Fladder vs Rygel
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Fladder | Rygel |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | MIT | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Dart | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,599 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2024 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Plex, Emby Theater | Plex |
What are Fladder and Rygel?
Fladder
Fladder is a cross-platform Jellyfin client built with Flutter, supporting Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and the web. It provides library browsing, media playback, and downloads in a single unified codebase.
- One codebase for all platforms
- MPV-based playback
- Offline downloads
- SyncPlay support
Rygel
Rygel is a home media solution that allows you to share and stream audio, video, and images to UPnP and DLNA devices on your network. It is part of the GNOME project and integrates with the Linux desktop.
- UPnP/DLNA sharing
- GNOME desktop integration
- Pluggable backends
- Transcoding support
Fladder vs Rygel: key differences
Fladder is written in Dart, while Rygel is built with Vala. Licensing differs — MIT for Fladder versus LGPL-2.1 for Rygel. Rygel is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Fladder. Rygel is the more established project (first released 2008), while Fladder arrived in 2024. Fladder has the considerably larger community, at 2,599 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose Fladder if…
- Truly cross-platform
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Younger project
- Requires Jellyfin server
Choose Rygel if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- Written in Vala
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Linux desktop oriented
- No standalone UI
Frequently asked questions
Is Fladder or Rygel better?
Fladder is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Rygel if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Fladder and Rygel free and open-source?
Yes. Fladder is licensed under MIT and Rygel under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Fladder and Rygel with Docker?
Fladder: check the project docs for container support. Rygel: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Fladder or Rygel?
Rygel has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Fladder. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.