# Kyoo vs Universal Media Server

> Two self-hosted [Plex alternatives](https://selfhost.directory/alternative-to/plex), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Kyoo | Universal Media Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 59/100 | 62/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #30 of 118 in Media Server | #24 of 118 in Media Server |
| GitHub stars | 2 553 | 2 668 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +26 ✓ | +14 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 4 | 11 ✓ |
| Latest release | v5.2.1 · 27 Aug 2026 | 15.9.0 · 5 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Universal Media Server scores 62/100 against 59/100 for Kyoo, so it is the safer default.

Universal Media Server ships more often: 11 stable releases in the past year, against 4 for Kyoo.

If you want the quickest setup, Universal Media Server is easier to run; Kyoo needs more configuration.

## Details

- [Kyoo](https://selfhost.directory/project/kyoo) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kyoo.md)
- [Universal Media Server](https://selfhost.directory/project/universal-media-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/universal-media-server.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/kyoo-vs-universal-media-server