No server to keep patched
Koha's self-hosted option means someone owns upgrades, backups, and security patches — or you're paying a hosting partner to. Librygo is one less system for IT to babysit.
Librygo
vs
Koha
Librygo vs Koha: hosted ILS or self-hosted open source?
Koha is free, open-source, and enormously capable in the right hands. Librygo trades "free software" for a hosted platform with custom fields per record type, so non-technical teams — and collections beyond standard bibliographic items — can get set up without a server.
At a glance
Two very different ways to run a catalog
Choose Librygo if you want…
- A hosted platform with no server, database, or Linux admin to maintain
- Fully custom metadata fields per record type — not just MARC21 bibliographic fields
- To catalog museum objects, archive boxes, or private collections alongside — or instead of — books
- One published price and one vendor to call for support
Koha may be the better fit if you want…
- Zero license cost and full control of the source code
- In-house Linux/Perl/MySQL expertise, or budget for a Koha hosting partner
- A traditional, MARC21-first bibliographic catalog
- Freedom to modify or extend the underlying code yourself
Feature by feature
Librygo vs Koha
A practical comparison covering hosting, cataloging, search, and pricing model.
| Librygo | Koha | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting & setup | Fully hosted SaaS — sign up and start cataloging | Self-hosted (Linux, Apache, MariaDB/MySQL, Perl) or a paid third-party host |
| Custom metadata fields | Yes — independent custom fields per record type | MARC21 fields — built around standard bibliographic records |
| Non-book collections (museum, archive, collector items) | Purpose-built for it | Possible, but works against MARC's book-oriented structure |
| Boolean & advanced search | Yes — quick boolean search plus a visual query builder | Yes — mature search, incl. Z39.50 |
| Circulation, holds & renewals | Yes | Yes — mature, longstanding module |
| Public search portal | Included, branded to your logo/color | Included — the OPAC, themeable with template work |
| License & subscription expiry tracking | Built in, with automated reports | Not built in |
| Pricing model | Published annual plans; one vendor, one invoice | Free license; hosting/support cost varies by provider and setup |
| Support | Included vendor support | Community forums, or a paid support contract with a Koha partner |
| Source code access | Proprietary | Open source (GPL) — fully modifiable |
Comparison reflects publicly available information about Koha as of September 2026. Koha is open-source software maintained by its community and hosting partners; always confirm current details for your setup.
Why teams move from Koha to Librygo
Usually, it's not about the software being "worse"
It's about who's maintaining it.
Beyond MARC21
Koha is built for standard library bibliographic records. If you also catalog museum objects, archive boxes, or licenses with their own fields, that's friction Librygo doesn't have.
One vendor, one bill
No juggling a hosting invoice, a support contract, and internal IT time across three parties. One subscription, one team to call.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
The Koha software itself is free, open-source (GPL) code. In practice most libraries still pay for hosting, upgrades, and support — either their own IT time or a fee to a third-party Koha support company — so the ongoing cost usually isn't zero.
Koha is built around the MARC21 bibliographic standard, which works well for books and standard library media but wasn't designed for freeform custom fields per record type. Librygo lets you define independent custom fields for each record type, so a museum object, an archive box, and a school textbook can each have their own metadata shape.
Yes. Librygo supports MARC21 import, and our team can help map your existing Koha records and any custom fields into Librygo's record types as part of onboarding.
Yes. Every Librygo plan includes a public or non-public search portal with your own logo, footer, and brand color — no separate setup or theming project required.
See how Librygo compares to Follett Destiny or PastPerfect.
See Librygo on your own collection
No server, no Perl, no theming project — just custom fields, search, and a portal, ready to configure.