Ombi vs Streama
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Ombi
Media request tool on Plex/Emby/Jellyfin
VS
Streama
Self-hosted streaming media server with a clean web interface
| Feature | Ombi | Streama |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | C# | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,103 | ★ 9,820 |
| First released | 2023 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Netflix, Plex | Netflix, Plex |
What are Ombi and Streama?
Ombi
Media request tool on Plex/Emby/Jellyfin.
Streama
Streama is a self-hosted streaming media server that lets you build a personal Netflix-style library of movies and TV shows. It runs in the browser and supports multiple user accounts with watch progress tracking.
- Netflix-style UI
- Multi-user accounts
- Watch progress tracking
- Subtitle support
Ombi vs Streama: key differences
Ombi is written in C#, while Streama is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Ombi versus MIT for Streama. Ombi is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Streama. Streama is the more established project (first released 2015), while Ombi arrived in 2023. Streama has the considerably larger community, at 9,820 GitHub stars versus 4,103. Streama lists first-class Docker deployment; Ombi does not.
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#
Choose Streama if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.8k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Watch out for
- No live transcoding
- Slower development pace
Frequently asked questions
Is Ombi or Streama better?
Neither is universally better. Streama has the larger community, while Ombi is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ombi and Streama free and open-source?
Yes. Ombi is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Streama under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ombi and Streama with Docker?
Ombi: check the project docs for container support. Streama: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ombi or Streama?
Ombi has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Streama. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.