Jellyfin vs Stremio Web
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Jellyfin
Free software media system for streaming your library
VS
Stremio Web
Self-hostable web frontend for the Stremio media center
| Feature | Jellyfin | Stremio Web |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C# | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 57,445 | ★ 13,954 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Plex, Emby | Plex |
What are Jellyfin and Stremio Web?
Jellyfin
Jellyfin is a free software media server that organizes and streams movies, TV, music, and photos to many devices. It is aimed at users who want a fully free, no-account media solution. It is typically deployed via Docker or native packages.
- Completely free with no paywalled features
- Hardware-accelerated transcoding
- Apps for TVs, phones and consoles
- Live TV and DVR support
Stremio Web
Stremio Web is the open-source web interface for Stremio, a modular media center that organizes movies, series, and other content through add-ons. The web app can be self-hosted to run a private instance in any browser.
- Add-on based content sources
- Runs entirely in the browser
- Library and progress tracking
- Self-hostable instance
Jellyfin vs Stremio Web: key differences
Jellyfin is written in C#, while Stremio Web is built with JavaScript. Stremio Web is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Jellyfin. Jellyfin has the considerably larger community, at 57,445 GitHub stars versus 13,954.
Why pick each one
Choose Jellyfin if…
- No subscription or account needed
- Active community development
- Wide client support
Watch out for
- Apps less polished than Plex
- Remote access setup is manual
Choose Stremio Web if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 14k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Jellyfin or Stremio Web better?
Jellyfin is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Stremio Web if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Jellyfin and Stremio Web free and open-source?
Yes. Jellyfin is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Stremio Web under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jellyfin and Stremio Web with Docker?
Jellyfin: yes. Stremio Web: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Jellyfin or Stremio Web?
Stremio Web has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Jellyfin. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.