★ 806
July 2026
GPL-3.0
Learning
What we checked ourselves
Not copied from the project's own blurb. These are things we opened and verified, with the date.
- 8 Sept 2026We checked that the link to the project still resolves.
- 13 Sept 2026We read the licence text itself (LICENSE). No unusual restrictions were stated.
- 1 Sept 2026We read the project's own documentation and found no sign that development has stopped.
Where this sits among the 38 tools we list in Learning
- No API key required30 of 38
- Commercial use confirmed as allowed19 of 38
- Requires terminal commands30 that do not →
- Sends your input to the provider13 that do not →
Only 14 of the 38 meet all of the conditions above.
Counted from our own checks: every tool we list is examined against the same criteria.
What it does
An eBook and document reader for the command line that blends reading with listening: synchronised word highlighting as the TTS speaks, smooth auto-scroll, chapter navigation and saved position, across EPUB, PDF, TXT and more. The TTS layer is modular and multilingual — pick a local engine and the text stays put, pick a hosted one and it doesn't. Terminal-native, so it isn't a replacement for a normal reading app. GPL-3.0.
Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.
Screenshots & visuals
Before you start
- Setup difficultySome setup needed
- Command lineRequired
- API keyNot required
- Sends data onlineYes
Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.
lue FAQ
- Is lue free?
- Yes. It runs on your own machine, so there is no usage-based cost either.
- Do I need to install anything or write code to use lue?
- It needs the command line. If you are not comfortable typing commands, expect to get stuck during setup.
- Does lue work on a phone?
- No. It needs a computer.
- Can I use lue commercially?
- The licence is GPL-3.0. Using it commercially is fine, but if you distribute something built on it you may be required to release that under the same licence. Keep it internal, or check before distributing.
How it compares
The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.
| Tool | Command line | API key | Sends data out | Phone | Commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lue (this page) | Required | Not needed | Yes | No | Yes |
| LaTeX-OCR | Required | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
| Prompt_Engineering | Required | Required | No | No | Not verified |
| aeneas | Required | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.