Koha
Enterprise-class ILS with modules for acquisitions, circulation, cataloging, label printing, offline circulation for when Internet access is not available, and much more.
Maintained, but at a slower pace than the leaders in its category.
Commit activity more than 95% of tracked projects; popularity more than 26%. How this is calculated.
Commits, last 11 months
| Stars | 590 |
|---|---|
| Latest release | — |
| Repo updated | 25 Sept 2026 |
| Licence | GPL-3.0 |
| Built with | Perl |
Is Koha actively maintained?
Koha is under active development: 3385 commits landed over the last 11 months, averaging roughly 242 commits a month in the most recent quarter.
No tagged releases are published, so there is no stable version to pin to — you would deploy from the default branch or a container image built from it.
Among the 3 document management - integrated library systems (ils) projects we track, Koha currently has the highest health score.
What Koha actually does
Koha is an open-source integrated library system designed to manage library operations such as cataloguing, acquisitions, and circulation. It includes specialised utilities including label printing and an offline circulation mode for operation during internet outages. Built with Perl under the GPL-3.0 licence, it provides a comprehensive suite for document management in institutional settings.
Best fit: It suits public, academic, or special libraries that require a fully featured, self-hosted system to manage physical collections and patron transactions.
Worth knowing: The Perl codebase and extensive feature set can present a significant maintenance and configuration overhead for administrators unfamiliar with the ecosystem.
Deployment notes
As a Perl-based application, it typically requires a dedicated database backend, persistent storage for library data, and a standard reverse proxy setup to handle TLS termination.
Alternatives to Koha
Projects in the same categories, ordered by health score.
Large-scale ILS that can be run as a service with consortial features, intended primarily for library networks. Includes most standard modules (circulation, acquisitions, cataloging,...) and a web-based public and professional interface.
Highly-scalable software for libraries that helps library patrons find library materials, and helps libraries manage, catalog, and circulate those materials.