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youtube-dl-server vs ydl_api_ng: catalog facts
youtube-dl-server	ydl_api_ng
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Free Free and open source under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Web, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
REST API for sending downloads from scripts or other tools Choice of yt-dlp or youtube-dl backends	REST API for scripting downloads Userscript and iOS shortcut for sending links
Minimal interface without library management or playback No tagged releases	API-first, with no full graphical dashboard described Scheduling and queues are only in the container version
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: GPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.