The integrated answer to the self-hosting trade-off.
Until now the choice has been a polished server that paywalls the essentials, a free one you assemble yourself, or a very good local player that isn't a server at all. Quven is meant to cover what each of those does well, in one product.
The trade-off today
Three common ways to run your own media, and what each one asks you to give up.
The polished, paywalled server
Well-made native apps, but reaching your library from outside, and on some platforms hardware transcoding, sit behind a subscription, and the core is closed.
The free, do-it-yourself server
Free and open. You assemble and maintain everything yourself, the clients vary a lot between devices, and there's no zero-configuration way to reach it from outside.
The excellent local player
Very good local playback on one machine, but it's a player and not a server: no multi-user sync, no remote access, and each device has to be set up by hand.
Where Quven lands
Free for home use, polished on every screen, and one product from server to player.
Free for home use
The complete local playback experience is free for home use. Paid tiers add managed services and clearly marked premium tools, and the free floor listed on the plans page stays where it is.
Native playback on every screen
The native clients handle full-fidelity playback and hardware decoding; the web client covers the devices where a browser is the practical choice.
One integrated platform
The account, the profiles and the servers work as one system, so watchlists and progress follow you, and the media stays on your own hardware.
Reachable on your terms
Self-hosted remote with your own network setup is free. The zero-config managed relay is the only remote feature that is paid.
No DRM, no lock-in
No per-seat fees, no device limits and no DRM, and your library and your account stay yours.
Side by side
How the approaches compare on the things that decide it.
| Capability | Quven | Closed servers | Open servers | Local players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free for home use | Yes | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Native-first premium playback | Yes | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Free self-hosted remote (your own network) | Yes | Limited | Yes | No |
| Zero-config managed remote relay | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Multi-user with synced watch state | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Hardware transcoding without a paywall | Yes | Limited | Yes | No |
| Writes a subtitle from the audio, on your own server | Yes | No | No | No |
| Integrated account, profiles & servers | Yes | Yes | Limited | No |
| No DRM, no per-seat fees | Yes | Limited | Yes | Yes |
Bring your library home.
Free for home use and yours to run on your own hardware. Install it in minutes.