StreamFab

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to StreamFab

A curated collection of the 14 best self hosted alternatives to StreamFab.

StreamFab is a video downloading and conversion suite that saves content from major streaming services to local MP4/MKV files. It supports batch downloads, subtitle extraction, format conversion and optional DRM removal for offline playback.

Alternatives List

#1
Cobalt

Cobalt

Cobalt is a self-hostable web media downloader for saving publicly accessible videos and audio from supported social platforms via a simple paste-a-link interface and API.

Cobalt screenshot

Cobalt is a web-based media downloader designed to fetch files from publicly accessible content on supported social platforms. It provides a simple paste-a-link workflow via a clean web UI and also exposes an API for integrations.

Key Features

  • Download publicly accessible media by URL (video and audio, depending on the source)
  • Web UI plus a dedicated API service (monorepo includes frontend and backend)
  • No ads or tracking, with a minimal, fast user experience
  • Proxy-style streaming approach and no server-side content caching by default
  • Instance configuration via environment variables, suited for self-hosted deployments

Use Cases

  • Save personal copies of public videos or audio for offline viewing/listening
  • Provide a simple internal “download by link” tool for a team or household
  • Integrate media fetching into other tools via the API (automation or archival workflows)

Limitations and Considerations

  • Intended for downloading only free, publicly accessible content; access-controlled or paid content is not supported
  • Platform compatibility can change as third-party sites update their behavior

Cobalt is a focused, low-friction downloader that pairs a straightforward web interface with an API for programmatic use. It is best suited for users who want a fast, privacy-respecting way to save public media without unnecessary complexity.

38.2kstars
3.1kforks
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#2
MeTube

MeTube

A lightweight web interface for yt-dlp (youtube-dl fork) that manages queued downloads, playlists, and filename templates via Docker or local Python/Angular setup.

MeTube screenshot

MeTube is a web-based graphical interface that wraps the yt-dlp (youtube-dl fork) engine to manage video and audio downloads from YouTube and many other websites. It provides a queue, playlist support, configurable filename templates, and environment-driven configuration for containerized or local deployments.

Key Features

  • Web UI for adding and managing downloads, including playlists and per-item options.
  • Queue management with configurable concurrency limits and multiple download modes (sequential, concurrent, limited).
  • Filename and playlist output templating with separate audio/video download directories and postprocessing hooks.
  • Environment-variable configuration for download paths, concurrency, server host/port, URL prefix and HTTPS settings.
  • Support for passing yt-dlp options in JSON and loading options from a monitored file for dynamic changes.
  • Integrations and convenience helpers: browser extensions, bookmarklet, iOS shortcut and examples for reverse-proxy setups.

Use Cases

  • Run a local/private service to batch-download YouTube videos and playlists for offline viewing or archiving.
  • Centralize downloads (audio/video) from multiple sources to a network-mounted storage using a containerized deployment.
  • Provide a simple UI for non-technical users to queue and manage media downloads on a home server or NAS appliance.

Limitations and Considerations

  • Core download functionality depends on the underlying yt-dlp engine; frequent yt-dlp updates are required to keep compatibility with video sites.
  • Some sites or restricted/private content require browser cookies or authentication; users must supply appropriate cookie files or credentials for those cases.
  • MeTube itself is a download UI and relies on external tools (yt-dlp and optionally ffmpeg for custom postprocessing) for actual media fetching and transcoding; those tools must be present/updated when needed.

MeTube is a pragmatic, focused UI for managing yt-dlp workloads. It is designed for easy deployment with Docker or local builds (Node/Angular front end and a Python backend) and prioritizes straightforward configuration, playlist handling, and maintainability in environments where users regularly archive or batch-download web-hosted media.

12.2kstars
836forks
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#3
Tube Archivist

Tube Archivist

Tube Archivist is a self-hosted YouTube media server to download, index, search, and watch your archived videos with subscriptions and watch status tracking.

Tube Archivist screenshot

Tube Archivist is a self-hosted application for archiving YouTube content and browsing it like a personal media library. It downloads videos, stores metadata, and provides a web interface to search and play your offline collection.

Key Features

  • Subscribe to YouTube channels and periodically rescan for new videos
  • Download videos via yt-dlp and manage a download queue
  • Index video metadata and enable fast full-text search via Elasticsearch
  • Web UI for playback and library browsing
  • Track watched/unwatched status for your archive
  • Optional integrations such as a companion browser extension and media-server plugins

Use Cases

  • Build a personal offline YouTube library for long-term archiving
  • Maintain searchable collections for research, tutorials, or education
  • Centralize family or team viewing from a shared server

Limitations and Considerations

  • Playback compatibility depends on the chosen codecs and browser support
  • Any download/extraction limitations of yt-dlp also apply
  • Limited flexibility in the naming of downloaded media files

Tube Archivist is well-suited for users who want ownership of their YouTube collection with strong search and library management. It combines automated downloading, indexing, and a convenient playback UI into a single stack.

7.4kstars
350forks
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#4
Pinchflat

Pinchflat

Self-hosted YouTube media manager that automates downloads from channels and playlists using rules, storing files on disk for Plex/Jellyfin/Kodi or archiving.

Pinchflat screenshot

Pinchflat is a self-hosted web app for managing and automating downloads of YouTube content. It uses yt-dlp under the hood, runs as a lightweight single-container service, and saves media to disk for use with external players or media servers.

Key Features

  • Rule-based downloading from YouTube channels and playlists with periodic checks for new content
  • Flexible naming and directory templates to organize files to your preferences
  • Web UI with presets for quick setup and day-to-day management
  • Supports audio-only downloads and handling rules for Shorts and livestreams
  • Integration options for media centers such as Plex, Jellyfin, and Kodi via local files
  • Optional RSS feed endpoints for podcast apps
  • Notifications via Apprise
  • SponsorBlock integration
  • Advanced options for custom yt-dlp arguments and lifecycle scripts
  • Optional retention controls such as scheduled re-downloads and automatic deletion of old media

Use Cases

  • Build and maintain an offline archive of channels or playlists
  • Keep a media server library updated with newly published YouTube content
  • Generate audio feeds for podcast-style consumption in a podcast app

Limitations and Considerations

  • Not intended for watching content in-app; it focuses on downloading and organizing files on disk
  • SQLite performance and reliability can be impacted if the config directory is placed on certain network shares

Pinchflat is a good fit when you want hands-off, rules-driven YouTube downloading with predictable file organization. It prioritizes a simple deployment model and interoperability with existing media workflows.

4.4kstars
112forks
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#5
YoutubeDL-Material

YoutubeDL-Material

Self-hosted web interface for managing video/audio downloads using youtube-dl, with a Material Design UI, queue management, and an optional public API.

YoutubeDL-Material is a self-hosted web application that provides a modern Material Design interface for downloading and managing video and audio via youtube-dl. It combines an Angular frontend with a Node.js backend and can run as a standard Node app or via Docker.

Key Features

  • Material Design web UI with light/dark themes
  • Download management for video/audio with progress and history
  • Server-side processing that can use common helpers such as FFmpeg
  • Optional MongoDB database backend for improved scaling over JSON-based storage
  • Public REST API with API key support (can be enabled in settings)
  • Docker and Docker Compose deployment support

Use Cases

  • Centralized media downloading tool for a home server or NAS
  • Managing larger download libraries with a database-backed catalog
  • Automating downloads or integrating with other tools through the public API

Limitations and Considerations

  • Functionality depends on external download tools (for example youtube-dl) and their ongoing compatibility with target sites
  • Some advanced post-processing features may require optional system dependencies (for example FFmpeg)

YoutubeDL-Material is well-suited for users who want a browser-based downloader with a clean UI, queue/history management, and optional API/database features for more advanced setups.

3.1kstars
327forks
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#6
TubeSync

TubeSync

TubeSync is a YouTube PVR that automatically indexes channels or playlists, downloads new videos, and updates Plex or Jellyfin with organized local media.

TubeSync screenshot

TubeSync is a personal video recorder (PVR) for YouTube that continuously syncs channels and playlists to local storage. It wraps yt-dlp and FFmpeg behind a simple web interface and scheduled task system, aiming for a hands-off “set and forget” workflow.

Key Features

  • Monitors YouTube channels and playlists on a schedule and downloads new media automatically
  • Separates audio-only and video media into dedicated folders for cleaner library organization
  • Integrates with Plex and Jellyfin to refresh libraries after downloads complete
  • Flexible format/quality selection driven by yt-dlp, with FFmpeg handling media processing
  • Automatic retries with back-off timers for improved reliability during temporary failures
  • Web-based administration UI, with optional basic HTTP authentication via environment variables

Use Cases

  • Build a local, offline-accessible library of favorite YouTube channels in Plex or Jellyfin
  • Archive playlists (e.g., educational series or music) with consistent quality settings
  • Run a lightweight YouTube “Sonarr-like” workflow for households or homelab media servers

Limitations and Considerations

  • Focused on recurring channel/playlist syncing; it is not designed for one-off single video downloads
  • Indexing very large channels too frequently can cause excessive crawling and may lead to throttling
  • The web UI is intentionally minimal and avoids JavaScript, so it does not provide a download progress bar

TubeSync is well-suited for users who want automated, repeatable YouTube downloads with media-server integration. It emphasizes scheduling, reliable retries, and predictable file organization to keep libraries up to date with minimal manual effort.

2.6kstars
147forks
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#7
Ganymede

Ganymede

Self-hosted platform to archive Twitch VODs and live streams with real-time chat playback, rendered chat exports, playlists, and channel watching automation.

Ganymede screenshot

Ganymede is a self-hosted archiving platform for Twitch VODs and live streams. It downloads video and chat, provides a real-time chat playback experience, and generates a rendered chat output alongside each archive. Archives are stored in a simple, portable file structure intended to remain usable outside the application.

Key Features

  • Archive Twitch VODs and ongoing live streams
  • Real-time chat playback synchronized with video
  • Rendered chat export for viewing independently of the web UI
  • Watch channels for automatic archiving with filtering options
  • Video and chat processing controls, including custom FFmpeg parameters
  • User, channel, and VOD management with progress saving and playlists
  • Recoverable queue system for downloads and processing jobs
  • Optional SSO via OAuth/OpenID Connect, plus local user management
  • Webhook notifications for events

Use Cases

  • Long-term preservation of Twitch channels, streams, and associated chat
  • Building a personal or community on-prem media archive with metadata and playback
  • Automating stream capture and post-processing workflows for creators

Limitations and Considerations

  • Twitch API credentials are required to download VODs/live streams
  • Storage and bandwidth requirements can be significant for large archives

Ganymede suits homelab and archival-focused setups that want reliable Twitch capture plus a high-fidelity chat replay experience. Its portable output structure and configurable processing make it practical for long-term retention and external playback.

905stars
53forks
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#8
RapidBay

RapidBay

RapidBay is a self-hosted torrent video streaming service that searches via Jackett, streams selected files in-browser, downloads subtitles, and supports Chromecast, Apple TV, and Kodi.

RapidBay is a self-hosted torrent streaming web app that lets you search for torrents, select a specific video file, and then download and transcode it into a format playable in browsers and on casting devices. It integrates with common indexer backends and automates subtitles and media conversion to make torrent playback feel like a simple streaming experience.

Key Features

  • Torrent search via Jackett as the indexer/search backend
  • Select individual files within a torrent for streaming
  • Automatic video and subtitle transcoding for broad device/browser compatibility
  • Automatic audio conversion to AAC when needed for browser playback
  • Automatic closed captions/subtitle download (OpenSubtitles support)
  • Magnet link handling (can register RapidBay as a magnet link handler)
  • Automatic disk cleanup to reclaim storage
  • Kodi support (usable as a frontend)

Use Cases

  • Stream torrent-based video to a browser, Chromecast, or Apple TV without managing local players
  • Run a lightweight “torrent-to-stream” service on a server or VPS for personal media access
  • Use Kodi as a living-room frontend while RapidBay handles downloading and transcoding

Limitations and Considerations

  • Requires a running Jackett instance for torrent search
  • Subtitles integration may require OpenSubtitles credentials depending on configuration

RapidBay is best suited for users who want an automated torrent streaming workflow with transcoding, subtitle handling, and casting support. It focuses on simplifying playback rather than acting as a full media library manager.

811stars
54forks
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#9
YTPTube

YTPTube

Self-hosted web interface for yt-dlp to download videos, playlists, channels and live streams with queues, presets, scheduling, notifications and a built-in player.

YTPTube is a web-based GUI built around yt-dlp to simplify downloading and managing media from many video platforms. It focuses on queued and concurrent downloads, automation via schedules, and a UI that works for both technical and non-technical users.

Key Features

  • Concurrent downloads with per-extractor and global limits
  • Download support for single videos, playlists, channels, and live/upcoming streams
  • Scheduling for automatic downloads (including monitoring sources via custom feeds)
  • Presets system to apply reusable yt-dlp options, plus per-link overrides
  • Notifications for download events (including Apprise targets)
  • Built-in video player with support for sidecar external subtitles (ffmpeg required in non-Docker setups)
  • Simple file browser to navigate downloaded content
  • Basic authentication
  • Optional integrations for Cloudflare challenges (via FlareSolverr) and yt-dlp impersonation helpers (Docker-focused)

Use Cases

  • Personal media archiving of channels, playlists, and periodic uploads
  • Automated fetching of live streams or scheduled content drops
  • Home server “download box” with presets tailored for media server ingestion

Limitations and Considerations

  • Some functionality is Docker-focused (for example automatic yt-dlp/pip updates and certain bundled helpers)
  • The built-in player subtitle support may require ffmpeg availability depending on installation method

YTPTube is a practical companion to yt-dlp when you want a browser-based workflow, download automation, and repeatable presets. It is well-suited for homelabs and personal servers where multiple downloads and scheduled jobs are required.

787stars
22forks
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#10
HomeTube

HomeTube

Self-hosted web interface to download videos and playlists via yt-dlp, process them, and auto-organize into Plex/Jellyfin-ready folders.

HomeTube is a self-hosted web app that helps you download single videos or playlists from many supported sites and organize them into a media-server-friendly library structure. It is designed for homelabs where downloads should land directly in folders scanned by Plex, Jellyfin, or similar tools.

Key Features

  • Web-based UI to download individual videos and playlists
  • Playlist synchronization with ID-based tracking to handle renames and reordering
  • Automatic organization and configurable destination folder structures
  • SponsorBlock integration to skip or mark sponsor/ads segments on supported sources
  • Cookie-based authentication support for improved reliability and access to restricted content
  • Advanced processing options such as clipping, format conversion, subtitle embedding, and audio extraction
  • Quality selection strategies with modern codec prioritization and fallback profiles
  • Support for custom yt-dlp arguments and network options (for example proxies and rate limits)

Use Cases

  • Build a personal, curated offline video library managed by Plex or Jellyfin
  • Keep educational or reference playlists mirrored locally with incremental updates
  • Download and post-process videos (clip, convert, add subtitles) for archiving or playback

Limitations and Considerations

  • Download reliability and available formats depend on upstream platforms and often require cookies for best results
  • Sponsor skipping/marking depends on community-provided SponsorBlock segments and is primarily effective for YouTube

HomeTube is a practical tool for homelabs that want a simple UI on top of yt-dlp with strong library organization and playlist tracking. It fits well when you want downloads to be automatically placed and named for seamless media server ingestion.

591stars
23forks
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#11
Trailarr

Trailarr

Tool to discover, download, convert and organize trailers for Radarr and Sonarr-managed media libraries, with a FastAPI backend and Angular UI.

Trailarr is an application that discovers, downloads, converts and organizes trailers for media managed by Radarr and Sonarr. It integrates with multiple instances, follows common media naming conventions, and provides a responsive UI to review and manage trailer files.

Key Features

  • Manages multiple Radarr and Sonarr instances to locate media and associated trailers
  • Detects existing trailers and avoids duplicates
  • Downloads trailers using yt-dlp and processes them with ffmpeg (conversion and trimming)
  • Organizes trailers in media folders following Plex/Emby/Jellyfin naming conventions
  • Customizable profiles for quality, filters and download behavior (including wait times)
  • Responsive Angular frontend for browsing media and managing trailer tasks
  • FastAPI backend with an ASGI server for API-driven operations
  • Docker-based deployment with optional hardware acceleration (VAAPI) for faster transcoding

Use Cases

  • Populate trailers for a Plex, Emby or Jellyfin library managed by Radarr/Sonarr
  • Automatically download and convert trailers for newly added movies or episodes
  • Maintain consistent trailer file naming and formats across multiple media servers

Limitations and Considerations

  • Plex integration for sending notifications and triggering scans is planned but not currently implemented
  • Hardware acceleration support depends on host GPU and driver support (VAAPI for Intel/AMD only)
  • Path mappings and permissions can require manual configuration when containers and media hosts differ

Trailarr is suited for users who want automated, configurable trailer management tightly integrated with Radarr and Sonarr. It focuses on reliability of downloads, file organization, and lightweight processing rather than media server functionality.

332stars
18forks
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#12
youtube-dl-server

youtube-dl-server

Self-hosted web and REST interface for downloading videos from YouTube and other sites using yt-dlp or youtube-dl; provides Docker images, configurable profiles, and filesystem output.

A lightweight web and REST frontend for yt-dlp / youtube-dl that runs on a server and saves downloaded media to the host filesystem. It provides both a browser UI and an API for triggering and managing downloads, and is commonly deployed via Docker.

Key Features

  • Web-based user interface plus a REST API for programmatic downloads and integration
  • Supports yt-dlp or legacy youtube-dl backends for broad site support
  • Docker image and docker-compose examples for easy deployment; can also run directly with Python
  • Configurable via a YAML config file including global options, cache and output paths, and a metadata DB path
  • Profiles support to define reusable download option sets (format, audio extraction, output directories, etc.)
  • Saves downloaded files to a host-mounted directory and stores metadata in a local database (configurable path)
  • Bookmarklet and simple curl/fetch examples for one-click or scripted submissions
  • Frontend implemented with a JavaScript framework alongside a Python ASGI backend

Use Cases

  • Centralized server for archiving YouTube videos, podcasts, lectures, and playlists
  • Triggering downloads from other services or browser bookmarklets via the REST API
  • Running scheduled or bulk downloads in a containerized environment with configurable profiles

Limitations and Considerations

  • The project does not bundle HTTPS termination; it is intended to be placed behind a reverse proxy for TLS
  • Upstream youtube-dl releases may be outdated; using yt-dlp is recommended for better site compatibility
  • Some format conversions and audio extraction require external tools such as ffmpeg to be available
  • No built-in authentication or access-control features are documented, so deploy behind an authenticated proxy for public access

In summary, youtube-dl-server provides a simple, Docker-friendly web and API front end to yt-dlp/youtube-dl for managing server-side downloads. It is configuration-driven with profiles and is suitable for automating or centralizing media downloads on a server.

306stars
33forks
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#13
ChannelTube

ChannelTube

Fetch and synchronize video or audio from YouTube channels on a schedule using yt-dlp. Runs in Docker and can trigger Plex/Jellyfin library scans.

ChannelTube is a lightweight service for synchronizing and fetching content from YouTube channels using yt-dlp. It provides a web-configurable scheduler and download pipeline to keep a local collection of videos or audio up to date.

Key Features

  • Scheduled sync by hour list (comma-separated hours) with a small scheduling deadband
  • Uses yt-dlp to download video or audio formats with configurable format IDs and fallback codecs
  • Options for subtitles handling (none, embed, external) and selectable subtitle languages
  • Supports cookies file for authenticated/restricted content
  • Docker image and docker-compose support for easy deployment
  • Configurable runtime options: user/group IDs, thread limit, defer hours, include video ID in filenames, verbose logging
  • Optional media server integration: trigger library scans for Plex and Jellyfin after downloads

Use Cases

  • Maintain a local archive of one or more YouTube channels for offline viewing or backup
  • Automatically fetch new uploads and populate a Plex or Jellyfin library for home media servers
  • Extract audio from channel uploads for podcasting or offline listening

Limitations and Considerations

  • Functionality and site compatibility depend on yt-dlp; updates to yt-dlp may be required for continued compatibility
  • May require cookies or authenticated sessions for age-restricted or private content
  • Not a transcoding pipeline; downloaded formats depend on yt-dlp/ffmpeg availability and configured format IDs
  • Scheduling has a noted deadband of up to ~10 minutes from the scheduled start time

ChannelTube is suited for users who want an automated, deployable tool to pull channel content and integrate it into local media workflows. It focuses on reliable fetching and simple media-server integration rather than advanced transcoding or metadata enrichment.

279stars
19forks
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#14
ydl_api_ng

ydl_api_ng

Self-hosted HTTP API wrapping yt-dlp for automated video/audio downloads, presets, queue management, hooks and scheduled recordings.

ydl_api_ng is a Python-based HTTP API that exposes yt-dlp functionality for automated downloading and processing of online media. It provides preset-driven configurations, a queue system, optional Redis-backed scheduling, and browser integration via a userscript.

Key Features

  • REST API to enqueue and manage downloads with preset parameter files
  • Full compatibility with yt-dlp options through a flexible parameter system
  • Presets and parameter metadata files generated for easy customization
  • Queue management with optional Redis backend for worker coordination
  • Programmation (scheduling) system for recurring or timed recordings (requires Redis)
  • Hooks for progress and postprocessing to run custom Python scripts during downloads
  • Docker and docker-compose support plus a systemd service file for non-container deployments
  • Browser userscript to trigger downloads from visited pages and integrate presets
  • Configurable UID/GID for filesystem permissions and volume mappings for downloads, params and logs

Use Cases

  • Archive channels, playlists, or livestreams on a schedule for media preservation
  • Provide an internal API for on-demand media downloads and format extraction for other services
  • Integrate browser-based download buttons for team members via the provided userscript

Limitations and Considerations

  • Scheduling/programmation features require Redis to be enabled; without Redis scheduling is not available
  • Precise start times for scheduled jobs have a small known timing drift (about -1 minute tolerance)
  • Many postprocessing features depend on external tools (for example, ffmpeg) and a compatible yt-dlp installation
  • User management is disabled by default; enabling token-based access requires additional configuration

ydl_api_ng is suited for self-hosted environments where automated, configurable media acquisition is required. It emphasizes scriptable presets, extensibility via hooks, and production-ready deployment options via Docker or systemd.

226stars
26forks
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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