Tool profile
Gerbera: cost, fit and limits
Gerbera is a free UPnP media server built by the Gerbera project on top of MediaTomb 0.12.1 that makes music, video and pictures on your computer available to televisions, game consoles and phones on your home network.
What to know first
Gerbera is a small, free UPnP server for a home network. The homepage says it works with TVs, PlayStations and Android and iOS phones and tablets, can transcode on the fly when enabled, extracts music metadata and lets you define the collection layout in JavaScript. It was built on MediaTomb 0.12.1, and the homepage listed version 3.3.0 as current. The site shows no pricing page and no AI feature.
Gerbera at a glance
| Maker | Gerbera project (no company named), Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | Free |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Media Server Software in 2026, rank 13 of 13 |
| Website | gerbera.io |
Who Gerbera is best for
Home users with UPnP televisions
A UPnP server reaches televisions and consoles that have no streaming apps, which suits a household with a mixed set of older devices.
Technical users who script layouts
Collection layouts can be defined with JavaScript, so someone comfortable with code can arrange files by artist, year or any other rule.
People who want a minimal install
The product is a plain server with optional transcoding and automatic music metadata, with no accounts, store or subscription involved.
Gerbera plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Gerbera media server | Free | A free media server according to the homepage; the site shows no pricing page and lists no paid tier. |
Checked November 2026.
What Gerbera does
- Home network streaming
- Gerbera works with TVs, PlayStations, Android and iOS phones and tablets on the home network, so most living-room devices can browse its library, and it needs no vendor account to do so.
- Optional transcoding
- Transcoding converts media on the fly to a format the device supports, but it is optional and has to be enabled before it takes effect.
- Metadata extraction
- Metadata from music files is extracted automatically, which means artist, album and track details appear without manual entry for tagged collections, saving a manual cataloging step for well-tagged collections.
- JavaScript layouts
- The collection layout can be defined with JavaScript, with a default layout otherwise, so tinkerers can sort the library any way they like, so the default layout is the starting point.
- Compatibility list and docs
- A compatibility page and documentation at docs.gerbera.io list supported devices and settings, which helps when a television does not browse as expected, which helps when a television does not browse as expected.
How Gerbera handles your data
Gerbera streams media to devices on your home network, according to the homepage, so files, metadata and access stay on the machine that runs it. The pages we read name the Gerbera project with no company and state no retention period, no certifications and no policy on training models, so the vendor's policy was not checked for those points. No accounts or vendor cloud are described. Network exposure is up to you, because UPnP is designed for trusted home networks rather than the open internet.
Where Gerbera falls short in practice
- Transcoding is opt-in. Transcoding is optional and has to be enabled, so a television that cannot play a file natively will fail until you configure conversion yourself, and the pages we read give no codec list.
- Scripting for custom layouts. Custom collection layouts need JavaScript, which is a hurdle for non-programmers, although a default layout is available if you do not want to write code.
- No apps or AI named. The homepage names no apps of its own, no user accounts and no AI feature, so it is a plain server rather than a full media center.
Works with
Alternatives to Gerbera
Gerbera: common questions
Is Gerbera free?
Yes. The homepage describes Gerbera as a free media server, and no pricing page appeared on the site. You pay only for the computer that hosts it and the storage for your files. The pages we read mention no paid tier, support plan or hosted service.
What is Gerbera built on?
The homepage says Gerbera is built upon MediaTomb 0.12.1, an older UPnP media server project. The homepage listed version 3.3.0 as the current release when we read it. Check the project documentation at docs.gerbera.io for how current releases handle transcoding and layouts.
Which devices work with Gerbera?
The homepage lists TVs, PlayStations and Android and iOS phones and tablets on the home network, and a compatible page lists more. Because it uses UPnP, many televisions and consoles that browse UPnP servers should see it. Test with your own devices because behavior varies by model.
Does Gerbera transcode media?
Yes, optionally. The homepage says transcoding converts media on the fly to a format the device supports, but it has to be enabled. Transcoding uses the processor of the host computer, so choose hardware that can handle the streams you plan to run together.
Does Gerbera include AI features?
The pages we read name none. Gerbera extracts music metadata automatically from file tags and lets you script the collection layout, but it does not describe recommendations, AI search or generated playlists. If you want those, look at Volumio for music or another server.