Side by side
Kiosk vs Libki
Both stand on kiosk management software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Open source AndroidExtensioniPhone+5
Choose Kiosk if you want a free, open-source PDF reader with search, multiple display modes, and extension-based annotation tools. It also offers offline use and a self-hosted web option. Consider the Android alpha status, unsupported Firefox and Safari extension use, and macOS launch warning when choosing a platform.
Visit Kiosk Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWeb+1
Libki provides session controls, reservations, and administration for shared public-access computers. It is free to use, but requires a self-hosted server and client setup.
Visit LibkiThe facts
| Kiosk | Libki | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, Extension, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | Linux, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | libki.org |
| On kiosk management software | #1 of 27 | #4 of 27 |
Kiosk: what it does well
- Free and open source under the MIT License.
- Search, highlighted results, thumbnails, smooth zoom, and three display modes.
- Chrome extension includes text and drawing annotation tools.
- Project says PDFs stay on-device, without telemetry or cloud processing.
- Android and extension releases support offline use.
What to know first
- Android release is an early alpha.
- Firefox and Safari are not supported by the extension.
- macOS app is not notarized and may trigger a Gatekeeper warning.
Libki: what it does well
- Free, open-source system for managed computer access.
- Supports reservations and first-come-first-served sessions.
- Administrators can monitor client availability through a web interface.
- Clients can log off or reboot when sessions end.
- Supports SIP2 and LDAP single sign-on.
What to know first
- The server is self-hosted.
- The server has no native SSL support.
- Non-Windows client operating systems require compiling from source.
- Docker requires a separate database server.