M3U Stream Merger Proxy vs Stream Master
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | M3U Stream Merger Proxy | Stream Master |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 75 · Good | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 182 | ★ 190 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | xTeVe | xTeVe, Threadfin |
What are M3U Stream Merger Proxy and Stream Master?
M3U Stream Merger Proxy
M3U Stream Merger Proxy is a lightweight Go proxy that merges multiple IPTV M3U playlists into a single playlist and load-balances streams across providers, failing over to alternate sources when a stream goes down.
- Merges multiple m3u playlists
- Stream load balancing
- Provider failover
- Lightweight proxy
Stream Master
StreamMaster is a self-hosted application for managing IPTV streams, EPG data, and channel lineups. It aggregates m3u playlists and XMLTV guides and exposes a unified channel list for use with media servers.
- IPTV stream management
- EPG and XMLTV handling
- Channel lineup builder
- Media server integration
M3U Stream Merger Proxy vs Stream Master: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Stream Master's repository is archived and no longer developed, while M3U Stream Merger Proxy is actively maintained. M3U Stream Merger Proxy is written in Go, while Stream Master is built with C#. M3U Stream Merger Proxy is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Stream Master.
Why pick each one
Choose M3U Stream Merger Proxy if…
- Consolidates IPTV sources
- Easy Docker deploy
Watch out for
- Requires IPTV subscriptions
- Niche use case
Choose Stream Master if…
- Powerful channel management
- Active development
Watch out for
- IPTV oriented
- Configuration heavy
Frequently asked questions
Is M3U Stream Merger Proxy or Stream Master better?
Neither is universally better. Stream Master has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are M3U Stream Merger Proxy and Stream Master free and open-source?
Yes. M3U Stream Merger Proxy is licensed under MIT and Stream Master under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run M3U Stream Merger Proxy and Stream Master with Docker?
M3U Stream Merger Proxy: yes. Stream Master: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, M3U Stream Merger Proxy or Stream Master?
M3U Stream Merger Proxy has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Stream Master. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.