Tunarr vs xTeVe
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Tunarr | xTeVe |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 67 · Good |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | Zlib | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,591 | ★ 2,263 |
| First released | 2024 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Cable TV | Cable TV |
What are Tunarr and xTeVe?
Tunarr
Tunarr lets you build custom live TV channels from your existing Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby media libraries. It presents the channels as an HDHomeRun tuner and M3U guide for use in any compatible client.
- Builds live TV channels
- HDHomeRun emulation
- M3U and XMLTV guide
- Web-based channel editor
xTeVe
xTeVe is an M3U proxy that converts IPTV playlists into an HDHomeRun-compatible tuner for media servers. It manages channels and EPG data so live TV can be added to Plex and Emby.
- HDHomeRun emulation
- M3U playlist proxy
- EPG mapping
- Channel filtering
Tunarr vs xTeVe: key differences
Tunarr is written in TypeScript, while xTeVe is built with Go. Licensing differs — Zlib for Tunarr versus MIT for xTeVe. XTeVe is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Tunarr. XTeVe is the more established project (first released 2018), while Tunarr arrived in 2024.
Why pick each one
Choose Tunarr if…
- Great for a retro TV feel
- Integrates with existing libraries
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Requires another media server
Choose xTeVe if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.3k GitHub stars)
Watch out for
- Project less actively maintained
- Needs an IPTV provider
Frequently asked questions
Is Tunarr or xTeVe better?
Neither is universally better. Tunarr has the larger community, while xTeVe is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Tunarr and xTeVe free and open-source?
Yes. Tunarr is licensed under Zlib and xTeVe under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Tunarr and xTeVe with Docker?
Tunarr: yes. xTeVe: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Tunarr or xTeVe?
xTeVe has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Tunarr. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.