Freedom251 › Video Downloaders
Pinchflat
What Pinchflat is
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 costs nothing.
Who it suits
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 it does well
- 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
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pinchflat | Self-hosted app · one Docker container · no external dependencies | Free |
As github.com lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
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.
Facts from Pinchflat's own pages
- Advanced controls
- Advanced options include custom yt-dlp options, cutoff dates, title filtering, and scripts triggered after media downloads or deletions; custom scripts are marked alpha. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Authentication
- The README documents optional basic authentication through BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME and BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD environment variables. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Batch downloads
- Yes · github.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Device platforms
- web · github.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Download options
- It supports audio downloads and custom rules for YouTube Shorts and livestreams. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- File organization
- It includes a naming system for choosing how and where downloaded content is stored. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Media center integrations
- The README lists first-class support for Plex, Jellyfin, and Kodi. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Media use
- It downloads media to disk and is not intended for watching content inside the app; the README suggests using a media center app or VLC. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Notifications
- The README lists Apprise support for notifications. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Playlist downloads
- Yes · github.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Podcast feeds
- Pinchflat can serve RSS feeds for use with podcast apps. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Private playlists
- The app can pass cookies to YouTube to download private playlists. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Pinchflat is a self-hosted app built with yt-dlp for downloading YouTube videos from channels or playlists and periodically checking for new content. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Security
- GitHub reports that the repository has no SECURITY.md security policy and no published security advisories. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Setup
- The project describes itself as a single Docker container with no external dependencies and documents Docker, Podman, Portainer, and Unraid installation. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- SponsorBlock
- Pinchflat lists SponsorBlock integration and says it can improve SponsorBlock tags by automatically redownloading media after a set period. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Stability
- The maker warns that the software is in active development, anything can break, and no stability, forward compatibility, or integrity guarantees are made. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Supported sources
- YouTube · github.com, 21 Sept 2026
Where Pinchflat stands on Freedom251
- Video Downloaders#79 of 135