# Rygel 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.

| | Rygel | Universal Media Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 61/100 | 62/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #27 of 118 in Media Server | #24 of 118 in Media Server |
| GitHub stars | — | 2 668 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +14 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 11 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | 15.9.0 · 5 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | — | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Universal Media Server scores 62/100 against 61/100 for Rygel, so it is the safer default.

Universal Media Server ships more often: 11 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Rygel.

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

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

## Details

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

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