Reiverr vs Rygel
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Reiverr | Rygel |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | MIT | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | TypeScript | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,347 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2023 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Plex | Plex |
What are Reiverr and Rygel?
Reiverr
Reiverr is a clean, unified interface for Jellyfin combined with Radarr and Sonarr that lets you browse, request, and stream content from one place. It brings discovery and playback together in a single modern web app.
- Unified Jellyfin and *arr interface
- Browse and request content
- Streaming playback
- Modern design
Rygel
Rygel is a home media solution that allows you to share and stream audio, video, and images to UPnP and DLNA devices on your network. It is part of the GNOME project and integrates with the Linux desktop.
- UPnP/DLNA sharing
- GNOME desktop integration
- Pluggable backends
- Transcoding support
Reiverr vs Rygel: key differences
Reiverr is written in TypeScript, while Rygel is built with Vala. Licensing differs — MIT for Reiverr versus LGPL-2.1 for Rygel. Rygel is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Reiverr. Rygel is the more established project (first released 2008), while Reiverr arrived in 2023. Reiverr has the considerably larger community, at 2,347 GitHub stars versus 200. Reiverr lists first-class Docker deployment; Rygel does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Reiverr if…
- Single pane for media
- Clean modern UI
Watch out for
- Requires Jellyfin and *arr stack
- Younger project
Choose Rygel if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- Written in Vala
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Linux desktop oriented
- No standalone UI
Frequently asked questions
Is Reiverr or Rygel better?
Neither is universally better. Reiverr has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Reiverr and Rygel free and open-source?
Yes. Reiverr is licensed under MIT and Rygel under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Reiverr and Rygel with Docker?
Reiverr: yes. Rygel: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Reiverr or Rygel?
Rygel has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Reiverr. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.