SHSelfHostIndex

ErsatzTV vs Tunarr

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?
ErsatzTV IPTV streaming server that creates custom TV channels VS TU Tunarr Create live TV channels from your Plex and Jellyfin libraries
FeatureErsatzTVTunarr
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score87 · Excellent87 · Excellent
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0Zlib
LanguageC#TypeScript
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 2,966★ 2,591
First released20212024
ReplacesCable TVCable TV

What are ErsatzTV and Tunarr?

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

Read the full ErsatzTV guide →

Tunarr

Tunarr lets you build custom live TV channels from your existing Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby media libraries. It presents the channels as an HDHomeRun tuner and M3U guide for use in any compatible client.

  • Builds live TV channels
  • HDHomeRun emulation
  • M3U and XMLTV guide
  • Web-based channel editor

Read the full Tunarr guide →

ErsatzTV vs Tunarr: key differences

ErsatzTV is written in C#, while Tunarr is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for ErsatzTV versus Zlib for Tunarr. ErsatzTV is the more established project (first released 2021), while Tunarr arrived in 2024.

Why pick each one

Choose ErsatzTV if…

  • Powerful scheduling options
  • Works with major media servers

Watch out for

  • Complex configuration
  • FFmpeg knowledge helps
ErsatzTV details

Choose Tunarr if…

  • Great for a retro TV feel
  • Integrates with existing libraries

Watch out for

  • Newer project
  • Requires another media server
Tunarr details

Frequently asked questions

Is ErsatzTV or Tunarr better?

Neither is universally better. ErsatzTV has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are ErsatzTV and Tunarr free and open-source?

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

Can I run ErsatzTV and Tunarr with Docker?

ErsatzTV: yes. Tunarr: yes.

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