Rate limits on ElfHosted's public addons
Our public addons are free and shared, so each internet connection gets an allowance of stream requests. Below: the limits, what uses them up, and how to stay under them.
The limits
| Public instance | Private instance | |
|---|---|---|
| Up front | 100 stream requests | 1,000 stream requests |
| Refills at | 1 request a minute | 10 requests a minute |
| Counted per | internet connection | internet connection |
It works like a bucket of tokens. You start with a full bucket, each stream request takes one token, and tokens drip back in over time. You only hit the limit after spending the whole bucket faster than it refills, which normal viewing rarely does.
What counts as a request
A request is an addon being asked for the list of streams for one title. That happens when you open a film or an episode, and again for the next episode.
Two things make the count climb faster than people expect:
- Every installed addon is asked separately. If Comet, MediaFusion and StremThru are each installed in Stremio, opening one title sends three requests, one to each, and each counts against your limit there.
- Everyone at home shares one allowance. The limit is per internet connection, so every phone, TV and tablet on the same home connection draws from the same bucket.
How to stay under it
- Put your addons inside AIOStreams. AIOStreams asks your other addons for you and hands Stremio one combined list. One title then costs you one request, however many addons sit behind it. It also gives you one combined list of results instead of several.
- Remove duplicates. If an addon is already inside AIOStreams, uninstall its separate copy from Stremio, or every title is asked twice.
- Wait a minute or two. If you do hit the limit, nothing is broken and nothing needs resetting. The allowance refills on its own, one request a minute.
- Don't flick through stream lists. Opening title after title just to look at the streams spends a request each time. Browsing catalogues and posters is fine.
How to tell which limit you hit
There are two kinds of limit message, and only one of them is ours.
"Public rate-limit exceeded" 🐢
[🐢] Comet: Comet public rate-limit exceeded 🐢
When you reach our limit, the addon's stream list shows a single entry with a tortoise, named after the addon (AIOStreams, Comet, MediaFusion and so on), saying public rate-limit exceeded. Picking it plays a short video saying the same. This is our public limit. Wait a minute or two and open the title again, then follow the tips above.
"Too many requests"
Your debrid service is rate-limiting you. Wait a moment and press play again.
When a video saying Too many requests plays instead of your film, often with Ref: TOO_MANY_REQUESTS, the limit is your debrid service's. Debrid providers limit how fast an account can add or request files; some allow only a set number an hour. The reference code after "Ref" is passed through from them word for word. A private ElfHosted instance won't change it. Wait a while, and if it keeps happening, check your account's limits with the provider.
When the public limit isn't enough
Several people watching at once, a lot of devices or a lot of binge-watching can outgrow the public allowance. A private ElfHosted instance is yours alone, with ten times the allowance and ten times the refill rate, and nobody else's traffic in it.
| Public instance | Private ElfHosted instance | Self-hosted | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When something breaks | Community help: subreddits and volunteer-run Discord servers, each with its own rules, and answers depend on who is around | Our support team, plus Sam, an assistant in your dashboard that looks at your actual apps and fixes things once you confirm | You, a search engine, and the same community channels |
| Guides | Whatever the community has written | Our docs for every app, written for your setup | The project's own docs |
| Limits | Shared with everyone on the instance | Your own | Your own hardware's |
| Addons and features | The operator's choice | Your choice, Torrentio included | Your choice |
| Updates and uptime | The operator's | Ours | Yours |
| Cost | Free | From $9 a month, after a $1, 7-day trial | A server, and your evenings |
A public instance is a good way to try an addon, and self-hosting suits people who like running servers. A private instance is for when the whole household relies on it and you want someone to call when it breaks.
Try a private AIOStreams instance for $1
Other messages on our public addons are explained in ElfHosted public addon messages, explained.