SHSelfHostIndex

Rygel 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?
RY Rygel GNOME UPnP/DLNA media sharing server VS UN Universal Media Server DLNA-compliant media server for streaming to TVs and consoles
FeatureRygelUniversal Media Server
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseLGPL-2.1GPL-2.0
LanguageValaJava
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM128 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metaldocker, bare-metal, binary
GitHub stars★ 200★ 2,636
First released20082012
ReplacesPlexPlex, Serviio

Why pick each one

Choose Rygel if…

  • Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
  • Written in Vala
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Rygel details

Choose Universal Media Server if…

  • Works with old TVs and consoles
  • Simple setup
Universal Media Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is Rygel 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 Rygel if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

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

Yes. Rygel is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Universal Media Server under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Rygel and Universal Media Server with Docker?

Rygel: check the project docs for container support. Universal Media Server: yes.

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