Tome vs Hardcover

Tome turns the books you already own into a connected reading library you can share with friends and family. Run your own Tome server with one docker command — no cloud accounts, no setup, no service to sign up for. Mount your books, paste a 6-digit code, done. Tome streams your ebooks and audiobooks to every device — phone, tablet, web — with reading progress synced across all of them. Get started in three lines: • docker run -d -p 3000:3000 -v /your/books:/library ghcr.io/tome-project/tome:latest • In the app: Profile → Libraries → Host your own library → tap "My server is running" • Open your-server:3000/setup, paste the 6-digit code Read together, not alone: • Friends — invite people you know with a code, then choose what they see (your library, your activity, your highlights, your reviews, your notes). • Book clubs — pick a book, set a deadline, invite the club, and discuss chapter by chapter without spoiling anyone behind the pace. • Social reading — see what friends are reading right now and how your pace compares on the books you both picked up. Public-domain books, free forever: A built-in Project Gutenberg catalog gives you tens of thousands of public-domain titles to download into your library at no cost. You bring the books: Tome is a self-hosted reading platform — you supply the ebook (.epub) and audiobook (.m4b/.mp3) files you legally own, and Tome reads them. Tome does not host, sell, or distribute commercial books. Privacy you control: Five separate privacy switches — Library, Activity, Reviews, Highlights, Notes — let you decide who sees each kind of thing you share. Block users you don't want to interact with, report content that violates the Terms, and delete your account at any time from inside the app. Built for real reading: • Lock-screen and Control Center playback for audiobooks • Background playback that doesn't stop when the screen locks • Highlight passages and write notes on what you've read • Track reading streaks, set yearly reading goals, see your year in review Tome is open source under AGPL-3.0. Self-host on a Raspberry Pi, NAS, Mac mini, or any always-on machine.

Hardcover - Reader is a private, local-first reader built for a library you control. Import supported comic and ebook files, organize titles into collections, and continue reading across long chapters. Download authorized material for offline reading where supported. The app starts with no content catalog or repository. Advanced users may manually connect a compatible HTTPS repository they choose. Before installing a plug-in, the app displays its developer, content rating, and requested network hosts. Repositories are never bundled, recommended, or installed automatically. Automatic updates for already-installed extensions can be managed in Settings; updates requesting new permissions require review. Features include: • A fast library with collections, search, sorting, and unread counts • Continuous vertical and paged comic reading, with pinch and double-tap zoom • A dedicated text-novel reader with adjustable typography and spacing • Passage highlights and notes • Foreground read-aloud with adjustable speed and a sleep timer • Previous- and next-chapter navigation and Continue Reading • Save titles and choose collections directly from the reader • CBZ, PDF, DRM-free comic and text EPUB, and supported backup import • Manual backup and restore • Optional iCloud Sync for your library, collections, reading progress, history, highlights, and notes • Source troubleshooting with manual checks and preview-first diagnostic sharing • Optional app lock and Spotlight integration • A one-time Remove Ads purchase No Hardcover account is required. Your library is stored locally unless you choose to enable iCloud Sync, which uses your private iCloud database and requires the same Apple Account on your devices. Downloaded chapters, imported files, extension code, and logins do not sync. Only import or access material you own or are authorized to use.