Kyoo vs Rygel
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
Rygel
GNOME UPnP/DLNA media sharing server
| Feature | Kyoo | Rygel |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | TypeScript | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,527 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2020 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Plex, Netflix | Plex |
What are Kyoo and Rygel?
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
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
Kyoo vs Rygel: key differences
Kyoo is written in TypeScript, while Rygel is built with Vala. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Kyoo versus LGPL-2.1 for Rygel. Rygel is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Kyoo. Rygel is the more established project (first released 2008), while Kyoo arrived in 2020. Kyoo has the considerably larger community, at 2,527 GitHub stars versus 200. Kyoo lists first-class Docker deployment; Rygel does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Kyoo if…
- Clean modern design
- Good anime handling
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Still maturing
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 Kyoo or Rygel 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 Rygel free and open-source?
Yes. Kyoo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Rygel under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kyoo and Rygel with Docker?
Kyoo: yes. Rygel: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Kyoo or Rygel?
Rygel has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Kyoo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.