MiniDLNA vs tinyMediaManager
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
MiniDLNA
Lightweight DLNA/UPnP media server daemon
VS
tinyMediaManager
Metadata manager and organizer for movie and TV libraries
| Feature | MiniDLNA | tinyMediaManager |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 8 |
| First released | 2008 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Plex | Plex |
Why pick each one
Choose tinyMediaManager if…
- Excellent organization tools
- Headless mode available
Frequently asked questions
Is MiniDLNA or tinyMediaManager better?
Neither is universally better. MiniDLNA has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are MiniDLNA and tinyMediaManager free and open-source?
Yes. MiniDLNA is licensed under GPL-2.0 and tinyMediaManager under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MiniDLNA and tinyMediaManager with Docker?
MiniDLNA: yes. tinyMediaManager: yes.