# Best open source media servers > The best open source media server is Jellyfin, with 57,817 GitHub stars, the GPL-2.0 license and a Docker image; MediaMTX and Invidious are strong alternatives. This page also breaks the picks down by team size and use: Jellyfin leads for home use. The overall ranking weighs GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits across the 26 apps in the media servers category of the appsgit catalog. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | |---|---| | Question | What is the best open source media server? | | Picks | 15 | | Top pick | Jellyfin (57,817 stars) | | Data as of | Oct 7, 2026 | | Canonical URL | https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-media-servers | ## Top picks 10 of the 26 apps in the media servers category, ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. - [Jellyfin](https://appsgit.com/apps/jellyfin) (57,817 stars, GPL-2.0, C#, Docker): Jellyfin has 57,817 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,025 commits in the last year; it replaces Plex and Spotify. - [MediaMTX](https://appsgit.com/apps/mediamtx) (20,345 stars, MIT, Go, Docker): MediaMTX has 20,345 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 626 commits in the last year. - [Invidious](https://appsgit.com/apps/invidious) (25,131 stars, AGPL-3.0, Crystal, Docker): Invidious has 25,131 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 235 commits in the last year; it replaces YouTube. - [SRS](https://appsgit.com/apps/srs) (29,319 stars, MIT, C++, Docker): SRS has 29,319 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 99 commits in the last year. - [Kodi](https://appsgit.com/apps/kodi) (21,286 stars, GPL-2.0, C++): Kodi has 21,286 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license and had 3,658 commits in the last year; it replaces Plex and Netflix. - [Stash](https://appsgit.com/apps/stash) (13,058 stars, AGPL-3.0, Go, Docker): Stash has 13,058 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 504 commits in the last year; it replaces Plex and Netflix. - [PeerTube](https://appsgit.com/apps/peertube) (15,345 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript): PeerTube has 15,345 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 1,848 commits in the last year; it replaces YouTube and Loom. - [Owncast](https://appsgit.com/apps/owncast) (11,575 stars, MIT, Go): Owncast has 11,575 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 1,396 commits in the last year; it replaces YouTube. - [Tube Archivist](https://appsgit.com/apps/tube-archivist) (8,499 stars, GPL-3.0, Python, Docker): Tube Archivist has 8,499 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 204 commits in the last year; it replaces YouTube. - [OvenMediaEngine](https://appsgit.com/apps/ovenmediaengine) (3,286 stars, AGPL-3.0, C++, Docker): OvenMediaEngine has 3,286 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 594 commits in the last year. ## Best for home use Ranked for home use on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. - [Jellyfin](https://appsgit.com/apps/jellyfin) (57,817 stars, GPL-2.0, C#, Docker): Jellyfin has 57,817 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,025 commits in the last year; it replaces Plex and Spotify. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Invidious](https://appsgit.com/apps/invidious) (25,131 stars, AGPL-3.0, Crystal, Docker): Invidious has 25,131 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 235 commits in the last year; it replaces YouTube. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [MediaMTX](https://appsgit.com/apps/mediamtx) (20,345 stars, MIT, Go, Docker): MediaMTX has 20,345 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 626 commits in the last year. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [SRS](https://appsgit.com/apps/srs) (29,319 stars, MIT, C++, Docker): SRS has 29,319 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 99 commits in the last year. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Stash](https://appsgit.com/apps/stash) (13,058 stars, AGPL-3.0, Go, Docker): Stash has 13,058 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 504 commits in the last year; it replaces Plex and Netflix. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. ## How this list was made - Candidates: the 26 apps in the media servers category. Archived projects and projects with no commit in the last two years are left out. - Base score: GitHub stars on a log scale plus commits in the last 12 months (log scale, capped at 1,000). - Bonus points for a published Docker image, an OSI-approved open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - Each "Best for" section re-ranks the same apps with that audience's profile (for example startups add points for permissive licenses, project websites and recent commits; small business for Docker images and deploy guides). - Source-available apps can rank, but they are labelled and never described as open source. ## FAQ ### Is Jellyfin free? Yes. Jellyfin is open-source software released under the GPL-2.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan. ### Which open source media server is best for home use? Jellyfin ranks first for home use, with 57,817 GitHub stars, the GPL-2.0 license and a Docker image; Invidious and MediaMTX follow. The home use ranking adds points for Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits on top of stars and activity. ### Can I self-host these media servers with Docker? Yes, 7 of the 10 picks. Jellyfin, MediaMTX and Invidious publish Docker images, so you can run them on a VPS or home server with Docker Compose. The others install from their own packages or source; follow each project's install guide. ### Are all of these media servers open source? All 10 apps on this list are open source. You can self-host and modify each one under its license. ### Which of these media servers is the most actively developed? Kodi, with 3,658 commits in the last 12 months and a latest release, 21.3-Omega, from October 2025. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed. ## Related questions - [What is the best open source NVR?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-nvr) - [What is the best open source photo management app?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-photo-management) - [What is the best open source CMS?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-cms) - [What is the best open source CRM?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-crm) - [What is the best open source ERP?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-erp) - [What is the best open source POS system?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-pos) - [What is the best open source LMS?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-lms) - [What is the best open source analytics tool?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-analytics) ## See also - [All media servers apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/media-servers) - [All music streaming apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/music-streaming) - [All media management apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/media-management) - [Open-source alternatives to Plex](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/plex) - [Open-source alternatives to Spotify](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/spotify) - [Open-source alternatives to Netflix](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/netflix) - [Open-source alternatives to Audible](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/audible) - [Open-source alternatives to YouTube](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/youtube) - [Open-source alternatives to Loom](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/loom) - [Navidrome vs Jellyfin](https://appsgit.com/compare/navidrome-music-server-vs-jellyfin) - [How to self-host Jellyfin with Docker Compose](https://appsgit.com/guides/jellyfin) --- Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-media-servers Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data from the GitHub API, refreshed nightly. Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.