Ombi vs Plex
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?
Ombi
Media request tool on Plex/Emby/Jellyfin
VS
Plex
Polished media server with apps on every device
| Feature | Ombi | Plex |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary |
| Language | C# | Go Template |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,107 | ★ 4,010 |
| First released | 2023 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Netflix, Plex | Netflix, Emby |
Why pick each one
Choose Ombi if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (4.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in C#
Frequently asked questions
Is Ombi or Plex better?
Neither is universally better. Ombi has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ombi and Plex free and open-source?
Yes. Ombi is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Plex under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ombi and Plex with Docker?
Ombi: check the project docs for container support. Plex: yes.