Dispatcharr vs ErsatzTV
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Dispatcharr
Modern IPTV and stream management dashboard
VS
ErsatzTV
IPTV streaming server that creates custom TV channels
| Feature | Dispatcharr | ErsatzTV |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,115 | ★ 2,966 |
| First released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Cable TV | Cable TV |
What are Dispatcharr and ErsatzTV?
Dispatcharr
Dispatcharr is a self-hosted IPTV and stream management application for organizing M3U playlists, channels, and EPG guides. It provides a modern web dashboard and HDHomeRun-style output for media servers.
- IPTV playlist management
- EPG handling
- Modern web dashboard
- Channel organization
ErsatzTV
ErsatzTV is software for configuring and streaming custom live channels using your media collection. It emulates an HDHomeRun tuner and outputs M3U playlists for use with Plex, Jellyfin, and other clients.
- Custom live TV channels
- HDHomeRun emulation
- Scheduling and filler
- FFmpeg transcoding
Dispatcharr vs ErsatzTV: key differences
Dispatcharr is written in JavaScript, while ErsatzTV is built with C#. ErsatzTV is the more established project (first released 2021), while Dispatcharr arrived in 2024.
Why pick each one
Choose Dispatcharr if…
- Active development
- Clean modern UI
Watch out for
- Young project
- Requires an IPTV source
Choose ErsatzTV if…
- Powerful scheduling options
- Works with major media servers
Watch out for
- Complex configuration
- FFmpeg knowledge helps
Frequently asked questions
Is Dispatcharr or ErsatzTV better?
Neither is universally better. Dispatcharr has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Dispatcharr and ErsatzTV free and open-source?
Yes. Dispatcharr is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ErsatzTV under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dispatcharr and ErsatzTV with Docker?
Dispatcharr: yes. ErsatzTV: yes.