m3u4u

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to m3u4u

A curated collection of the 3 best self hosted alternatives to m3u4u.

Cloud-hosted M3U playlist editor and IPTV playlist manager for importing, organizing, filtering and customizing channel lists and EPG. Produces tailored M3U/EPG files and supports renaming, grouping and URL handling for consumption in IPTV players.

Alternatives List

#1
Dispatcharr

Dispatcharr

Self-hosted IPTV stream and EPG manager with M3U/XMLTV support, proxy streaming, real-time stats, and VOD (movies/series) organization for media servers.

Dispatcharr is a self-hosted service for organizing, proxying, and monitoring IPTV streams along with EPG (TV guide) data. It focuses on improving stream reliability and managing playlists and VOD libraries in a single web interface.

Key Features

  • M3U playlist import, filtering, grouping, and failover handling
  • XMLTV EPG ingestion with automatic channel-to-program matching
  • Proxy streaming engine to reduce upstream provider connections and optimize bandwidth
  • Real-time statistics dashboard for stream health and client activity
  • VOD management for movies and TV series with metadata-focused organization
  • Outputs designed for broad client compatibility, including M3U and XMLTV
  • Optional Streamlink and FFmpeg-backed workflows for flexible stream handling

Use Cases

  • Centralize IPTV playlists and EPG data for use with media players and server ecosystems
  • Improve reliability by proxying streams and monitoring availability and client usage
  • Organize IPTV VOD catalogs (movies/series) for easier browsing and playback

Limitations and Considerations

  • The project is in beta, so features and behavior may change and stability can vary
  • Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, which restricts commercial use

Dispatcharr fits homelabs and media setups that want more control over IPTV sources, EPG quality, and stream reliability. It combines playlist/guide management with monitoring and compatibility-focused outputs for downstream clients.

2.2kstars
147forks
View Details
#2
Cinephage

Cinephage

Self-hosted media management app that unifies discovery, downloading, subtitles, streaming, and live TV with built-in indexers and Docker deployment.

Cinephage is a self-hosted media management application that centralizes discovery, downloading, library management, streaming integration, subtitles, and live TV into a single interface backed by one database. It aims to replace multi-app *arr-style stacks by offering indexers, download clients, streaming providers and monitoring from one place.

Key Features

  • Unified single-database media library for movies and TV with TMDB integration and scanning/file-watching.
  • Built-in indexers (7 built-in) plus Newznab support for Usenet indexers.
  • Subtitle support across multiple providers (8 providers, 80+ languages) with auto-download.
  • Streaming integration with multiple providers and circuit-breaker style failover (10 streaming providers listed in project).
  • Download client integrations: qBittorrent, SABnzbd, NZBGet (configurable download clients).
  • Live TV / IPTV Stalker portal support (discovery or bring-your-own account) and EPG handling (marked experimental).
  • Smart lists and automated monitoring tasks for searches, upgrades and new-episode detection (monitoring features flagged experimental).
  • Docker-first deployment with docker-compose examples, example .env and a provided Dockerfile for containerized installs.

Use Cases

  • Consolidating separate media tools into a single self-hosted app to simplify management and reduce cross-app configuration.
  • Automated discovery and acquisition pipeline for new episodes or movie releases using built-in indexers and download clients.
  • Providing .strm-based streaming proxies to integrate discovered streams into media players and media servers.

Limitations and Considerations

  • Project is in active development (alpha/early stage): features may be incomplete, APIs can change, and bugs are expected.
  • Several features are explicitly marked experimental (monitoring automation, Live TV/IPTV); they may be unstable or change behavior.
  • Some integrations and feature gaps (e.g., certain debrid services and provider coverage) are noted as backlog items; expect ongoing additions and changes.

Cinephage is positioned as an all-in-one, developer-focused alternative to multi-service media stacks. It is suitable for users who want a single, evolving application for media discovery, acquisition and streaming, and who are comfortable running software that is actively developed and may change between releases.

538stars
11forks
View Details
#3
m3u editor

m3u editor

Self-hosted IPTV M3U/Xtream playlist editor with XMLTV EPG management, channel/series tools, Xtream API output, and automations like scripts, webhooks, and email.

m3u editor screenshot

m3u editor is a self-hosted, web-based IPTV playlist editor for managing M3U/M3U8 and Xtream Codes sources. It focuses on curating channels and series, enriching them with EPG data, and exposing the resulting playlist through formats and APIs commonly used by IPTV clients.

Key Features

  • Import and manage playlists from M3U/M3U8/M3U+ files or URLs and Xtream Codes API sources
  • EPG management with XMLTV support (local or remote), XMLTV URLs, and Schedules Direct integration
  • Xtream API output to integrate with compatible IPTV apps and tools
  • Series management with the ability to store and sync .strm files
  • Post-processing hooks, including running custom scripts, sending webhook requests, and sending emails
  • Container-friendly deployment patterns, including modular Docker Compose setups

Use Cases

  • Clean up and standardize IPTV playlists for clients like Jellyfin, Plex, or Emby
  • Combine sources and attach reliable EPG data for a better viewing experience
  • Automate playlist/EPG refreshes and downstream actions via scripts, webhooks, or email

Limitations and Considerations

  • Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, which restricts commercial use and requires attribution and share-alike

m3u editor is well-suited for home media setups that need a powerful interface for editing IPTV playlists and managing EPG data. Its API output and automation hooks make it useful for integrating IPTV curation into broader media workflows.

513stars
73forks
View Details

Why choose an open source alternative?

  • •Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • •No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • •Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • •Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running