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Universal Media Server

Free DLNA, UPnP and web media server that transcodes for TVs, consoles and other devices.

Open sourceSelf-hostableMedia servers
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About Universal Media Server

Universal Media Server (UMS) is a free media server that streams your video, music and photos to devices on your home network over DLNA and UPnP, or to any browser through its web interface. It grew out of PS3 Media Server and is known for broad device compatibility: it ships with profiles for many TVs, consoles, receivers and phones and transcodes formats they cannot play using FFmpeg and other tools, usually with little configuration. It also looks up metadata so you can browse by actor, director or genre, and it does not track what you do. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, with Docker, Homebrew and Chocolatey packages, and it is open source under the GPL v2. New builds go to Patreon supporters first, with public releases following. It lacks the polished apps, remote streaming and multi-user features of Plex-style servers.

Best for: People who want to play files on a smart TV or console over DLNA without accounts or apps.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Works with a huge range of DLNA devices
  • Automatic transcoding with little setup
  • No tracking, free and open source

Why people leave

  • No dedicated client apps or remote streaming
  • Newest builds reach Patreon supporters first
  • Interface is functional rather than polished

Top Universal Media Server alternatives

See all 4
  1. 1Se
    Serviio

    Another DLNA server with device profiles and a paid Pro edition for remote access.

    66.5
  2. 2Gerbera logo
    Gerbera

    A lightweight UPnP server for Linux with scriptable library layout.

    62.6
  3. 3Jellyfin logo
    Jellyfin

    A full media server with apps, users and remote streaming, also free.

    59.6
  4. 4Plex logo
    Plex

    Polished apps and remote access if DLNA alone is too limited.

    57.2

Why people left Universal Media Server

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Universal Media Server: common questions

Is Universal Media Server free?

Yes. Universal Media Server is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Universal Media Server open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at UniversalMediaServer/UniversalMediaServer. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Universal Media Server run on?

Universal Media Server is available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Web.

What are the best alternatives to Universal Media Server?

The highest-ranked Universal Media Server alternatives right now are Serviio, Gerbera and Jellyfin. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 4 Universal Media Server alternatives