ErsatzTV vs Jellyfin

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureErsatzTVJellyfin
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-2.0
LanguageC#C#
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, bare-metal, binary
GitHub stars★ 2,905★ 55,528
First released20212018
ReplacesCable TVPlex, Emby

Why pick each one

Choose ErsatzTV if…

  • Powerful scheduling options
  • Works with major media servers
ErsatzTV details

Choose Jellyfin if…

  • No subscription or account needed
  • Active community development
  • Wide client support
Jellyfin details

Frequently asked questions

Is ErsatzTV or Jellyfin better?

Jellyfin is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider ErsatzTV if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are ErsatzTV and Jellyfin free and open-source?

Yes. ErsatzTV is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Jellyfin under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run ErsatzTV and Jellyfin with Docker?

ErsatzTV: yes. Jellyfin: yes.

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