Best Plex Alternatives in 2024: Jellyfin, Emby and More

If you have a large database of movies and TV shows, you've probably been tempted by the idea of ​​setting up a Plex server. You can install one to stream video files to clients, and it can convert them to lower resolutions and bitrates for playback on slower connections. For many people, though, that's not good enough, especially because some features cost money. That's why some of the alternatives are tempting, and given the ongoing problems with Plex over the past few years, I can understand why someone might want to switch, especially to something that's potentially free.




These are some of the best Plex alternatives on the market that you can install instantly on your own NAS or your computer.

Related

Best NAS Devices in 2024

Expand your PC storage with one of these NAS enclosures

1 jellyfish fin

My personal favorite

Jellyfin is my media server of choice after using Plex for years, and it's become a favorite of many in the NAS community because it's completely free and open source. Just like Plex, Jellyfin pulls the metadata of all your shows and movies, and also offers useful features like automatic subtitle support, transcoding, library management, and even remote play syncing so you can watch something in sync with friends or family in multiple locations.


Once configured, Jellyfin is easy to access from anywhere. It has a web panel and several client applications for Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It also has a Kodi plugin, TV apps (including Android TV), and even supports DLNA streaming. It's an incredibly versatile media server that basically does everything Plex can, but for free. There are even free plugins you can download to make your experience even better.

You can try out Jellyfin with the live instance provided by the developers.

Jellyfin logo

jellyfish fin

Jellyfin is one of the best Plex alternatives you can get, and that's because of its open-source nature and powerful feature set. There are apps for virtually every platform, and running your own server is completely free.

2 Emby

Emby


Emby is quite similar to Jellyfin, which makes sense since Jellyfin is a 2018 fork of Emby. Since Emby went closed source, it has introduced several great features that you can use, although many of them come with a licensing fee. Many people prefer Emby's clients, but you can also host an Emby server on an Android device if you want.

Emby’s unique features include:

  • Smart Home Integration
  • Transcoding and HDR tone mapping
  • Lyrics display for music
  • Live TV
  • Skip intro
  • Cinema intros

Emby, like Jellyfin, is accessible anywhere once configured. You can use any of the officially supported apps for platforms like Linux, Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS, and there's also DLNA support.

embryo

Emby

Emby is a paid alternative to Plex with some unique features you won't find anywhere else, like smart home integration and HDR tone mapping. The only downside is that you have to pay money to use some features you get for free elsewhere, like caching your video files.

3 Code

versatility

Subscribe


While Kodi isn't a media server like Jellyfin, Emby, or even Plex, it can certainly be used as one thanks to its DLNA (UPnP) streaming capabilities. It doesn't transcode video for playback in lower resolutions or anything like that, but it's a quick solution that you can just install, point to media on your storage device, and easily stream it to other devices on your network.

The best way to use Kodi is to install it and then use a plugin to access your library on Jellyfin, Emby, or whatever other service you use. It is not Really It was designed as a media server, but will work for that kind of use if you really want to push it.

Kodi logo

Code

Kodi isn't actually a media server, but it's a great way to access video files stored on your network. Thanks to plugins, you can also use it with Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby.

Online media


If you just want something simple that works and can stream to a wide range of devices, something like Universal Media Server might be for you. It only works with the DLNA/UPnP protocol and doesn't offer any other frills, but that also means it has broad compatibility. Basically any device can play a DLNA stream, which is why it's so popular.

Universal Media Server also transcodes videos for the desired destination, so you can use it even on devices that may not have the necessary features to play the streamed content. For example, Universal Media Server can stream to a PlayStation 4, but you will need to transcode videos to do so.

Universal Media Server Logo

Universal Media Server

Universal Media Server is a fairly simple program that lets you stream via DLNA/UPnP and supports transcoding. It doesn't offer any special features, but it does the job.

Which media server is right for you?

Whatever you choose, all of these are viable alternatives to Plex. It's definitely worth weighing up the pros and cons of each, but for me personally, Jellyfin is by far the best. It's completely free, can cast media to anything with my GTX 1070, and has a ton of feature-rich clients that run on anything. It may lag behind in terms of some features you'll find in Plex and Emby, but it's robust and works well, and if you're tinkering with a NAS, you're used to doing some things yourself anyway.


Related

How to turn an old PC into a NAS

If you have an old PC lying around, you can convert it into a NAS.

Leave a Comment