Alternatives to Universal Media Server

DLNA media server that streams a local library to TVs, consoles and phones. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Universal Media Server.

  • Jellyfin

    A free media server for your own films, shows and music, with no premium tier and no account.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedWeb

    Jellyfin stays free and GPL-2.0 open source but streams through its own client apps rather than DLNA, and adds live TV, DVR, books, photos and SyncPlay.

  • Plex Media Server

    A polished media server for your own library, free on the home network, with a paid pass for remote streaming.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedWebAndroidiOS

    Plex is closed source with a Plex account sign-in, adds automatic metadata matching and client apps on most smart TVs, and charges for streaming outside the home.

  • Emby Server

    A personal media server for video, music, photos and live TV, with the good parts behind a subscription.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedAndroidiOSWeb

    Emby Server is closed source and freemium, offers polished client apps and live TV with DVR, but puts hardware transcoding and offline downloads behind a paid subscription.

  • Dim

    Self-hosted media manager with automatic metadata fetching.

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hosted

    Dim is a free open-source self-hosted media manager with automatic metadata fetching and a web interface, though it has a smaller community than established servers.

  • Serviio

    A Java-based DLNA media server that streams music, video and images to devices on a home network.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted

    Serviio is a Java-based DLNA server with device profiles tuned for specific TVs and consoles, but it is closed source and remote access needs the paid Pro edition.

  • Gerbera

    A UPnP/DLNA media server that streams your music and videos to devices on your home network.

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hosted

    Gerbera is an open-source UPnP/DLNA server with optional transcoding and library layouts you can customise with JavaScript, aimed at the local network.

  • Rygel

    GNOME's UPnP AV media server for sharing audio, video and pictures with devices on a home network.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hosted

    Rygel is GNOME's LGPL-2.1 UPnP server that shares audio, video and pictures, but it is Linux-focused and has fewer library management features.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Universal Media Server as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Asset UPnP

    An audio-only UPnP and DLNA server for streaming a music collection to network players.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted

    Universal Media Server is free under GPL-2.0 and streams video as well as music over DLNA, with on-the-fly transcoding that can be CPU-heavy.

  • MinimServer

    A UPnP music server for browsing and streaming large, well-tagged audio libraries.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted

    Universal Media Server is GPL-2.0 open source and streams video as well as music over DLNA, transcoding on the fly at a heavy CPU cost.

  • Twonky Server

    A paid DLNA media server that shares music, photos and video with devices on a home network.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    Universal Media Server is a free GPL-2.0 DLNA server for Windows, macOS and Linux that transcodes on the fly, though transcoding is CPU-heavy on modest hardware.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.