Toutui

A TUI for listening to audiobooks and podcasts from your terminal — honestly reviewed. Including the part where the developer archived it.

TL;DR

• What it is: A terminal user interface (TUI) client for Audiobookshelf, written in Rust. Lets you browse and listen to audiobooks and podcasts from your terminal on Linux and macOS [README].
• Who it’s for: Linux power users who already self-host Audiobookshelf and want a keyboard-driven, GUI-free playback experience. A very specific audience [README][1].
• Cost: Free. GPL-3.0. Requires a running Audiobookshelf instance, which is itself free and self-hosted [README].
• Key strength: Lightweight, fast, customizable themes, written in Rust. Streams directly without downloading. Progress sync works against your Audiobookshelf server [README].
• Key weakness: The repository was archived on December 12, 2025. The maintainer explicitly stated they can no longer maintain it and there will be no new releases or bug fixes. It shipped as a beta and never reached stable [README].
• Bottom line verdict: A technically interesting project that was abandoned mid-development. Fine to run if it works for you today. Not something to build a habit around.

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What is Toutui

Toutui (pronounced like the French tout ouïe, meaning “all ears”) is a terminal-based client for Audiobookshelf, the self-hosted audiobook and podcast server. Where Audiobookshelf ships its own web UI and mobile apps, Toutui is an alternative frontend that lives entirely in your terminal — a TUI, or terminal user interface.

The project was built by one developer, AlbanDAVID, using Rust and the Ratatui TUI framework. The pitch is simple: if you already self-host Audiobookshelf and prefer keyboard-driven terminal workflows, Toutui lets you browse your library, play audiobooks and podcasts, and sync progress back to the server — without opening a browser [README].

It got traction in the r/commandline subreddit when the developer announced the first release, and was picked up by Korben, a well-known French open-source tech blog [README][1]. That coverage translated to 169 GitHub stars and inclusion in the “Awesome TUIs” list [4].

What it never became is finished. The README’s archived notice reads: “I’m not able to properly maintain this project anymore. That’s why I archived this repo. Thus, please don’t wait for any new releases and issue fixing.” The archive date is December 12, 2025. The project was still in beta at the time [README].

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Why people choose it

The honest answer from the third-party sources is: very few people have reviewed it in depth, because very few people have used it outside the terminal enthusiast community.

The r/commandline announcement [1] generated interest but not in-depth reviews — mostly upvotes and comments from people excited to see a Rust-based Audiobookshelf client exist. The developer’s post acknowledged the rough edges directly: beta status, installation friction, known bugs. The reception was warm but the user base remained narrow.

The Audiobookshelf project itself lists Toutui on its FAQ page under third-party apps [2], which is a meaningful signal — it means the Audiobookshelf team knew about it and considered it real enough to list. The FAQ caveat applies: “Users are advised to exercise caution and discretion when using third-party apps, as their quality and security may vary.” [2]

The “Awesome TUIs” list [4] includes Toutui in the Multimedia section, alongside a long catalog of terminal tools. That’s more of an index than an endorsement.

The niche appeal is obvious: you’d pick Toutui because you’re already a terminal-first person, already self-hosting Audiobookshelf, and already irritated that your only listening options are the web UI or mobile apps. For that specific person, the idea of a keyboard-driven, ssh-accessible playback client is genuinely useful. The problem is that person now knows the project is abandoned.

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Features

Based on the README at time of archival:

Playback and library:

• Browse and play audiobooks and podcasts from an Audiobookshelf server [README]
• Streaming playback — no local download required [README]
• Progress sync: listening position and stats synced back to the server [README]
• Supports both audiobooks and podcasts in the same interface [README]

Interface:

• Cross-platform: Linux and macOS [README]
• Written in Rust with Ratatui — lightweight and fast [README]
• Customizable color themes via a config file; a community theme repository exists at Toutui-theme [README]
• Recommended terminal emulators: Kitty or Alacritty for best font and emoji rendering [README]

Installation:

• Available on AUR as toutui-bin for Arch Linux users [README]
• Linux and macOS install scripts available [README]
• Config via TOML file; token encryption with an environment variable [README]

Known gaps at time of archive:

• No playlist/collections view [README]
• No ability to add podcasts from within the app [README]
• No offline mode [README]
• No stats view [README]
• A known bugs list was maintained at known_bugs.md [README]

The README roadmap listed a stable v1.0.0 release as “currently in progress” when the repository was archived. That release never shipped.

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Pricing: SaaS vs self-hosted math

Toutui itself costs nothing. GPL-3.0, no license fee, no paid tiers, no cloud version [README].

The relevant cost question is what you pay to run the stack it depends on — Audiobookshelf. Audiobookshelf is also free and self-hosted. A basic setup that runs both the Audiobookshelf server and lets you SSH in with Toutui needs a VPS or home server. Realistic VPS costs range from $4–$10/month on Hetzner or Contabo for a server with 2GB RAM, which is enough for Audiobookshelf.

The commercial alternative is Audible: $14.95/month for one credit, with a catalog you don’t control and DRM on every file. That math is straightforward if you already own your audiobook files and want to self-host them. Toutui is a listening interface on top of that stack, not a replacement for Audible’s catalog.

There is no SaaS version of Toutui to compare against. The cost calculus is: VPS cost ($0 if home server, $4–10/month otherwise) vs. the time to set up and maintain the Audiobookshelf + Toutui stack.

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Deployment reality check

Toutui requires a running Audiobookshelf server as a prerequisite. If you don’t have one, Toutui is not your starting point.

Assuming you have Audiobookshelf running, Toutui installation has two main paths [README]:

Arch Linux (simplest):

yay -S toutui
mkdir -p ~/.config/toutui
cp /usr/share/toutui/config.example.toml ~/.config/toutui/config.toml

Then set a TOUTUI_SECRET_KEY in a .env file for token encryption. Realistic time: under 10 minutes for anyone familiar with yay [README].

Other Linux distributions and macOS: Build from source (Rust toolchain required) or use a provided install script. The README notes that installation “might not be the most user-friendly yet” [1]. Realistic time: 20–45 minutes for someone comfortable with Rust’s cargo build system; longer if you’re installing Rust first.

What can go sideways:

• The app is beta-grade software. The maintainer maintained a public known_bugs.md file specifically because the list of known issues was long enough to warrant documentation [README].
• Sync issues are possible — the developer noted “at worst, you may experience sync issues” [README]. On a server with a lot of audiobooks, unexpected sync behavior could confuse your listening history.
• The project is now archived. If you hit a bug that isn’t listed in known_bugs.md, there is no one to fix it [README].
• Font and emoji rendering varies by terminal emulator. The recommended setup (Kitty or Alacritty) is specific for a reason [README].

For a non-technical user: this is genuinely not for you. This tool requires comfort with the terminal, familiarity with SSH, and willingness to debug Rust binaries when something breaks. The target user is someone who already lives in their terminal.

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Pros and Cons

Pros

• Actually lightweight. Rust + Ratatui means near-zero memory overhead compared to an Electron-based app or browser tab [README].
• Streaming works. You can listen without downloading the full file, which matters if you’re SSH’d into a remote machine with limited local storage [README].
• Progress sync. Your position is written back to the Audiobookshelf server, so switching between the TUI and the mobile app doesn’t lose your place [README].
• Customizable themes. A separate community theme repository exists for visual customization — unusual for a project this small [README].
• GPL-3.0. Strong copyleft license, code is fully open [README].
• AUR package available. Arch Linux users get the cleanest install path [README].
• Listed by the Audiobookshelf project. Recognition from the upstream server project is meaningful [2].

Cons

• Archived and abandoned. No new releases. No bug fixes. The developer said so explicitly [README]. This is the dominant fact about the project.
• Never shipped stable. The project was archived while still in beta, before v1.0.0 landed [README].
• Known bugs with no resolution path. There’s a public known_bugs.md and no one who will fix what’s in it [README].
• Linux and macOS only. Windows users are out [README].
• Narrow prerequisite. Only useful if you already self-host Audiobookshelf. It’s a client, not a standalone app.
• Installation friction for non-Arch users. Building from source is straightforward if you know Rust, opaque if you don’t [README][1].
• Limited third-party coverage. Virtually no independent reviews exist beyond a Reddit announcement post and an awesome-list entry [1][4].

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Who should use this / who shouldn’t

Use Toutui if:

• You’re a terminal-native Linux user who already self-hosts Audiobookshelf.
• You want to listen to audiobooks over SSH without a browser.
• You’re comfortable accepting beta-grade software with no future maintenance.
• You want something that works today and don’t mind that it won’t be updated tomorrow.

Don’t use Toutui if:

• You want software with an active maintainer and a reasonable expectation of bug fixes.
• You’re new to the terminal or haven’t used Audiobookshelf before — fix the prerequisite first.
• You’re on Windows [README].
• You want a client that will keep up with Audiobookshelf API changes over time — archived projects drift as the API evolves.
• You need offline mode or playlist views — both are listed as future features that will never ship [README].

If you need a Audiobookshelf terminal client and Toutui doesn’t work for you: Check the Audiobookshelf third-party apps list [2]. The project maintains a current list of integrations and alternatives. Toutui appears there alongside other third-party clients that may be in active development.

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Alternatives worth considering

Audiobookshelf native web UI — the obvious baseline. Works in any browser, mobile-responsive, officially supported. If you’re SSH’d into a server, a reverse proxy and browser tab is less cool than a TUI but far more reliable.

Audiobookshelf mobile apps — official iOS and Android apps, currently in beta [2]. The iOS app is available via TestFlight with limited spots [2]. Progress syncs with the server.

PWA (Progressive Web App) — Audiobookshelf’s web client can be saved as a PWA on iOS/Android. No offline support, but no TestFlight waitlist [2].

Other TUI tools in the Audiobookshelf ecosystem — the Audiobookshelf FAQ page [2] maintains an up-to-date list of third-party apps. Worth checking for anything that postdates Toutui’s development.

mpd / ncmpcpp stack — if your actual goal is terminal-native audio playback with a keyboard-driven interface, the Music Player Daemon + ncmpcpp combination is a battle-tested alternative for music. For audiobooks specifically with chapter tracking and sync, there’s no direct equivalent in the TUI space that’s currently active.

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Bottom line

Toutui is a technically clean project — Rust, Ratatui, streaming playback, progress sync — that answered a real if narrow question: can a terminal-native Audiobookshelf listener exist? The answer was yes, briefly. The project was archived in December 2025 before it shipped a stable release, and the maintainer was clear that maintenance has ended.

If you already use Audiobookshelf, are comfortable in the terminal, and want to try it anyway, the install is low-risk — the developer is explicit that the worst case is sync oddities, not data loss [README]. But you’re picking up a frozen project. The v1.0.0-stable release on the roadmap will never ship. Bugs in known_bugs.md will never be fixed. If the Audiobookshelf API changes, Toutui will silently break.

For a non-technical founder looking to escape SaaS costs, this is the wrong tool entirely — not because of the price (free), but because it requires self-hosting Audiobookshelf as a prerequisite and demands terminal comfort that most non-technical users don’t have. The interesting tool in this stack is Audiobookshelf itself. Toutui is a specialist attachment for a specialist audience, and the attachment is no longer supported.

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Sources

1. WoooowSplendide, r/commandline — ”🦜 Toutui: A TUI Audiobookshelf Client for Linux.” Reddit, r/commandline. https://www.reddit.com/r/commandline/comments/1iw80g7/toutui_a_tui_audiobookshelf_client_for_linux/
2. Audiobookshelf — “App FAQ — Third-Party Apps.” audiobookshelf.org. https://www.audiobookshelf.org/faq/app/
3. r/selfhosted — rising feed, referenced for community context. reddit.com. https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/rising/
4. eddy (hostux.net) — “Awesome TUIs — Multimedia section.” Opengist. https://gist.hostux.net/eddy/ba4ca42a49ac4f07a921cefee22bb8dc

Primary sources:

• GitHub repository and README (archived): https://github.com/AlbanDAVID/Toutui (169 stars, GPL-3.0, archived December 12, 2025)
• Toutui themes repository: https://github.com/AlbanDAVID/Toutui-theme