Softwr

Libraries · head to head

Koha vs Pressbooks

Koha logo

Koha

Libraries

The world's first free and open source library system

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pressbooks logo

Pressbooks

Publishing

Open source book production built on WordPress, and the default tool for open textbooks

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Koha no pricing published; Koha is free and open source with no commercial licensing fee; Pressbooks self-hosting is free in licence terms only; it requires WordPress multisite administration, upgrades and backups, which is a real staff cost most institutions underestimate.
  • They diverge on capability: Koha covers Circulation management, Pressbooks covers Single source, three outputs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Koha and Pressbooks actually diverge.

Attributes where Koha and Pressbooks differ
AttributeKohaPressbooks
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Self-hosted
CategoryLibrariesPublishing
Founded1999Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Koha

  • Circulation management
  • MARC21/UNIMARC cataloging
  • Acquisitions
  • Serials management
  • Patron management
  • OPAC with faceted search
  • Reports and statistics
  • Z39.50 support

Only in Pressbooks

  • Single source, three outputs
  • Cloning and adaptation
  • H5P interactive content
  • LMS integration
  • Open source under the GPL
  • Accessibility tooling

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Koha

  • Libraries self-hosting an open source integrated library system for cataloging and circulation without vendor licensing feesnot Pressbooks

Pressbooks

  • A university library replacing a commercial textbook by adapting an existing open textbook rather than commissioning a new onenot Koha
  • A course team that wants readings delivered inside Canvas or Moodle with embedded exercises rather than as a static PDFnot Koha
  • A research institute publishing reports that must exist as a web page, an EPUB and a printable document without maintaining three filesnot Koha
  • A consortium standardising open textbook production across several institutions with a shared catalogue of adaptable titlesnot Koha

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Koha

  • No pricing published; Koha is free and open source with no commercial licensing fee

Pressbooks

  • Self-hosting is free in licence terms only; it requires WordPress multisite administration, upgrades and backups, which is a real staff cost most institutions underestimate.
  • Professional print PDF output depends on a commercial rendering engine that is licensed separately, so the genuinely free self-hosted route produces web and EPUB output but not press-quality print.
  • Design control is limited to the supplied themes unless someone writes custom CSS, so books tend to look recognisably like Pressbooks books.
  • There is no distribution, no ISBN service and no retail channel, so it produces files and web pages but plays no part in selling anything.
  • The editing experience inherits WordPress conventions, and authors working on long or heavily structured manuscripts find it slower than a dedicated writing application.

Pricing, plan by plan

Koha

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full ILS functionality
    • Circulation management
    • Cataloging (MARC21/UNIMARC)
  • Hosted (via partners)$150/month
    • Everything in Self-Hosted
    • Managed hosting
    • Professional support

Pressbooks

Free
  • PressbooksFree
    • GPL licensed, self-hostable with no software fee
    • WordPress multisite administration is your responsibility
    • Print PDF export depends on a separately licensed rendering engine

Which should you pick?

Choose Koha if

  • You need circulation management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want marc21/unimarc cataloging.
Koha review

Choose Pressbooks if

  • You need single source, three outputs.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want cloning and adaptation.
Pressbooks review

Questions people ask

Is Koha or Pressbooks better?
Neither clearly leads. Koha starts at Free and Pressbooks at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Koha or Pressbooks?
Koha starts at Free and Pressbooks at Free.
Does Koha or Pressbooks run on more platforms?
Koha runs on Web, Api. Pressbooks runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Koha for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Koha best used for?
Koha is most often used for libraries self-hosting an open source integrated library system for cataloging and circulation without vendor licensing fees. Of those, libraries self-hosting an open source integrated library system for cataloging and circulation without vendor licensing fees is not what Pressbooks is typically brought in for.
What can Koha do that Pressbooks cannot?
Koha covers Circulation management, MARC21/UNIMARC cataloging, Acquisitions, Serials management. Pressbooks covers Single source, three outputs, Cloning and adaptation, H5P interactive content, LMS integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Koha: How much does Koha cost?

Koha is free and open source. There is no software licensing fee. Development is sponsored by libraries, volunteers, and support companies worldwide.

Source
Pressbooks: Is Pressbooks really free?

The software is GPL licensed and free to self-host. The hosted service is priced, and professional print PDF output requires a commercially licensed renderer, so budget accordingly.

Koha: Are there paid support options available?

While no specific pricing is detailed on the main site, Koha mentions paid support options available from support companies, but exact costs require contacting providers directly.

Source
Pressbooks: Can I sell a book made in Pressbooks?

You can sell the EPUB or the printed book through any distributor, but Pressbooks itself provides no ISBN, no storefront and no distribution.

Pressbooks: Why do universities use it for open textbooks?

Because an openly licensed book can be cloned into another institution network and adapted for a different course, which turns a finished textbook into a starting point rather than a fixed artefact.

Share

Related pages

More on Koha

More on Pressbooks

Keep looking

Other head to heads