Overview
SRS (Simple Realtime Server) is a high-performance, low-latency streaming media server written in C++. It supports RTMP, WebRTC, HLS, HTTP-FLV, and SRT protocols, making it suitable for live broadcasting, video conferencing, and CDN edge nodes. The project ships as a Docker image and includes a web console for stream management. It is widely used in China for production live-streaming infrastructure.
Where it falls short of Plex
- No built-in media library or VOD management; primarily focused on live ingest and relay.
- English documentation is limited compared to the Chinese-language docs.
- Lacks a polished end-user playback UI; requires pairing with a separate frontend.
- No DRM or subscription/paywall features for commercial content delivery.
We list the gaps honestly so you can decide if the trade-off is worth owning your data.
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