Koha: best for academic and public libraries with IT support

The most widely used open-source integrated library system, and the one most listings put first. Koha catalogues in MARC, talks to other libraries over Z39.50 and SRU, and gives members a public online catalogue (OPAC) in many languages. It runs on a Linux server with a web server and a MariaDB or MySQL database, so someone has to install, update and back it up, or a library pays a company to host it.

Looking for something lighter? See Khulla as a Koha alternative.

Koha website

Evergreen: best for library consortia and multi-branch systems

Built for library networks: statewide consortia in the US share one Evergreen installation across hundreds of libraries. It runs on Linux servers with PostgreSQL and suits organisations with dedicated systems staff. For a single small library it is far more than you need.

Evergreen website

SLiMS: best for small and medium libraries that can run a web server

The Senayan Library Management System, popular with small and medium libraries, especially in Indonesia. It covers bibliography, circulation, membership, reports and barcodes, and includes a public online catalogue. It is a PHP web application, so it needs Apache, PHP and MySQL or MariaDB installed, on a server or on the library's own computer.

SLiMS website

OpenBiblio: best for small and rural libraries wanting a web catalogue

A long-running PHP library system aimed at small and rural libraries, with cataloguing, circulation, staff administration and a public catalogue. Like SLiMS, it runs as a web application, so it needs PHP and a MySQL database set up before the first book goes in.

Rather not run PHP and MySQL? See Khulla as an OpenBiblio alternative.

OpenBiblio website

BiblioteQ: best for cataloguing books alongside other collections on a desktop

A desktop cataloguing and library suite built with Qt. It can keep its data in a local SQLite file or connect to a shared PostgreSQL database, and it catalogues more than books: music, films, video games and more. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and several other systems.

BiblioteQ website

Khulla: best for one-desk libraries with no IT staff, including in Nepal

An app that installs like any other and keeps the whole catalogue in one file on that computer, so it works with no internet and no server. It covers the daily work of a school or community library: catalogue with barcodes and printed labels, check-out and returns, holds, fines, members, reports and staff roles. It has no public online catalogue, MARC import or multi-computer sync yet.

See every feature, or read about Khulla for school libraries, small and community libraries and libraries in Nepal.

How to choose library software for your library

• Who will look after it? A server-based system needs someone to install updates and take backups. With no IT staff, choose an app that installs on the desk computer.
• Is the internet reliable? If it isn't, choose software that keeps the catalogue on the library's own computer.
• Do members need to search from home? A public online catalogue (OPAC) needs a web-based system such as Koha, SLiMS or OpenBiblio.
• Do you share records with other libraries? MARC and Z39.50 point to Koha or Evergreen.
• How many desks? Several computers writing to one catalogue need a server-based system today.
• Which language do staff work in? Check the interface is available in it. Khulla's is in English and Nepali.

Choosing in Nepal? See the best free library management software in Nepal, including the library modules in school software.

New to open source? What open-source library software means for a library, and what the GPL and AGPL ask of you.

Questions

What is the best open-source library management software?

It depends on the library. Koha is the best-known open-source system and suits large libraries with IT support. For a small school or community library with no server and no IT staff, a desktop app such as Khulla is far easier to run. For a web catalogue on a budget, SLiMS or OpenBiblio are common choices.

Is there open-source library management software that works offline?

Yes. Khulla and BiblioteQ both keep the catalogue in a file on the computer, so they need no internet. Web-based systems such as Koha, SLiMS and OpenBiblio can run on a computer inside the library too, but they need a web server and a database installed first.

What is the easiest open-source library software for a school?

For a school library run from one desk, pick software that installs like a normal app and needs no server. Khulla installs on Windows without administrator rights, runs offline, prints barcode labels and handles loans, fines and members, with nothing to pay.

Does open-source library software cost anything?

The software costs nothing to download, use and change. What can cost money is running it: a server, hosting or someone to maintain it. Systems that run as a desktop app, such as Khulla and BiblioteQ, avoid those costs.

Try Khulla in two minutes

If your library runs from one desk, the quickest way to know whether Khulla fits is to open the demo in a browser. Nothing to install, no account to create.