SHSelfHostIndex

Reiverr vs Universal Media Server

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?
RE Reiverr Unified interface for Jellyfin, Radarr, and Sonarr VS UN Universal Media Server DLNA-compliant media server for streaming to TVs and consoles
FeatureReiverrUniversal Media Server
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score49 · Fair87 · Excellent
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseMITGPL-2.0
LanguageTypeScriptJava
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal, binary
GitHub stars★ 2,347★ 2,654
First released20232012
ReplacesPlexPlex, Serviio

What are Reiverr and Universal Media Server?

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

Read the full Reiverr guide →

Universal Media Server

Universal Media Server is a DLNA-compliant UPnP media server that streams video, audio, and images to a wide range of devices including smart TVs, game consoles, and mobile devices. It transcodes media on the fly so incompatible formats can play on almost any renderer.

  • DLNA/UPnP streaming
  • On-the-fly transcoding
  • Broad device compatibility
  • Subtitle support

Read the full Universal Media Server guide →

Reiverr vs Universal Media Server: key differences

Reiverr is written in TypeScript, while Universal Media Server is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for Reiverr versus GPL-2.0 for Universal Media Server. Universal Media Server is the more established project (first released 2012), while Reiverr arrived in 2023.

Why pick each one

Choose Reiverr if…

  • Single pane for media
  • Clean modern UI

Watch out for

  • Requires Jellyfin and *arr stack
  • Younger project
Reiverr details

Choose Universal Media Server if…

  • Works with old TVs and consoles
  • Simple setup

Watch out for

  • Dated user interface
  • Java memory footprint
Universal Media Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is Reiverr or Universal Media Server better?

Universal Media Server is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Reiverr if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Reiverr and Universal Media Server free and open-source?

Yes. Reiverr is licensed under MIT and Universal Media Server under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Reiverr and Universal Media Server with Docker?

Reiverr: yes. Universal Media Server: yes.

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