Side by side

Artemis vs Pinakes

Both stand on school library management software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Artemis

Free trial Web

Artemis combines library management with tools for student engagement and educational asset tracking. Schools should request a quote and confirm which optional services they need.

Visit Artemis

Pinakes combines library cataloging and circulation with digital collections and multiple metadata options. It has no recurring fees, but institutions must meet the hosting requirements and configure email for notifications.

Visit Pinakes

The facts

	Artemis	Pinakes
Free plan	A free trial	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Web	Android, API, Self-hosted, Web
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	biblionix.com	github.com
On school library management software	#10 of 22	#6 of 22

Artemis: what it does well

Imports student and staff information from school rosters.
Manages settings and circulation across multiple campuses.
Includes a picture-based catalog for younger students.
Subscriptions include support and free upgrades.
Data is backed up every half hour.

What to know first

Pricing is quoted individually.
Acquisitions, Syndetics Unbound, Auto-Calling, and Gabbie are excluded from the base price.

Pinakes: what it does well

Cataloging includes ISBN/EAN import and bulk CSV
Circulation covers loans, renewals, and reservations
Digital Library plugin supports ebooks and audiobooks
Guided installer; documented for shared hosting
Free GPL-3 software with no recurring fees

What to know first

Self-hosting requires PHP 8.2 or later
Requires MySQL or MariaDB and Apache or nginx
Android loan management requires the Mobile API plugin
Email notifications require PHP mail() or SMTP configuration

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