Koha vs Lyra

KKoha7.7Visit Lyra7.1Visit

Higher score K Koha #3 in School Library Management Software 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Koha

vs

Lyra #8 in School Library Management Software 7.1/10 From $795/yr · 30-day trial ✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Lyra

• Koha fits best

  Budget-conscious schools with technical capacity

• Lyra fits best

  New schools wanting AI-assisted management

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Side by side

Feature	KKoha 7.7/10 Visit ↗	Lyra 7.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.7	7.1
Ranking	#3 in School Library Management Software	#8 in School Library Management Software
Best for	Budget-conscious schools with technical capacity	New schools wanting AI-assisted management
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud
Platforms	Web, Linux	Web
Support	Community, Docs, Live chat	Email, Docs
Integrations	5 integrations	11 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market
Features Koha 5/6 · Lyra 5/6
Circulation tools	✓	✓
Acquisitions	✓ (best)	—
Borrower portal	✓	✓
Custom reporting	✓	✓
MARC records	✓	✓
Student system sync	Not published	✓ (best)
Specs
Deployment	On-premise	Cloud
Our review
Pros	Free and open-source with circulation, acquisitions, and cataloging MARC frameworks, imports, authorities, serials, and custom reporting Borrower portal, offline circulation, notices, and label printing	Natural-language catalog search and Vega collection analysis assistant Circulation, inventory reporting, roster sync, and SSO in one system MARC, Excel, CSV, and spreadsheet imports support migration
Cons	On-premise Linux deployment requires technical administration Community-governed rather than a single-vendor SaaS product SIS synchronization is not established as a core fit	No acquisitions or purchasing workflows Fines and interlibrary loan are out of scope Annual pricing starts at $795 and scales by patron capacity
Our verdict	Koha is a free, open-source integrated library system for libraries ranging from single-branch institutions to large consortia. For school libraries, it brings core circulation workflows such as checkout, check-in, renewal, and offline… Read the review →	Lyra is a browser-based integrated library system for private, independent, Catholic, and parish K–12 schools. It covers cataloging, circulation, holds, renewals, patron management, inventory, and a student- and teacher-facing online… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Koha — where it wins

  • Free and open-source with circulation, acquisitions, and cataloging
  • MARC frameworks, imports, authorities, serials, and custom reporting
  • Borrower portal, offline circulation, notices, and label printing

  Where it doesn't

  • On-premise Linux deployment requires technical administration
  • Community-governed rather than a single-vendor SaaS product
  • SIS synchronization is not established as a core fit

• Lyra — where it wins

  • Natural-language catalog search and Vega collection analysis assistant
  • Circulation, inventory reporting, roster sync, and SSO in one system
  • MARC, Excel, CSV, and spreadsheet imports support migration

  Where it doesn't

  • No acquisitions or purchasing workflows
  • Fines and interlibrary loan are out of scope
  • Annual pricing starts at $795 and scales by patron capacity

• KKoha7.7/10 · Free plan

  A capable, free ILS for schools that can manage an on-premise Linux deployment.

  Visit KohaFull verdict →
• Lyra7.1/10 · From $795/yr · 30-day trial

  A focused, AI-assisted library system for smaller K–12 schools.

  Visit LyraFull verdict →