Pinchflat is a free, open-source, self-hosted web app for downloading YouTube videos from channels and playlists. Built with yt-dlp, it can check periodically for new content, download batches and save media to disk using rules for names and storage locations. It supports audio downloads, custom handling for Shorts and livestreams, and cookies for private playlists. Pinchflat can provide RSS feeds for podcast apps and lists first-class support for Plex, Jellyfin and Kodi. Other options include Apprise notifications, SponsorBlock integration, custom yt-dlp settings, title filters, cutoff dates and scripts triggered after downloads or deletions. Setup uses one Docker container with no external dependencies, with Docker, Podman, Portainer and Unraid installation documented. Basic authentication is optional through environment variables. The app is not intended for watching media internally; a media center app or VLC is suggested. Pinchflat is free.
Who it is for
Pinchflat suits self-hosters who want automated YouTube downloads organized for media centers or podcast apps. It is useful for people comfortable running Docker-based software and managing downloaded files.
What is good
- Free and open-source self-hosted application
- Supports channel, playlist and batch downloads
- Offers Plex, Jellyfin and Kodi support
- Can serve RSS feeds for podcast apps
- Provides custom download and filtering controls
What to know first
- Only supports YouTube as a source
- Not designed for watching media inside
- Active development may cause breakage
- Custom scripts are marked alpha
Verdict
Pinchflat provides broad download automation in a single self-hosted container. Its active-development status and YouTube-only scope are important considerations before deployment.
Pinchflat plans and pricing
All plansCompared on video downloaders
- Supported sources
- YouTube
- Playlist downloads
- Yes
- Batch downloads
- Yes
- Device platforms
- Web
