Berth vs Audiobookshelf: which self-hosted audiobook server to choose
Updated October 27, 2026
Audiobookshelf is the best-known self-hosted audiobook server: mature, with podcasts and a large community. Berth is a new server built around a different idea — the library lives in a database, the audio can live in object storage, and phones connect with a QR code. Here is where they differ and when each one fits.
Short answer
- Choose Audiobookshelf if you want a mature project with podcasts, a large community and many integrations today, and your books already sit in tidy folders on a local disk.
- Choose Berth if folder scans have broken your library or progress before, if you want to keep audio in S3 or Cloudflare R2 instead of a local disk, or if your family should connect by scanning a QR code instead of typing passwords.
Side by side
| Berth | Audiobookshelf | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Audiobooks | Audiobooks and podcasts |
| Library source | Database; books uploaded via the web admin | Scans media folders |
| Where files live | Local disk or any S3-compatible storage | Local or mounted file system |
| Audio delivery | From storage or a CDN via signed links, or via the server | Through the server |
| Listener sign-in | QR code, no password | Username and password |
| Mobile apps | Own Android and iOS app (not in stores yet) | Official Android app; iOS app in TestFlight beta |
| Server license | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Maturity | Server 1.0 (October 2026) | Mature, large community |
Based on public documentation and issue trackers as of October 2026. Berth reached its first server release in October 2026 and its app is not in the stores yet.
Database instead of folder scans
Audiobookshelf builds its library by scanning media folders and guessing which files belong to which book. That works well when folders are tidy, but a stray file can merge two books, and moving files to another disk can lose the link to listening progress.
In Berth a book is a record in the database. You upload a folder or a file in the web admin, check the title, authors, narrators, series and age rating Berth read from the tags, and add it to the library. Chapters, track order and covers are stored with the book, so renaming or moving files cannot change it.
Storage and delivery
Audiobookshelf reads books from the server's file system. Berth can keep them on a local disk too, but also in any S3-compatible storage — AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, Bunny Storage, MinIO, Yandex Object Storage — with a guided wizard for Cloudflare R2.
With object storage, phones can download audio straight from the bucket or a CDN over short-lived signed links, so a small home server or a cheap VPS is not the bottleneck. See S3 storage.
Connecting phones
In Berth the admin creates a listener and shows a QR code; the phone scans it and the library appears. The code works once and expires after two minutes, the app gets both the home and the internet address of the server, and the admin can revoke any device. Details: Connecting phones.
What Audiobookshelf does that Berth does not (yet)
- Podcasts — planned for after the first version.
- Automatic import of an existing folder library — Berth adds books by upload; an Audiobookshelf importer is planned.
- A long track record and a large community with many third-party integrations.
- Apps in the stores today — Berth's app is still being finished.
Questions
Is Berth a fork of Audiobookshelf?
No. Berth is a separate server written in Rust, with its own database model, API (described with OpenAPI) and mobile app.
Can I move my library to Berth automatically?
Not yet. Books are added by uploading them in the web admin: drag a folder or files and Berth reads tags, chapters and covers. An Audiobookshelf importer is on the roadmap for after the first version.
Can I run Berth and Audiobookshelf side by side?
Yes. They are independent containers; Berth listens on port 8080 by default and keeps its data in its own folder.