Pinchflat — Self-Hosted, Open-Source

Features

• Self-contained - just one Docker container with no external dependencies
• Powerful naming system so content is stored where and how you want it
• Easy-to-use web interface with presets to get you started right away
• First-class support for media center apps like Plex, Jellyfin, and Kodi (docs)
• Supports serving RSS feeds to your favourite podcast app (docs)
• Automatically downloads new content from channels and playlists
• Uses a novel approach to download new content more quickly than other apps
• Supports downloading audio content
• Custom rules for handling YouTube Shorts and livestreams
• Apprise support for notifications

Installation

version: '3' services: pinchflat: image: ghcr.io/kieraneglin/pinchflat:latest environment: # Set the timezone to your local timezone - TZ=America/New_York ports: - '8945:8945' volumes: - /host/path/to/config:/config - /host/path/to/downloads:/downloads

Why self-host Pinchflat

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.

What hardware do you need

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 Pinchflat. Storage requirements depend on the kind of data you keep; check the README for guidance on data retention.

Where to go from here

• Browse the full self-hosted app directory
• Compare self-hosted alternatives side-by-side
• DevOps roadmap — learn the skills to run your own server