Private AIOStreams hosting compared
There are three ways to use AIOStreams without running a server yourself: a free public instance, a private instance on a general app host such as NodStack, or a private ElfHosted instance. This page compares them side by side. Running it on your own VPS is covered in self-host AIOStreams vs ElfHosted.
Everything here about NodStack comes from its own website, linked in the table, checked in November 2026. "Not advertised" means we didn't find it on NodStack's site at that date. Prices change, so check theirs before you buy.
At a glance
| Public instances | NodStack | ElfHosted private instance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | EUR 15 a year, plus tax | $9 a month, with a $1 first week |
| Yours alone | No, shared with everyone on it | Yes | Yes |
| Limits | Shared with everyone | Your own instance | Your own instance, with no addon-level connection cap; provider and resource limits still apply |
| Provider accounts | Bring your own | Bring your own: "adding providers and sources ... stays up to you" | TorBox Essential, a Usenet account and Debridge included, or a proxy for your own provider |
| Help setting it up | Community channels | You configure AIOStreams yourself | A built-in assistant checks your setup and helps you tune it |
| MCP server for your AI agent | No | Not advertised | Included: Claude, ChatGPT or any MCP-compatible agent can check your setup and change settings, with your OK |
| Backups | Not applicable | Restore points, encrypted with AES-256-GCM (NodStack FAQ) | Nightly backups, plus a separate copy encrypted with AES-256 |
| Where it runs | Varies by instance | Poland (EU) | The EU or the US, your choice |
| Other apps | No | On NodStack's full plans | Joins the rest of your ElfHosted apps, under one login |
Can my AI agent manage AIOStreams for me?
On ElfHosted, yes. Every account comes with its own MCP server, the standard way AI agents plug into tools. Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor or any MCP-compatible agent, and it can check your AIOStreams setup and suggest fixes, and change settings such as resolution, HDR, duplicates and how many results you get. It only ever sees your own apps, and every change waits for you to approve it in ElfBot. The connect your AI agent guide has the steps for each one.
No agent of your own? The assistant built into your dashboard, Sam, does the same checks for you. Ask him to look at your AIOStreams setup.
When is a public instance enough?
When you're trying AIOStreams out, or you watch now and then. Public instances are free and need nothing from you but a provider account. The trade-off is that they're shared: their limits, their busy evenings and the features they offer are set for everyone on them. Our AIOStreams instances compared page ranks every trusted public instance by uptime.
When is NodStack the better buy?
When you already have your provider accounts, you know your way around AIOStreams, and you want a lower-priced private instance. NodStack's yearly AIOStreams plan costs far less than ours, and it gives you your own instance with its own address. You add the providers and sources yourself.
When is ElfHosted the better fit?
- You'd rather not shop for providers. TorBox Essential, a Usenet account and Debridge come with the instance, so it can find streams from the first night. Debridge brings together your own debrid and Usenet providers and finds the best result among them.
- You'd like help getting it right. The built-in assistant checks your setup and tunes it with you, and you can connect your own AI agent to do the same.
- You want more than one addon. AIOMetadata, Comet, MediaFusion and the rest of the ElfHosted catalogue sit in the same dashboard, behind the same login.
Try a private AIOStreams instance for $1
Frequently asked questions
Is NodStack's AIOStreams a shared instance?
No. NodStack says each customer gets their own AIOStreams deployment with its own address and login. Its AIOStreams plan covers exactly one instance; other apps need one of its full plans.
Are ElfHosted's backups encrypted?
Your apps are backed up nightly, and a separate copy of those backups is encrypted with AES-256.
Can I compare the public instances too?
Yes: see AIOStreams instances, AIOMetadata instances and Comet and MediaFusion instances.