Zurg and rclone work well once they're set up, but they're a lot to keep running. Most alternatives still mount a folder underneath and set it up for you; a hosted service runs it elsewhere; StreamBridge, on a Mac, needs no mount at all.
Updated
The lists are what you install and keep running. Each has its own section below.
Zurg itself, step by step, is in the Real-Debrid with Plex guide; side by side with StreamBridge, StreamBridge vs Zurg.
| Tool | What it is | Instead of Zurg? | Runs on | Still needs | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decypharr | Download client for Sonarr and Radarr, with its own WebDAV and mount | Yes | Docker, usually Linux | rclone, Sonarr and Radarr | Free |
| DUMB (was DMB) | Docker image that sets up a whole stack from a dashboard | Runs it for you | A server running Docker | Zurg or Decypharr inside | Free |
| Debrid Media Manager | Web app for choosing what's in your account | No, pairs with it | In your browser | Zurg or another mount, for Plex | Free |
| ElfHosted | Hosted Plex, mount and automation | Runs it for you | In the cloud | A monthly plan | Monthly |
| TorBox | A debrid service with its own WebDAV | Yes, for TorBox | Any computer | rclone, and a TorBox account | Monthly |
| StreamBridge | Mac app that puts films and series into Plex | Yes | The Mac that runs your Plex | Nothing else | Free; Pro is $39 once |
Decypharr poses as a qBittorrent download client for Sonarr and Radarr. It adds what they ask for to your debrid account, serves it over its own WebDAV, mounts it with rclone and leaves a symlink where Plex looks.
It also works with TorBox, AllDebrid, Debrid-Link and Premiumize. You set up the content sources Sonarr and Radarr search yourself.
DUMB, Debrid Unlimited Media Bridge, was called Debrid Media Bridge (DMB). It's one Docker image that sets up the mount (Zurg or Decypharr, with rclone), Plex or Jellyfin, and automation like Riven or Sonarr and Radarr, from a dashboard.
It makes Zurg easier to run rather than taking it away: the mount is still inside, so a reboot or a dropped mount behaves the same. StreamBridge vs DUMB.
Debrid Media Manager is for choosing what's in your account: search, compare releases, remove duplicates, sync Trakt lists and share libraries.
It's the easier half of a Zurg setup, not a replacement: it doesn't make a folder that Plex reads, so for Plex it's paired with Zurg. StreamBridge vs Debrid Media Manager.
Someone else runs Plex, the mount and the automation. You bring the accounts.
TorBox is a debrid service like Real-Debrid. Its account comes with a WebDAV address that rclone can mount directly, so there's no Zurg between your account and Plex.
It's a different account, not a way to use Real-Debrid. You still run rclone and a mount, and the Plex settings for a mount still apply. Decypharr, ElfHosted and StreamBridge work with it too: TorBox with Plex.
One Mac app that puts films and series into your Plex library and streams them from your own Real-Debrid account, to every Plex app. There's no Zurg, rclone, WebDAV or config file: it takes care of the library folder, the Plex connection and the stream.
It measures your Real-Debrid speed and picks the file that plays without stopping. Every source is listed by quality if you'd rather choose.
When a link dies, the same file is found again, and a source that's too slow gives way to another copy.
About 25 MB per title stays on the Mac, so Plex never scans over the internet.
The part that serves films runs on its own, so quitting, restarting or updating the app doesn't interrupt what's playing.
Stremio catalogs and your Plex Watchlist become Plex collections that keep themselves current.
A film in Plex gets them in Plex's own menu, on every device.
How it gets Stremio catalogs into Plex: Stremio with Plex.
Find the line that sounds like you.
| If you have or want | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You already run Sonarr and Radarr | Decypharr | Plugs in as their download client, with its own mount |
| A home server, and you want it all automated | DUMB | One dashboard sets up the mount, Plex and the automation |
| You want to pick the exact release | Debrid Media Manager, with Zurg | The best tool for choosing files; Zurg still serves them |
| You don't want to run anything at home | ElfHosted | Someone else keeps it running, for a monthly fee |
| You'd switch from Real-Debrid | TorBox | Its own WebDAV, so rclone mounts it with no Zurg |
| Jellyfin, Emby or Infuse | Zurg, Decypharr or DUMB | A folder any player can read |
| A Mac running Plex, and no Docker | StreamBridge | One app, nothing to mount or keep running |
| If you | A better fit |
|---|---|
| Don't have a Mac | Decypharr or DUMB on a server, or ElfHosted |
| Use Jellyfin, Emby or Infuse | Zurg, Decypharr or DUMB |
| Want requests and quality profiles to fill the library | DUMB, or Decypharr with Sonarr and Radarr |
| Want open source | Zurg, Decypharr, DUMB or Debrid Media Manager |
It depends on what you run. On a Mac running Plex, StreamBridge is one app with nothing to mount. If you'd rather not run anything at home, a hosted service like ElfHosted runs it all for you, for a monthly fee. On a Linux server, Decypharr or DUMB set the mount up for you, though you still run Docker.
It can. Decypharr has its own WebDAV server and can mount it with rclone, so you don't need Zurg as well. It's built to be the download client for Sonarr and Radarr, so it suits you best if you already run them.
Not quite. Debrid Media Manager is a web app for choosing what goes in your Real-Debrid account. It doesn't make a folder that Plex can read, so for Plex it's usually paired with Zurg rather than used instead of it.
Yes. Debrid Media Bridge (DMB) is now called DUMB, Debrid Unlimited Media Bridge. It's a Docker image that sets up Zurg or Decypharr, rclone, Plex and automation tools together from one dashboard. It makes Zurg easier to run, but Zurg or another mount is still inside.
Yes. TorBox is a debrid service of its own, with its own WebDAV that rclone can mount directly, so there's no Zurg in between. You still run rclone and a mount, and you need a TorBox account rather than Real-Debrid. StreamBridge works with a TorBox account too, with no mount.
With Zurg, Decypharr, DUMB or TorBox, yes: something still mounts a folder, and rclone is the usual way. With a hosted service, the host runs it. With StreamBridge on a Mac, the app makes the library folder itself.
No. StreamBridge gives Plex an ordinary library folder from inside the app, so there's no Zurg, rclone, WebDAV or config file to set up. It streams from your own Real-Debrid account.
Zurg, Decypharr, DUMB and the hosted services all give you a folder that any media server can read. StreamBridge is made for Plex only.