MediaMTX vs SRS
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A single-file server that receives, converts, and relays live video and audio streams.
Open source · MIT
A real-time media server that receives and delivers live video over many streaming protocols.
The short answer
Choose MediaMTX if you need…
- People routing IP camera streams to viewers in a browser or media player
- Streamers who want to send one stream to several protocols or destinations
- Developers who need a local test server for RTSP, RTMP or WebRTC streams
- Users who want to record live streams to disk in fMP4 or MPEG-TS
Choose SRS if you need…
- Developers building live streaming backends that need several delivery protocols
- Teams that want to convert between RTMP and WebRTC streams
- People hosting their own low-latency live video service
- Users who can run a server with Docker and follow a getting-started guide
Side-by-side
| MediaMTX | SRS | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 20.6k | 29.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Download the app | Run with Docker |
| Main language | Go | C++ |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 7 days ago |
What each one is
MediaMTX
MediaMTX is a live media server and proxy that accepts video and audio streams over many protocols, such as RTSP, RTMP, WebRTC, SRT and HLS, and passes them on in other formats. It can also record streams to disk and play them back. It is described as a single executable with no dependencies, which is why people use it as a simple hub between cameras, encoders and viewers.
SRS
SRS is a server that receives live video and audio streams and sends them out to viewers in the formats they need. It supports protocols such as RTMP, WebRTC, HLS, HTTP-FLV, and SRT, so a broadcaster can publish one stream and many kinds of players can watch it. The README describes it as open source under the MIT license.
Best for
MediaMTX
- People routing IP camera streams to viewers in a browser or media player
- Streamers who want to send one stream to several protocols or destinations
- Developers who need a local test server for RTSP, RTMP or WebRTC streams
- Users who want to record live streams to disk in fMP4 or MPEG-TS
SRS
- Developers building live streaming backends that need several delivery protocols
- Teams that want to convert between RTMP and WebRTC streams
- People hosting their own low-latency live video service
- Users who can run a server with Docker and follow a getting-started guide
Strengths
MediaMTX
- Supports many streaming protocols in one program, with automatic conversion between them
- Ships as a single executable for Linux, Windows and macOS with no required dependencies
- Offers configuration reload without disconnecting existing clients
SRS
- The README lists support for many streaming protocols and codecs in one server
- Docker quick start is provided, which makes a first test relatively simple
- Released under the MIT license with a regularly updated release history
Not ideal for
MediaMTX
- Users who want a hosted service with no server to run, since this is self-hosted software
- Anyone needing a full-featured video editing or transcoding pipeline, as the README describes routing and proxying rather than editing
- Beginners with no interest in network ports, configuration files or protocols, because setup assumes familiarity with streaming concepts
SRS
- People who only want to watch or stream casually with no server setup, since a server must be run and configured
- Beginners looking for a point-and-click tool, because the README is aimed at operators comfortable with the command line and networking
Trade-offs
MediaMTX
- Configuration covers many protocols and options, so the learning curve can be steep for newcomers
- The README is truncated here, so detailed limits and performance figures are not confirmed in this entry
- Being a media server, it needs network access and appropriate firewall or port setup to be useful
SRS
- Configuration and production deployment details are in external docs, not fully covered in the README
- The README mixes version references (v5, v6, v7, v8), so users should confirm which version to use
- Some features and integrations depend on the wiki and external documentation rather than this README
Getting started
MediaMTX
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bluenviron/mediamtxSRS
Run SRS with Docker
docker run --rm -it -p 1935:1935 -p 1985:1985 -p 8080:8080 -p 8000:8000/udp -p 10080:10080/udp ossrs/srs:6Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MediaMTX and SRS?
MediaMTX: A single-file server that receives, converts, and relays live video and audio streams. SRS: A real-time media server that receives and delivers live video over many streaming protocols. MediaMTX suits people routing ip camera streams to viewers in a browser or media player, while SRS suits developers building live streaming backends that need several delivery protocols.
Are MediaMTX and SRS free?
MediaMTX: Free and open source. SRS: Free and open source.
Is MediaMTX or SRS more popular?
SRS has more GitHub stars (29.4k) than MediaMTX (20.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to MediaMTX and SRS?
Other options people compare them with include go2rtc, Owncast, livego, WebTorrent Desktop.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.