# MovieClaw 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.

| | MovieClaw | Universal Media Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 43/100 | 62/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #91 of 118 in Media Server | #24 of 118 in Media Server |
| GitHub stars | 186 | 2 668 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +14 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 | 11 ✓ |
| Latest release | windows-v0.1.2 · 25 Oct 2026 ✓ | 15.9.0 · 5 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Universal Media Server scores 62/100 against 43/100 for MovieClaw, so it is the safer default.

Universal Media Server ships more often: 11 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for MovieClaw.

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

Universal Media Server is growing faster right now (+14 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [MovieClaw](https://selfhost.directory/project/movieclaw) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/movieclaw.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/movieclaw-vs-universal-media-server