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MEDIA Komga: A Self-Hosted Comics and Manga Server 2026-02-09 · komga · comics · manga

Komga: A Self-Hosted Comics and Manga Server

Media 2026-02-09 komga comics manga media-server

Komga is a media server for comics, manga, and digital books in CBZ, CBR, PDF, and EPUB formats. Think of it as Jellyfin but for comics — it organizes your collection, provides a web reader, serves content to mobile apps via OPDS, and handles metadata from ComicVine and AniList.

If you have a folder full of CBZ files and want to read them on any device with a nice browsing experience, Komga is the standard self-hosted solution.

Why Komga?

The digital comics landscape has a few self-hosted options. Komga stands out for:

Komga vs Kavita vs Calibre-Web

Installation

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  komga:
    image: gotson/komga:latest
    container_name: komga
    ports:
      - "25600:25600"
    volumes:
      - komga_config:/config
      - /data/comics:/data/comics:ro
      - /data/manga:/data/manga:ro
    environment:
      - TZ=America/Los_Angeles
      - JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS=-Xmx512m
    user: "1000:1000"
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  komga_config:

docker compose up -d

Access Komga at http://your-server:25600. Create an admin account on first launch.

The JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS=-Xmx512m limits memory usage. Increase for larger libraries (1-2 GB for 10,000+ books).

Library Setup

Organizing Your Files

Komga expects a hierarchical folder structure:

/data/comics/
├── Marvel/
│   ├── Spider-Man (2022)/
│   │   ├── Spider-Man 001.cbz
│   │   ├── Spider-Man 002.cbz
│   │   └── Spider-Man 003.cbz
│   └── X-Men (2021)/
│       ├── X-Men 001.cbz
│       └── X-Men 002.cbz
└── DC/
    └── Batman (2016)/
        ├── Batman 001.cbz
        └── Batman 002.cbz

/data/manga/
├── One Piece/
│   ├── Volume 01.cbz
│   └── Volume 02.cbz
└── Chainsaw Man/
    ├── Chapter 001.cbz
    └── Chapter 002.cbz

Komga treats each immediate subfolder of a library root as a series. Files within a series folder are individual books (issues/chapters/volumes).

Adding Libraries

In the web UI:

  1. Click the + button to add a library
  2. Name it (e.g., "Comics" or "Manga")
  3. Set the root folder path (e.g., /data/comics)
  4. Configure scan settings:
    • Scan on startup — Scan when Komga starts
    • Scan interval — How often to check for new files (every 6h is reasonable)
    • Deep scan — Re-analyze all files, not just new ones (slower)

Metadata

Komga reads metadata from multiple sources:

  1. ComicInfo.xml — Embedded in CBZ files (most common for comics)
  2. EPUB metadata — Standard EPUB metadata fields
  3. Filename parsing — Extracts series name and issue number from filenames
  4. External providers — ComicVine and AniList lookup (requires API keys)

For the best experience, ensure your files have embedded ComicInfo.xml metadata. Tools like ComicTagger can batch-add metadata to your collection.

The Web Reader

Komga's built-in reader supports:

The reader remembers your position per book and syncs across devices.

OPDS and Reader Apps

Komga serves an OPDS (Open Publication Distribution System) feed, which is a standard protocol for browsing and downloading digital publications. This enables compatibility with dozens of reader apps.

OPDS URL

http://your-server:25600/opds/v1.2/catalog

Use your Komga username and password for authentication.

Recommended Apps

iOS:

Android:

E-readers:

User Management

Multiple Users

Each user gets:

Shared Libraries

A common setup for families:

  1. Admin account — Full access to everything
  2. Adult accounts — Access to all-ages + mature content
  3. Child accounts — Access to all-ages library only

Performance Tips

Large Libraries (10,000+ Books)

Thumbnail Generation

Komga generates thumbnails for every page of every book. This is CPU-intensive on the first scan but cached afterward. Storage usage for thumbnails:

For a 5,000-book library, expect 2-5 GB of thumbnail storage.

Network Storage

Komga works with NFS and SMB mounts. Network latency affects scan speed but not reading performance (pages are cached after first access).

Integrating with the *arr Stack

Mylar3

Mylar3 is the "Sonarr for comics" — it automates comic downloading and organization. Point Mylar3's download directory at Komga's library folder, and Komga picks up new issues automatically.

Kapowarr

A newer alternative to Mylar3, specifically designed to work well with Komga. It handles searching, downloading, and organizing comics with proper ComicInfo.xml metadata.

Verdict

Komga is the definitive self-hosted solution for comics and manga. The web reader is excellent, OPDS support means you can use your preferred mobile app, and the multi-user features make it work for the whole family. If Jellyfin is where you go for movies and TV, Komga is where you go for comics.

The setup is straightforward — organize your files in folders, point Komga at them, and you're reading. Metadata handling is good enough that even poorly organized collections become browsable quickly. For manga readers in particular, the Tachiyomi/Mihon integration makes Komga feel native on Android.