Ombi review 2026: free self-hosted media request tool for Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin. Features, Sonarr/Radarr integration, pros, cons, and alternatives.
Ombi is a free, open-source, self-hosted web application that lets people request movies, TV shows, and music for a Plex, Emby, or Jellyfin media server. It began as PlexRequests.Net, created by developer tidusjar, and was renamed Ombi around January 2017 as support expanded beyond Plex to Emby and later Jellyfin.
The project is released under the GPLv3 license and maintained by open-source contributors on GitHub rather than a commercial company. It has become a standard part of many self-hosted media automation setups, sitting alongside tools like Sonarr, Radarr, and Lidarr.
Users browse a searchable catalog and submit requests for movies, TV shows (whole series, specific seasons, or single episodes), or music. Ombi checks whether the content already exists on the connected media server and, if not, automatically forwards the request to Radarr, Sonarr, or Lidarr to handle acquisition.
Administrators can enable an approval workflow, whitelist trusted users for automatic approval, manage accounts across Plex.tv, Emby, and local logins, and configure notifications across multiple channels so requesters stay informed about the status of their requests.
Ombi is completely free and open source under the GPLv3 license. There is no paid tier, subscription, or commercial edition; users self-host it on their own hardware or a home server, typically alongside their Plex, Emby, or Jellyfin installation.
Because there is no company behind Ombi, support is community-driven through GitHub issues, forums, and self-hosting communities rather than a paid support contract.
Yes, Ombi is free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no paid tier or subscription.
Ombi supports Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin media servers.
When a user requests a movie or TV show, Ombi checks whether it already exists on the media server and, if not, automatically forwards the request to Radarr (movies) or Sonarr (TV shows) to handle downloading and adding the content.
Ombi began as PlexRequests.Net, created by developer tidusjar, and was renamed Ombi around January 2017 as it expanded beyond Plex-only support.
Yes, administrators can require manual approval for requests or whitelist trusted users so their requests are automatically approved.
Yes, Ombi is commonly deployed via Docker, alongside Windows, macOS, and Linux installation options.
The most common alternatives are Overseerr and its actively maintained fork Jellyseerr, along with older tools like Petio.