Kyoo vs Reiverr
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Kyoo
Open-source media browser for movies and TV shows
VS
Reiverr
Unified interface for Jellyfin, Radarr, and Sonarr
| Feature | Kyoo | Reiverr |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 49 · Fair |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,527 | ★ 2,347 |
| First released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Plex, Netflix | Plex |
What are Kyoo and Reiverr?
Kyoo
Kyoo is a self-hosted media browser and streaming application for movies, TV shows, and anime. It automatically fetches metadata and offers a modern web and mobile interface for your library.
- Automatic metadata scraping
- Modern web UI
- Anime support
- Multi-user accounts
Reiverr
Reiverr is a clean, unified interface for Jellyfin combined with Radarr and Sonarr that lets you browse, request, and stream content from one place. It brings discovery and playback together in a single modern web app.
- Unified Jellyfin and *arr interface
- Browse and request content
- Streaming playback
- Modern design
Kyoo vs Reiverr: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Kyoo versus MIT for Reiverr. Reiverr is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Kyoo. Kyoo is the more established project (first released 2020), while Reiverr arrived in 2023.
Why pick each one
Choose Kyoo if…
- Clean modern design
- Good anime handling
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Still maturing
Choose Reiverr if…
- Single pane for media
- Clean modern UI
Watch out for
- Requires Jellyfin and *arr stack
- Younger project
Frequently asked questions
Is Kyoo or Reiverr better?
Neither is universally better. Kyoo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Kyoo and Reiverr free and open-source?
Yes. Kyoo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Reiverr under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kyoo and Reiverr with Docker?
Kyoo: yes. Reiverr: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kyoo or Reiverr?
Reiverr has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Kyoo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.