ErsatzTV vs xTeVe
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
ErsatzTV
IPTV streaming server that creates custom TV channels
VS
xTeVe
M3U proxy and HDHomeRun emulator for live TV streaming
| Feature | ErsatzTV | xTeVe |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 67 · Good |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | C# | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,966 | ★ 2,263 |
| First released | 2021 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Cable TV | Cable TV |
What are ErsatzTV and xTeVe?
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
xTeVe
xTeVe is an M3U proxy that converts IPTV playlists into an HDHomeRun-compatible tuner for media servers. It manages channels and EPG data so live TV can be added to Plex and Emby.
- HDHomeRun emulation
- M3U playlist proxy
- EPG mapping
- Channel filtering
ErsatzTV vs xTeVe: key differences
ErsatzTV is written in C#, while xTeVe is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for ErsatzTV versus MIT for xTeVe. XTeVe is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for ErsatzTV. XTeVe is the more established project (first released 2018), while ErsatzTV arrived in 2021.
Why pick each one
Choose ErsatzTV if…
- Powerful scheduling options
- Works with major media servers
Watch out for
- Complex configuration
- FFmpeg knowledge helps
Choose xTeVe if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.3k GitHub stars)
Watch out for
- Project less actively maintained
- Needs an IPTV provider
Frequently asked questions
Is ErsatzTV or xTeVe better?
Neither is universally better. ErsatzTV has the larger community, while xTeVe is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ErsatzTV and xTeVe free and open-source?
Yes. ErsatzTV is licensed under GPL-3.0 and xTeVe under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ErsatzTV and xTeVe with Docker?
ErsatzTV: yes. xTeVe: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, ErsatzTV or xTeVe?
xTeVe has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for ErsatzTV. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.