SRS

A real-time media server for live streaming over RTMP, WebRTC, HLS, HTTP-FLV, SRT, MPEG-DASH and GB28181, running on Linux, macOS and Windows.

29.4k stars, 5.7k forks C++ On GitHub since April 2015

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is SRS?

SRS (Simple Realtime Server) takes in live video from tools like OBS or FFmpeg and serves it to players in other protocols, for example RTMP in and HLS, HTTP-FLV or WebRTC out. It handles H.264, H.265, AV1, VP9, AAC, Opus and G.711, and runs on x86-64, ARM, Apple silicon, RISC-V, LoongArch and MIPS. Documentation covers clustering, an HTTP API, DVR recording and transcoding. The recommended start is a Docker container with a test page on port 8080.

Good fit if

  • You run your own live streaming or low-latency video and want to avoid per-minute fees of a hosted service.
  • You need to bridge between RTMP, SRT, WebRTC and HLS or connect GB28181 cameras.

Look elsewhere if

  • You mainly relay IP camera streams and want a single small binary: MediaMTX.
  • You want a personal library for films and shows rather than live streaming: Jellyfin.

Before you adopt it

SRS is MIT. In June 2022 the project dropped its dual MIT or MulanPSL-2.0 terms and kept only MIT; some bundled third-party libraries have their own licenses. Nothing in the repository is paid. Its founder, Winlin, writes most of the recent code, with a small group of maintainers covering WebRTC, SRT and GB28181. Documentation exists in English and Chinese.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 31 October 2026. Report a correction

SRS health: is it still maintained?

74 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    70 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 31 October 2026.
    22 / 30
  • Contributors
    10 people wrote the 70 commits of the last 90 days; the most active wrote 84% of them.
    14 / 20
  • Releases
    5 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v6.0-r3, on 31 October 2026.
    16 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 82% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 3 days.
    16 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 6.2 of 10.
    6 / 10

Read from GitHub on 3 November 2026. How the score works

SRS license: is it open source?

SRS uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. April 2015First published on GitHub under MIT or MulanPSL-2.0.
  2. 17 June 2022Changed to MIT. Commit: Refine licence as main LICENSE and DUAL.
  3. TodayMIT.

How to run SRS yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: ossrs.io or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to SRS

  • MediaMTXReady-to-use Media-over-QUIC / SRT / WebRTC / RTSP / RTMP / LL-HLS / MPEG-TS / RTP live media server and… 80 health · MIT · 20.6k stars
  • KodiKodi is an award-winning free and open source home theater/media center software and entertainment hub for… 71 health · GPL-2.0 · 21.4k stars
  • NavidromeYour Personal Streaming Service 85 health · GPL-3.0 · 24.5k stars
  • InvidiousInvidious is an alternative front-end to YouTube 76 health · AGPL-3.0 · 25.8k stars
  • JellyfinThe Free Software Media System - Server Backend & API 94 health · GPL-2.0 · 59k stars

All 8 projects in Media servers & streaming

Questions about SRS

Is SRS open source?

Yes. SRS is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is SRS still maintained?

Its health score is 74 of 100 (actively developed). It had 70 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 31 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 31 October 2026.

Did SRS change its license?

Yes. It moved from MIT or MulanPSL-2.0 to MIT on 17 June 2022.

How do I run SRS?

You can run it with Docker. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to SRS?

Close alternatives in the Media servers & streaming category include MediaMTX, Kodi, Navidrome.