# Jellyfin vs scalar

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Jellyfin | scalar |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 88/100 ✓ | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 118 in Media Server | #3 of 13 in API |
| GitHub stars | 58 774 ✓ | 16 337 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 300 ✓ | +148 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 46 ✓ |
| Latest release | v12.4 · 26 Oct 2026 | release-2026-10-28-0d01943 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | C | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Jellyfin scores 88/100 against 76/100 for scalar, so it is the safer default.

scalar ships more often: 46 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for Jellyfin.

If you want the quickest setup, scalar is easier to run; Jellyfin needs more configuration.

Jellyfin is growing faster right now (+1 300 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Jellyfin](https://selfhost.directory/project/jellyfin) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/jellyfin.md)
- [scalar](https://selfhost.directory/project/scalar) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/scalar.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/jellyfin-vs-scalar