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calibre VS Scribd

Compare calibre VS Scribd and see what are their differences

calibre logo calibre

Ebook manager, viewer & converter

Scribd logo Scribd

Unlimited books, audiobooks & comics. Unparalleled discovery. Any device. $8.99/month
  • calibre Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-07-10
  • Scribd Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-16

calibre features and specs

  • Open Source
    Calibre is free and open source, meaning it is continually being improved upon by a community of contributors, and there are no costs associated with its use.
  • Wide Format Support
    The software supports a vast array of eBook formats, making it versatile for users who have different types of eBooks.
  • Library Management
    Calibre offers powerful library management tools that allow users to organize and categorize their eBook collections with ease.
  • Conversion Tools
    The software includes robust conversion tools to convert eBooks between different formats, enabling compatibility with various eReaders.
  • Customization
    Offers a high level of customization options, from tweaking the user interface to creating custom metadata fields.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Calibre is available on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Plugin Support
    Calibre supports plugins, allowing users to extend its functionalities according to their needs.

Possible disadvantages of calibre

  • Complex Interface
    The user interface can be overwhelming for beginners due to its vast features and options.
  • Performance
    Calibre can be slow, especially when handling large libraries or performing format conversions for large eBooks.
  • Resource Intensive
    The software can be resource-intensive, consuming significant CPU and memory during operations like conversion and library management.
  • Aesthetic
    While functional, the user interface is sometimes criticized for being outdated and less visually appealing compared to modern applications.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    Calibre's primary use is on desktop platforms, and its mobile support is limited, making it less convenient for users who primarily use mobile devices.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its vast array of features and customization options, there is a steep learning curve for new users.
  • Updates
    Frequent updates, while generally a positive attribute indicating active development, can sometimes cause disruptions or require users to frequently adapt to changes.

Scribd features and specs

  • Extensive Library
    Scribd offers a wide variety of content including books, audiobooks, magazines, and even documents from multiple genres.
  • Unlimited Access
    Subscribers get unlimited access to a rotating library of titles at a fixed monthly fee, allowing ample reading without purchasing each book individually.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The platform provides an easy-to-navigate interface with personalized recommendations and a customizable reading experience.
  • Cross-Device Syncing
    Scribd syncs your progress across devices, so you can start reading on your phone and continue on your tablet or computer seamlessly.
  • Offline Reading
    Users can download titles for offline reading, making it convenient for areas with limited internet access.

Possible disadvantages of Scribd

  • Rotating Library
    While Scribd offers unlimited access, some books may become unavailable over time due to the rotating nature of the library.
  • Limited Audiobook Selection
    Compared to dedicated audiobook services, Scribd's audiobook selection is not as extensive.
  • Regional Restrictions
    Certain books and content may not be available in all regions due to licensing agreements.
  • Monthly Fee
    Although comprehensive, Scribd does come with a monthly subscription fee, which might not be justifiable for infrequent readers.
  • Data Consumption
    Streaming or downloading large files such as audiobooks and high-resolution magazines can consume significant data, affecting users with limited internet plans.

calibre videos

Why I Stopped Watching Calibre on Netflix in 10 Minutes! | Flick Connection Podcast Clip (Ep. 11)

More videos:

  • Review - Calibre (2018) - Netflix Movie Review (Non-Spoiler)
  • Review - Calibre: Ending Explained (Netflix Original Movie 2018)
  • Tutorial - Calibre | Free e-Book Software. Getting Started.

Scribd videos

Is Scribd Worth It?

More videos:

  • Review - Scribd Review
  • Review - Audible vs Kindle Unlimited vs Scribd Review (and why I switched)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to calibre and Scribd)
eBook Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Digital Publishing
0 0%
100% 100
eBook Reader
86 86%
14% 14
Ebooks
86 86%
14% 14

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare calibre and Scribd

calibre Reviews

Top 10 Free eBOOK Readers for PC
If you are looking for the best eBook reader for your PC, you can try Calibre. It is a user-friendly and useful eBook managing tool that is a must-have for every reader. Besides being completely open-source and free, Calibre offers users an easy-to-use and comprehensive toolset meant to bring out the best in your eBooks.
Source: updf.com
8 Best eBook Readers for Linux
Calibre is one of the most popular eBook apps for Linux. To be honest, it’s a lot more than just a simple eBook reader. It’s a complete eBook solution. You can even create professional eBooks with Calibre.
Source: itsfoss.com
10 of the Best Ebook Readers for Windows, macOS, and Mobile
The Calibre ebook reader is one of the best ebook management tools to help you read and organize your entire library. Calibre is portable and cross platform, so it’s available on nearly every device you own.
Best 5 eBook Manager
Calibre is a powerful and easy to use e-book manager. calibre ebook management supports organizing existing e-books into virtual libraries, displaying, editing, creating and conversion of e-books, as well as syncing e-books with a variety of e-readers. It also supports many file formats and reading devices. Most e-book formats can be edited, for example, by changing the...
Source: www.epubor.com

Scribd Reviews

10 of the Best Ebook Readers for Windows, macOS, and Mobile
The reader itself is gorgeous to use and is available on iOS and Android. It’s a bright and modern app that includes a host of options to help you read content from the community. It’s not as in depth with regards to features as other solutions, but like Scribd, the experience trumps all.
Top 25 SlideShare Alternatives To Create & Share Online Presentations
With over 80million monthly active readers Scribd is the world’s most popular open platform for publishing and sharing documents of all types. You can upload your academic or business presentations to Scribd for free and share with anyone. Yes, you can embed your Scribd documents on your own website too.
Source: slidehelper.com
17 Powerful Issuu Alternatives Nobody Told You About (1 BIG winner)
When looking at the costs, Scribd is cheaper, so for anyone publishing a paid for magazine, it could be a consideration. However, the possibility to share isn’t there, and you can’t embed your publications on your website, although it is quite straightforward to load to services like Behance. But, if you are looking for something with an Issuu like PDF viewer, Scribd is not...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, calibre seems to be a lot more popular than Scribd. While we know about 550 links to calibre, we've tracked only 54 mentions of Scribd. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

calibre mentions (550)

  • All Kindles can now be jailbroken
    I suspect most people that go this route (ie download and manage their own ebooks, then transfer them to their Kindle) use Calibre, which afaik, is unaffected by this change. https://calibre-ebook.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • From RSS to My Kindle
    Very neat. I've been doing this with Calibre (https://calibre-ebook.com/), which involves plugging it into your PC via USB. Simple RSS feeds work with little configuration, and more complicated news sites require writing a custom python "recipe". This project uses Amazon's email gateway, which I think is limited to 25 articles per month (don't quote me on this). - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Gio UI – Cross-Platform GUI for Go
    Lol. One of good cross platform example is Calibre [1], built with Python and Qt. And it’s the only one I carried with me from Windows XP/10 to macOS, through Linux. Another is Sublime Text. [1]: https://calibre-ebook.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Glider – open-source eInk monitor with an emphasis on low latency
    >I'd prefer for it to work as USB stick like other ebooks do Have you tried Calibre? https://calibre-ebook.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Ask HN: Best Open E-Reader?
    Kobos[1] and Pocketbooks[2] are a lot more open than Kindles. AFAIK you can transfer .epub files into both devices and these epubs are perfectly readable via the stock OS. If for some reason you find the stock proprietary OS lacking, you can install an open source one like KOreader [3] or Plato[4] Of course you want a good way of organizing epubs pdfs mobi, and like has already been mentioned Calibre[5] is a great... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
View more

Scribd mentions (54)

  • “Manitoba Affidavit” 1870
    If you go to https://scribd.com and enter search term Lawrence Barkwell + Métis and change results to documents/articles, all of his 2,000+ research papers are there. He was the historian for the Louis Riel Institute and Gabriel Dumont Institute for over 20 years. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Complete plans for a 2-storey residential Building
    Look on scribd.com. They have several plan sets for residential structural buildings. Source: over 1 year ago
  • whats your opinion on elvis as an actor?
    Jerry Schilling speaks to this in his book, "Me and a Guy Named Elvis." Highly recommend this audiobook available for free on a trial basis at scribd.com. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • whats your opinion on elvis as an actor?
    There are several Elvis ebooks and audiobooks you can access for free with a 30-day trial at scribd.com. Registration requires a credit card but you can cancel before the first payment. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • f*cking scribd amex offers
    Get a $6 statement credit by using your enrolled eligible Card to make a single purchase of $11.99 or more online at scribd.com by 10/31/2023. Limit of 5 statement credits (total of $30). See terms. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing calibre and Scribd, you can also consider the following products

FBReader - FBReader is an e-book reader for various platforms. Features:

Issuu - Issuu is the leading digital publishing platform delivering exceptional reading experiences of magazines, catalogs, and newspapers.

Amazon Kindle - Amazon Kindle software lets you read ebooks on your Kindle, iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, and...

SlideShare - Discover, Share, and Present presentations and infographics with the world’s largest professional content sharing community.

Calibre Web - Calibre Web is a web app providing a clean interface for browsing, reading and downloading eBooks...

Google Play Books - Google Play Books lets you search, preview, and buy millions of books using Google Book Search.