Your files. Beautifully together.
Bring your movies and TV out of their folders, with rich artwork, ordered seasons, and a library that stays up to date.
Your library.
Your kind of cinema.
A self-hosted media server for your movies and shows.
One beautiful place to make them yours.
Your files. Your server. Your evening.
A little escape for tonightSomewhere,
A window into your collectionSomewhere,
higher
Past the familiar paths, a different kind of adventure begins. A journey into the mountains, and the things we find along the way.
Good stories, on your terms.
Pick a title to exploreYour next movie night starts here. Add a title with “My watchlist” above.
Interactive illustration with sample titles
A collection worth coming home to
You bring the movies.
We’ll set the scene.
A personal media server should feel personal.
Crabitat puts your collection, and your evening, first.
A little more you.
Your watchlist, your progress, your next good watch. Separate accounts keep everyone’s place in the story.
At home on your server.
Your media stays where you put it. Crabitat keeps its own metadata and history, with support for read-only media folders.
Less looking. More watching.
From “what’s on?”
to “one more.”
The good part shouldn’t take so much finding. Settle back into a favorite, or discover something that’s been waiting in your library.
DiscoverUnder 90 minutesA little time. A great story.
Your evening,
sorted.
Into the green48m
Between tides1h 28m
After the light52mContinue watchingThere’s more to the story.
Welcome back.
Your people. Their own place.Make movie night your own.
A space for
every story.
JamieAdventure awaits
AlexOne more episode
SamSomething newMobile clientsiOS and Android
TV clientsOn the big screen
Crabitat TV layout with sample titles. Mobile client illustrated.
Your library, more ways to watch
Crabitat at heart.
Familiar on screen.
Bring your favorite mobile or TV client to your Crabitat library. Jellyfin-compatible apps on iOS, Android, and TV can share your collection, original-file playback, and viewing progress through the optional compatibility adapter.
- Movies, shows, seasons, and search
- Watchlists and progress shared with the web app
- One Crabitat account across supported clients
How client support works
Enable the optional adapter, add your server address manually, and sign in with your Crabitat account. Manage the server in Crabitat.
This is a compatibility preview for direct-play files. Client coverage is still being tested; transcoding, external subtitles, and Jellyfin seek-preview endpoints are not supported.
Read the compatibility notesBuilt in Rust. Made to keep up.
More collection.
Less waiting.
Crabitat checks what changed and leaves unchanged files alone. Artwork and metadata fill in in the background, while new titles appear in your library without a page refresh.
Incremental library scansLive catalogue updatesCached metadata and artwork
10,000 unchanged files. One warm rescan.
0.155seconds
Recorded structural scan on an Apple M2 with a local SSD. Metadata and artwork work excluded.
Behind the number
Release build, Apple M2, 8 GiB RAM, 14 October 2026. Warm results are medians of three runs over synthetic file fixtures, with providers and enrichment workers disabled.
| Unchanged files | Time |
|---|---|
| 10,000 | 0.155 s |
| 50,000 | 0.778 s |
| 100,000 | 1.554 s |
These results measure structural rescanning, not first-time library setup, artwork completion, or streaming speed. NAS disks, network storage, and background work change the result. This is not a Plex, Emby, or Jellyfin comparison.
See the measurement notesThe little things that make a movie night
Stay in the story.
Get to the good part.
Skip detected intros in the web and native TV players. Local audio analysis finds repeated openings without sending your audio online.
Intro detection is in preview.Find that moment.
See where you’re going with thumbnail previews on the web player’s timeline. Preview generation pauses to give playback priority.
Available after previews are generated.Let the evening unfold.
Move into the next episode with optional autoplay, saved progress, and controls that stay with you in full screen.
Autoplay is always your choice.A home of your own
Your next movie night
starts here.
Bring Crabitat to your own server.
Start small, explore the preview, make it yours.
1
Get the project
You’ll need Git, Rust 1.91+, and ffprobe.
git clone https://github.com/Blumenwagen/Crabitat.git
cd Crabitat
cargo run --locked2
Make it your server
Open localhost:8097. Use the setup token from the server log to create your administrator account.
3
Give your collection a home
Configure a media folder, add a library, and let Crabitat find your movies and shows.
1
Build your own image
Clone the repository, then run from its root.
docker build -t crabitat .
docker run --rm \
-p 127.0.0.1:8097:8097 \
-v crabitat-data:/data \
-v /path/to/media:/media:ro \
crabitat2
Point it at your collection
Replace /path/to/media with your folder. The read-only mount protects your files. App data stays in its own volume.
3
Settle in
Open localhost:8097 and use the setup token from the container log to create your account.
A few things you might be wondering
Before the
opening scene.
Getting to know your next media server.
What is Crabitat?
Crabitat is a self-hosted media server for your own movie and TV files. It brings your collection together with artwork, personal accounts, watchlists, and saved progress. It is an alternative in development for people exploring Plex, Emby, or Jellyfin. It does not supply movies or TV shows.
Where can I watch?
The built-in web interface is available now. A separate native Google TV app is in preview, and an optional Jellyfin compatibility adapter supports a limited set of client features. Playback and client compatibility still depend on your files and device.
Can I use Jellyfin clients?
Yes, through Crabitat’s optional compatibility adapter. The preview supports login, movie and TV browsing, original-file playback, favorites, and shared watch progress. Use compatible mobile clients on iOS and Android, as well as TV clients. Support varies by client and file format; full Jellyfin feature parity, transcoding, and Jellyfin trickplay endpoints are not available. Sign in with your Crabitat account, not your existing Jellyfin credentials.
Does it transcode my videos?
Not yet. Crabitat currently streams original files with HTTP range support. Your browser or client must support the original format. HLS, remuxing, transcoding, and external subtitle delivery are planned.
Will Crabitat change my media files?
Crabitat is designed to work with read-only media folders. Its database, metadata, artwork, and watch history live in its own data directory. Keep the media mount read-only when setting up a container.
Where does the artwork come from?
Crabitat can read local artwork and NFO metadata and fetch information independently from TVmaze and TMDB. TMDB requires your own token. Provider lookups request title information; viewing history is not sent to metadata providers.
Is it ready to replace my current server?
Crabitat is an early preview. Start with a separate installation and try your own files and devices before making it your main server. Direct playback, library browsing, accounts, watchlists, and progress are implemented; broader playback and client support are still being developed.