Gerbera vs Stash
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Gerbera
UPnP media server for streaming to DLNA devices
VS
Stash
Self-hosted media organizer and server
| Feature | Gerbera | Stash |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,393 | ★ 13,007 |
| First released | 2018 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Plex | Plex |
What are Gerbera and Stash?
Gerbera
Gerbera is a UPnP/DLNA media server that streams audio and video to compatible TVs and devices on a local network. It targets users with DLNA hardware who want simple local streaming. It is deployed via Docker or native packages.
- Standards-based UPnP/DLNA streaming
- Web UI for managing media
- Transcoding support
- Lightweight footprint
Stash
Stash is a self-hosted media organizer that catalogs video and image collections with rich metadata, tagging, and scraping. It targets users who want a deeply organized personal media archive. It is deployed via Docker or a single binary.
- Rich metadata and tagging
- Scraper and plugin system
- Built-in web player
- SQLite-backed storage
Gerbera vs Stash: key differences
Gerbera is written in C++, while Stash is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Gerbera versus AGPL-3.0 for Stash. Gerbera is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Stash. Stash has the considerably larger community, at 13,007 GitHub stars versus 1,393.
Why pick each one
Choose Gerbera if…
- Works with DLNA TVs
- Low resource use
- No client apps needed
Watch out for
- DLNA UX is basic
- No remote streaming
Choose Stash if…
- Powerful organization
- Extensible via plugins
- Easy to deploy
Watch out for
- Single-user focused
- Niche feature set
Frequently asked questions
Is Gerbera or Stash better?
Stash is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Gerbera if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Gerbera and Stash free and open-source?
Yes. Gerbera is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Stash under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gerbera and Stash with Docker?
Gerbera: yes. Stash: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Gerbera or Stash?
Gerbera has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Stash. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.