# cap vs youtube-dl

> Two self-hosted [Video projects](https://selfhost.directory/video), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | cap | youtube-dl |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 ✓ | 51/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Video | #6 of 12 in Video |
| GitHub stars | 24 007 ✓ | 402 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 327 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 13 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | cap-v0.6.1 · 14 Sept 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Rust | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

cap scores 79/100 against 51/100 for youtube-dl, so it is the safer default.

cap ships more often: 13 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for youtube-dl.

If you want the quickest setup, youtube-dl is easier to run; cap needs more configuration.

cap is growing faster right now (+1 327 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [cap](https://selfhost.directory/project/cap) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/cap.md)
- [youtube-dl](https://selfhost.directory/project/youtube-dl) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/youtube-dl.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/cap-vs-youtube-dl