1
Emby
emby.mediaAlso covers media · same kind of website
Emby organizes and streams videos, music, photos, and live TV from a personal media server to connected devices.
Alternatives
The Best Gerbera Alternatives in 2026
24 alternatives2 free · 11 open source
Looking for something like Gerbera? Here are 24 alternatives, ranked by how closely they match it on purpose, features and platforms. Of these, 2 are free or have a free plan and 11 are open source.
Stream a personal media collection to devices on a home network with Gerbera, a media server with optional on-the-fly transcoding.
Top picks at a glance
First suggestionEmbyEmby organizes and streams videos, music, photos, and live…Free or freemium optionNavidromeNavidrome streams a personal music collection through a web…Open source optionmStreammStream syncs and streams a personal music library between…
Quick comparison
| # | Alternative | Pricing | Open source | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emby | — | Not stated | Web |
| 2 | mStream | — | Yes | Android, iOS, Web |
| 3 | Homehost | — | Yes | — |
| 4 | Universal Media Server | — | Not stated | Web |
| 5 | LedFx | — | Not stated | Linux, Web, Windows |
| 6 | Navidrome | Free | Not stated | Android, iOS, Web |
| 7 | Ampache | Free | Not stated | Web |
| 8 | Music Player Daemon | — | Not stated | Web |
| 9 | Polaris | — | Yes | Android, Linux, Windows |
| 10 | koel | — | Not stated | Android, iOS, Web |
All Gerbera alternatives
2
Also covers ios and media · open source
mStream syncs and streams a personal music library between devices through a self-hosted server.
3
Open source
Homehost streams a personal collection of movies, TV shows, and music across a home network as a self-hosted app.
4
Universal Media Server
universalmediaserver.comAlso covers media · same kind of website
Universal Media Server streams media to devices including TVs, phones, game consoles, computers, and audio receivers.
5
LedFx
docs.ledfx.app/en/stableAlso covers media · same kind of website
LedFx drives real-time audio effects on network-connected LED devices.
6
Also covers ios and media · same kind of website
Navidrome streams a personal music collection through a web interface and compatible mobile apps.
7
Also covers media · same kind of website
Ampache streams and manages music and video collections through a web interface, with access from internet-enabled devices.
8
Music Player Daemon
musicpd.orgAlso covers media · same kind of website
Music Player Daemon plays music as a server-side application and can be controlled through its network protocol.
9
Open source
Polaris streams a personal music collection to computers and mobile devices.
10
koel
koel.devAlso covers android, ios, and media · same kind of website
Koel lets users host and stream their own music collection through a self-hosted server.
11
Also covers android and media · open source
Serve files from a directory over UPnP DLNA with DMS, a media server that includes basic video transcoding.
12
Swing
swingmx.comAlso covers media
Swing Music is a self-hosted streaming server for playing a personal music collection.
13
NextPVR
nextpvr.comAlso covers media · same kind of website
NextPVR records, plays, and streams live television as a whole-home digital video recorder.
14
TroyPoint
troypoint.comAlso covers media · same kind of website
TROYPOINT publishes tutorials, news, and reviews about streaming and home technology.
15
Also covers media · open source
Black Candy runs a self-hosted music streaming server for listening to a personal music collection.
16
WatchParty
watchparty.meAlso covers media · same kind of website
WatchParty lets friends watch the same YouTube video, personal video, or virtual browser stream while chatting and reacting in real time.
17
Also covers media · open source
Jellyfin’s server backend and API support collecting, managing, and streaming personal media from a server.
18
Open source
LedFx generates real-time audio effects for supported network-connected LED devices.
19
Jellyfin
jellyfin.orgAlso covers media · same kind of website
Jellyfin lets users collect, manage, and stream their media from a server they run on their own system.
20
Lyrion
lyrion.orgAlso covers media · same kind of website
Lyrion Music Server controls and streams music to compatible physical and virtual audio players.
21
Also covers media · open source
This Ansible playbook automates a home media server stack running in Docker, with options including GPU acceleration and SSL.
22
Also covers media · open source
VLC plays multimedia files, discs, streams, and devices, and can also convert, encode, and stream media.
23
Open source
dizqueTV creates live TV channels from personal media and exposes streams through a simulated HDHomeRun tuner or generated M3U URL.
24
Also covers media · open source
Streama offers a self-hosted streaming media server, with setup instructions and documentation linked from the project.
No alternatives match this filter.
Alternatives to similar tools
Ampache10 alternativesansible-hms-docker24 alternativesJellyfin16 alternativesmStream24 alternativesUniversal Media Server16 alternativesNavidrome13 alternatives
TopicMedia Players & Servers · 194 sites Best-of listBest Free Media Players: 8 Choices for Files, Subtitles and TV ListingGerbera details
What is the best alternative to Gerbera?
Based on features, tags and platforms, the closest alternatives to Gerbera are Emby, mStream, and Homehost.
Is there a free alternative to Gerbera?
Yes. Navidrome and Ampache are free or offer a free plan.
Are there open-source alternatives to Gerbera?
Yes: mStream, Homehost, Polaris, and DMS.
Alternatives are suggested from the purpose and features described in our listings. Different pages for the same product appear once. Read each description to check whether it fits your task. How we choose alternatives · Suggest an alternative