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EverReed

EverReed field guide

A mobile reading companion for your Calibre library

Calibre is the tool a lot of us reach for when we want to actually own our ebooks — a desktop application for organising, converting, and managing an ebook collection, with a built-in content server that publishes an OPDS catalog other apps can read. EverReed does not try to replace Calibre. Calibre is very good at what it does on the desktop: metadata cleanup, conversions, plugin-driven workflows. EverReed sits on the other side of that setup as the mobile reading companion. Point it at your Calibre content server's OPDS URL and your library shows up in the app, ready to read on the phone or tablet you actually carry around. This page walks through what Calibre is, why people run it, and how the two pieces fit together.

What you get

Designed around the way readers actually move.

  • What Calibre is

    Calibre is a long-running open-source ebook management application. It stores your library on your own machine, handles metadata and covers, converts between formats, and includes a content server that can publish your library over an OPDS catalog. It is the tool many self-hosted readers already trust as the source of truth for their collection.

  • Why readers use Calibre

    Calibre gives you full control of the files you own. Nothing lives in a vendor's cloud, nothing depends on a store still being in business next year, and format conversions are handled locally. For a lot of readers it is the anchor that makes an owned library actually feel owned rather than rented.

  • Why Calibre alone can be awkward on mobile

    Calibre itself is a desktop app. The reading experience on a phone or tablet is not really the point of the project. Its content server publishes an OPDS catalog, which is intentionally the seam where a mobile reader — like EverReed — takes over.

  • How Calibre and EverReed fit together

    Your library → Calibre content server (OPDS) → EverReed → Browse · Read · Track. Calibre keeps the files and the metadata. EverReed is where you actually read on mobile and where reading progress, highlights, and series tracking live.

  • What EverReed adds to the reading side

    A built-in EPUB and PDF reader, adjustable typography, in-book search, dictionary, highlights, bookmarks that stay tied to the book, reading progress that follows you across devices, a TBR list, series tracking, reading stats, and taste-based recommendations that also draw on the books your Calibre server publishes.

  • What EverReed does not try to do

    EverReed does not convert files, does not manage the master copy of your library, does not run a plugin ecosystem, and does not replace Calibre's metadata workflows. If a task belongs on the desktop with a mouse and a large screen, it stays in Calibre.

  • Who this is for

    Calibre users who want a modern mobile reader for the library they already maintain, without giving up ownership or moving files into a proprietary cloud. If you already have — or plan to run — the Calibre content server, EverReed is designed to fit in as the reading half of that setup.

  • Getting started

    Enable the Calibre content server, make it reachable over HTTPS, copy its OPDS URL, and add it as a personal server in EverReed. From that point on, browsing and reading your Calibre library happen in EverReed while Calibre keeps doing what it is good at.

Useful details

Frequently asked questions.

Is EverReed a replacement for Calibre?

No. EverReed is positioned as a mobile reading companion. Calibre continues to be the tool that stores, converts, and manages your library on your own machine.

Does EverReed connect directly to my Calibre database?

No. EverReed talks to Calibre's content server over OPDS. Calibre publishes the catalog; EverReed reads it. Your library files stay where Calibre keeps them.

Which parts of Calibre do I need running?

The Calibre content server needs to be running and reachable over HTTPS, and its OPDS feed needs to be enabled. That is what EverReed connects to.

Do I still need Calibre after connecting EverReed?

Yes if you want to keep doing library management, conversions, or plugin-driven workflows on the desktop. EverReed handles reading and tracking on mobile; Calibre remains the manager.

What formats will open in the EverReed reader?

EPUB and PDF are supported by the built-in reader, whether the file was uploaded to EverReed or served through the Calibre content server.

Are highlights I make in EverReed written back to Calibre?

No. Highlights, notes, and bookmarks are stored in your EverReed account so they follow you across devices. Calibre files are not modified.

Can I have Calibre-served books and uploaded files in the same library?

Yes. Books served through Calibre appear alongside anything you have uploaded, and share the same reader, taste profile, and tracking tools.

Does EverReed convert files like Calibre does?

No. File conversion belongs in Calibre. EverReed reads the formats it supports and leaves the conversion pipeline to the desktop tool that specialises in it.

What about libraries served without HTTPS?

EverReed requires HTTPS. If your Calibre server is currently HTTP-only, you will need to put it behind an HTTPS reverse proxy or tunnel before connecting.

Is EverReed affiliated with Calibre?

No. Calibre is an independent open-source project. EverReed simply connects to Calibre through the OPDS standard it publishes.

Continue exploring

Keep reading

Read your Calibre library on the device you actually carry.

Connect your Calibre content server to EverReed and keep Calibre for what it does best.

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