# Retrom vs telethon_downloader

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

| | Retrom | telethon_downloader |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 59/100 ✓ | 45/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 5 in Emulation | #34 of 45 in Download Management |
| GitHub stars | 2 100 ✓ | 206 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +28 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v0.8.4 · 14 Jun 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Retrom scores 59/100 against 45/100 for telethon_downloader, so it is the safer default.

Retrom ships more often: 10 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for telethon_downloader.

Retrom is growing faster right now (+28 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Retrom](https://selfhost.directory/project/retrom) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/retrom.md)
- [telethon_downloader](https://selfhost.directory/project/telethondownloader) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/telethondownloader.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/retrom-vs-telethondownloader