⚙️ In order use your own cobalt instance, go to settings > instances > and toggle "use a custom processing server". Add http://umbrel.local:9013 as your server. cobalt is a powerful and intuitive media downloader built to simplify the process of saving your favorite content from the web. Designed for users who want to enjoy their media without the interruptions of ads, trackers, or paywalls, cobalt offers a streamlined experience. Whether you're downloading videos, music, images, or other types of media, cobalt acts as a proxy that fetches content directly from its source, ensuring a fast and seamless process. What sets cobalt apart is its commitment to user privacy and freedom. The tool doesn't cache content, so you're always downloading directly from the original source. It also avoids unnecessary distractions, like ads or third-party interference, letting you enjoy a cleaner, faster, and more reliable media retrieval process. cobalt is ideal for anyone who values simplicity and control over their media downloads. With its easy-to-use interface and efficient functionality, you can quickly retrieve and store content without the usual hassle. Whether you're an enthusiast collecting media or someone simply trying to access content without restrictions, cobalt makes it easy to download what you love, whenever you want.
cobalt is commonly used as a self-hosted alternative to yt-dlp, 4K Video Downloader. Replacing a SaaS tool with a self-hosted equivalent lets you avoid recurring subscription fees, keep full control of your data, and continue working even when the original vendor changes pricing, ships limits, or shuts down.
License: AGPL-3.0. Built with: Svelte, JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, HTML, Dockerfile. Website: https://cobalt.tools. Source: https://github.com/imputnet/cobalt.
Most self-hosted apps including cobalt install through Docker or Docker Compose. The typical workflow is: install Docker on your host, pull the official image (or clone the repository), supply a configuration file with database credentials and storage paths, then start the container. Many homelabbers run cobalt alongside other self-hosted services behind a reverse proxy like Caddy, Traefik, or nginx-proxy-manager for HTTPS and routing. Check the official repository for the most current instructions.
Self-hosting gives you three things SaaS can’t: data ownership (the files live on disks you control), cost predictability (a one-time setup vs. recurring per-seat fees that grow with your household or team), and longevity (open-source means the app keeps working even if the maintainers move on, since you can pin a working version). The trade-off is that you take on the operational work of running a server, applying updates, and handling backups.
Most self-hosted apps run comfortably on modest hardware — a Raspberry Pi 4, a mini PC, a NAS with Docker support, or a small VPS is usually enough for personal or family use. CPU and RAM requirements scale with how many simultaneous users or how much data you push through cobalt. Storage requirements depend on the kind of data you keep; check the README for guidance on data retention.