🖥 Native desktop app
One-click Windows installer or portable zip — PageVault opens in its own window via WebView2, with no browser tab and no Python required.
Your private book universe.
No cloud required.
PageVault is a local Goodreads alternative with ISBN barcode scanning, shelves, tags, half-star ratings, a built-in EPUB/PDF reader, full-text search, CSV portability, and a Plotly analytics dashboard with 20+ charts — 100% private. Run it as a one-click Windows app, install the fully on-device Android app, or self-host it with Flask.
Free & open source (MIT) · Windows installer & portable build · Android APK · also runs on macOS / Linux from source.
CI passing
Python 3.10+
Flask 3.x
SQLite
MIT License
v1.11.1
🖥 Desktop app
🤖 Android app
📖 EPUB / PDF reader
Coverage ≥ 75%
Docker ready
Get the apps NEW: Android
A native Windows build that opens in its own window (library in %LOCALAPPDATA%\PageVault), and a fully on-device Android app: the whole catalogue, camera ISBN scanner, reader and stats run locally on the phone — no server, no cloud. Prefer the terminal? Self-host with Flask or Docker instead.
Highlights
🤖 Android app (on-device)
The full app runs locally on your phone — embedded Python serves the library on-device, the camera scans ISBNs directly, and everything works offline except metadata lookup.
📚 OPDS catalogue feed
External e-reader apps (KOReader, Moon+ Reader) browse your library over OPDS and download your EPUB/PDF files directly.
📖 Built-in e-book reader
Read EPUB and PDF in-app with paginated view, font sizing, and saved position — open files attached to a book or straight from your device.
📷 ISBN Scan & Add
Scan from phone camera or enter ISBN manually with live metadata preview.
🗂️ Shelves + Tags
Organize books with multi-shelf assignment and interactive genre chips.
🔎 Full-Text Search
SQLite FTS5 search across book metadata, your review notes, and saved quotes — plus filters by status, author, shelf, and genre.
📊 20+ Analytics Charts
Status, genres, authors, ratings, formats, publishers, community vs personal ratings, decade distribution, and monthly trends — all filterable by date, format, and language.
⭐ Half-Star Ratings & Quotes
Rate books in 0.5-star increments, write review notes, and save favourite quotes with page numbers.
🔄 Metadata Refresh
Bulk refresh metadata while preserving your reviews, shelves, and custom tags.
📤📥 CSV Portability
Export full library and import Goodreads-compatible CSVs.
🎯 Goals, Sessions & Streaks
Set annual reading targets, log sessions with page counts and time, and track your reading streak and speed.
🔥 Activity Heatmap
GitHub-style 52-week reading calendar — see exactly when and how much you read at a glance.
📚 Series & Reading History
Track series name and number, log re-reads with dates, and record book format, DNF status, and owned/wishlist state.
📱 Mobile QR Connect
Scan a QR code on your home screen to open PageVault instantly on your phone — no typing required.
🔮 Local Recommendations
Get book suggestions based on your existing library, entirely offline.
🔐 Admin Console
Secure admin panel with password protection for diagnostics, backup, and restore operations.
🧯 Backup & Restore
One-click ZIP backup download, archive validation, and in-app restore workflow.
🧠 Metadata Fallback Chain
- Open Library Books API (primary)
- Google Books + Open Library Search + Crossref (parallel fallback)
- Open Library Covers API (cover rescue)
- In-memory ISBN TTL cache for faster bulk operations
🚀 Quick Start
- Easiest: download the Windows installer, then launch from the Start menu
- Phone: install the Android APK — the whole app runs on-device
- Clone:
git clone https://github.com/ChristianAbele02/PageVault.git - Install:
pip install . - Run:
python app.py— orpython desktop.pyfor the window - Library:
http://localhost:5000
🧰 Core Files
- App:
app.py— factory, wiring, entrypoint - API:
pagevault_core/api.py— all REST routes - DB:
pagevault_core/db.py— SQLite lifecycle + schema bootstrap - Metadata:
pagevault_core/metadata.py— multi-provider lookup + TTL cache - Database:
pagevault.db— your entire library in one file
🛡️ Data Safety
- Your full library lives in a single file:
pagevault.db - Back it up manually or use the in-app backup/restore flow
- Admin password is random per session unless
PAGEVAULT_ADMIN_PASSWORDis set - Coverage gate enforced in CI — must stay above 75%
Portfolio Value
🧩 Full-stack scope
Design + UX, Flask API, SQLite data model, Docker deployment, and CI quality gates in one cohesive project.
📈 Product analytics
20+ Plotly charts including reading heatmap, genre trends by year, speed per book, rating trends, time-to-finish, loan tracking, shelf breakdown, and more — with date, format and language filtering.
🧪 Engineering quality
Automated tests, linting, and type checks gate every change; CI pipelines build and publish the Windows installer and the Android APK (with optional code signing) on each release.
Example Renders (Light + Dark)
Desktop App
Light
Dark
The one-click Windows build runs in its own window — no browser tab, no Python.
E-Book Reader
Light
Dark
Read EPUB/PDF in-app — open files attached to a book, or straight from your device.
Library Grid
Light
Dark
Book covers, status badges, and progress bars directly in the shelf view.
Book Detail
Light
Dark
Detailed view with notes, multi-review timeline, and current-page progress updates.
Import / Export
Light
Dark
Goodreads-compatible CSV workflow and metadata refresh suited for real-world migration.
Built and maintained by Christian Abele.
Made with love for my wife Emili. ❤️