Ombi vs Tautulli
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
Tautulli
Monitoring and analytics for Plex media servers
| Feature | Ombi | Tautulli |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C# | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,103 | ★ 6,590 |
| First released | 2023 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Netflix, Plex | Plex |
What are Ombi and Tautulli?
Ombi
Media request tool on Plex/Emby/Jellyfin.
Tautulli
Tautulli is a monitoring and tracking tool for Plex that provides detailed statistics, history, and notifications. It targets Plex administrators who want insight into usage. It is deployed via Docker or a Python install.
- Detailed Plex usage statistics
- Watch history and graphs
- Rich notification agents
- Newsletter generation
Ombi vs Tautulli: key differences
Ombi is written in C#, while Tautulli is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Ombi versus GPL-3.0 for Tautulli. Ombi is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Tautulli. Tautulli is the more established project (first released 2015), while Ombi arrived in 2023. Tautulli 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 Tautulli if…
- Great Plex insights
- Flexible notifications
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Plex only
- Companion tool, not a server
Frequently asked questions
Is Ombi or Tautulli better?
Neither is universally better. Tautulli has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ombi and Tautulli free and open-source?
Yes. Ombi is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Tautulli under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ombi and Tautulli with Docker?
Ombi: check the project docs for container support. Tautulli: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ombi or Tautulli?
Ombi has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Tautulli. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.