Media-servers

Turn Any Device into a Media Hub: 17 Free Open-Source DLNA Servers

Hazem Abbas

Dec 17, 2024 — 8 min read

A DLNA/UPnP Media Server is your personal entertainment helper that lets you share videos, music, and photos between devices in your home.

It's like having an invisible connection that links your computer, TV, phone, and other smart devices together over your home network.

Why you may need a DLNA Server?

Instead of copying files back and forth or plugging in cables, you can simply stream your media wherever you want it. Your computer becomes a central entertainment hub, sharing all your content with other devices automatically.

Want to watch a movie stored on your computer? Just play it on your TV.

Feel like listening to music? Stream it to any speaker in your house.

The real magic happens behind the scenes. Your devices can find each other automatically and work together seamlessly.

Plus, the server is smart enough to convert your files when needed, so everything plays smoothly on any device.

The best part is that setting up a DLNA/ UPnP server is usually free and works with most modern devices.

Whether you have a small apartment with just a few devices or a large home with entertainment systems in every room, it adapts to your needs.

Simply put, it's the easiest way to create your own home entertainment network where all your media is available whenever and wherever you want it.

No hassle, no fuss – just easy access to all your favorite content throughout your home.

1- Digital Media Server

Digital Media Server is a DLNA-compatible UPnP AV media server that streams videos, music, and photos to DLNA-capable devices. Built on PS3 Media Server and Universal Media Server, it ensures seamless media sharing.

2- Gerbera

Gerbera is a UPnP media server which allows you to stream your digital media through your home network and consume it on a variety of UPnP compatible devices.

Features

Browse and playback your media via your network on all kinds of devices.
Web UI with a tree view of the database and the file system, allowing to add/remove/edit/browse your media
Metadata extraction from MP3, OGG, AAC, M4A, FLAC, wavpack, JPG (and many more!) files.
Media thumbnail support
Highly flexible media format transcoding via plugins / scripts
Automatic directory rescans (timed, inotify)
User defined server layout based on extracted metadata
Supports last.fm scrobbling
On the fly video thumbnail generation
Support for external URLs (create links to internet content and serve them via UPnP to your renderer)
Runs on Linux, BSD, macOS, and more!
Runs on x86, ARM, MIPS, and more!

3- Universal Media Server

Universal Media Server is a DLNA, UPnP and HTTP/S Media Server. It is capable of sharing video, audio and images between most modern devices. It was originally based on PS3 Media Server by shagrath, in order to ensure greater stability and file-compatibility.

Universal Media Server supports all major operating systems, with versions for Windows, Linux and macOS. The program streams or transcodes many different media formats with little or no configuration.

It is powered by FFmpeg, MediaInfo, OpenSubtitles, Crowdin, MEncoder, tsMuxeR, AviSynth, VLC and more, which combine to offer support for a wide range of media formats.

4- ReadyMedia

ReadyMedia (formerly known as MiniDLNA) is a simple media server software, with the aim of being fully compliant with DLNA/UPnP-AV clients.

It was originally developed by a NETGEAR employee for the ReadyNAS product line.

5- PS3 Media Server

PS3 Media Server is a DLNA-compliant UPnP media server originally designed for the PlayStation 3 but now compatible with various media devices, including smartphones, TVs, and music players. Written in Java, it works across Windows, Linux, and macOS.

The server streams or transcodes numerous media formats with minimal setup, leveraging tools like MEncoder, FFmpeg, tsMuxeR, and AviSynth for broad format support.

6- Home Media Center

Home Media Center is a server application for UPnP/DLNA-compatible devices, enabling media streaming and transcoding. It supports media files, Windows desktop streaming, and webcam video.

Developed in C# and C++, it utilizes DirectShow and Media Foundation for seamless media delivery.

7- phpdlna

php-dlna is a lightweight UPnP/DLNA media server designed to leverage your existing web server, such as Apache or NGINX, as a DLNA hub. Unlike traditional media servers, it eliminates the need for an additional HTTP server by handling UPnP discovery via a small UDP client and routing requests to a PHP script.

While flexible and efficient, it requires manual setup, including compiling code and configuring a web server, making it ideal for advanced users already running a web server. For simpler setups, alternatives like PS3 Media Server or ReadyMedia are recommended.

Features

Basic UPnP / DLNA media sharing
Title & icon supported out-of-box (various other meta data can be added easily)
Stateless
No database - all media files are read in place

8- MediaToad

MediaToad is a lightweight media server packaged as a single Java (JAR) file. It automatically indexes media in the working directory on startup, making it accessible via a web interface (default port 8192) and DLNA.

Optional features, such as user management and media tagging, can be enabled using command-line flags. Simple yet versatile, MediaToad is ideal for quick media sharing with minimal setup.

9- LXiMedia

LXiMedia is a free DLNA compatible, fully transcoding, media server designed for serving media (movies, TV shows, music, photos) to DLNA compliant televisions and media players (Streamium, PS3, XBox 360).

Also subtitles and audio language selection are supported.

10- JustDLNA

JustDLNA is a straightforward, open-source UPnP/DLNA service designed to make sharing media over a local network as simple as possible. Unlike other over-engineered solutions, JustDLNA focuses on ease of use and minimal complexity, delivering a no-fuss way to stream your media effortlessly.

It is perfect for those who value simplicity in setting up a media server.

11- SimpleDLNA

SimpleDLNA is yet another user-friendly and lightweight UPnP/ DLNA media server that makes streaming your media effortless.

It is designed for simplicity, it helps you share and enjoy your favorite videos, music, and photos across your devices with minimal setup and hassle.

12- nano-dlna

nano-dlna is a minimal command line tool that allows you to play a local video file in your TV (or any other DLNA compatible device).

13- dms

dms is a terminal-based UPnP/DLNA media server that makes sharing content from your filesystem easy.

It supports raw files, transcoded streams (like MPEG2 and WebM for Chromecast), and generates thumbnails for easier browsing.

With optional dynamic streams and integration with tools like FFmpeg, it’s a powerful, lightweight solution for streaming media to your devices.

It can be easily installed using Docker.

14- upnpserver

UpnpServer is a fast and light UPnP server written in NodeJS. This version does not need an external database (mysql, mongodb), it stores all information in memory.

15- Cohen

Cohen is a DLNA/UPnP Media Server written in Python (v2), providing several UPnP MediaServers and MediaRenderers to make simple publishing and streaming different types of media content to your network.

It supports several TV systems, PS3, PS4, XBox 360/ ONE, Sony TV, and Live Media Players. It also supports streaming from YouTube, Local File Storage, YouTube, and Twitch.

16- Cohen3

Cohen3 Framework is a Python 3-based DLNA/UPnP media server for publishing and streaming various media types over your network.

It’s the updated version of the original Python 2 Coherence Framework, providing MediaServers and MediaRenderers for easy media sharing.

If you're familiar with Coherence, you'll feel right at home with Cohen3!

17- Open Media Server

Open Media-Server is a simple and lightweight DLNA media server designed to stream your media files effortlessly across your network.

With an easy setup and user-friendly design, it lets you share videos, music, and photos from your system to any DLNA-compatible device. Perfect for home media enthusiasts looking for a hassle-free solution!.