With Jellyfin and Emby around, is there still a reason to use Plex in 2024?

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The central theses

  • Plex is a popular platform for streaming purchased media and managing your own catalog of music, movies, and TV shows at home.
  • Plex Pass allows users to unlock additional features such as intro skipping, hardware transcoding, and offline music storage.
  • While Plex offers a comprehensive experience out of the box, Jellyfin is a free alternative with similar features but no cost.



Plex Media Server is one of the most popular options for cataloging and streaming purchased music, movies, and shows from a network attached storage (NAS), PC, or server. Instead of relying on streaming services that are quickly becoming cable-like entities with monthly fees, you can go back to old-fashioned media purchasing and stream everything yourself. Buy your favorite artist's next album, catch up on the latest blockbusters, then use a media streaming platform like Plex or Jellyfin to manage it all.


What is Plex?

A screenshot of a Plex server running on Ubuntu on the Raspberry Pi 5


Plex is a streaming platform that brings together purchased media you own locally with content from external sources. The software can even integrate with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which is great if you plan on maintaining some streaming service subscriptions. You can quickly search for music, movies, and TV shows and enjoy them from anywhere with an internet connection. The server package takes just a few minutes to install and configure, and it can be run from any device, including a Windows PC or a NAS.


MacBook Air with NAS

Related

How to use NAS with Plex to create a media server

Set up a new home for your favorite TV shows, movies, and more.

Official apps are available for mobile platforms, numerous TVs, and streaming boxes like Amazon's Fire TV range. For anything else with a browser, you can load up the web player and browse through it all. Plex also catalogues all your media so you can browse through it and find some hidden gems. Music can be compiled into playlists that can then be downloaded for offline playback (for a small fee or Plex Pass) for long trips without reliable Wi-Fi coverage. Think of Plex as your very own Netflix and Spotify service.

Upgrade to a Plex Pass

Plex Pass is an optional account upgrade introduced by the Plex team to help cover development costs. There are three options available: a $5 monthly fee, a $40 annual subscription, or a one-time purchase for $120 for life. Plex Pass unlocks additional features including the ability to skip intros for shows, use hardware transcoding, save music offline using the PlexAmp mobile app, and additional live TV support. It's worth considering for those who rely on Plex for all their media streaming needs, but this adds a monthly expense in addition to purchasing media.


Plex logo on transparent background

PlexPass

Enhance your Plex media streaming experience with the optional Plex Pass. This account upgrade unlocks hardware transcoding and more.

Is Jellyfin or Emby better than Plex?

Jellyfin on iOS

Plex still holds its own against its biggest open source competitor, Jellyfin. The two media cataloging and streaming platforms are similar in many ways, but there are some differences, and some of them may make Plex the better choice. For example, everything works through Plex. There are no plugins to install as it is a very comprehensive package. Intro skipping, powerful hardware transcoding, live TV and DVR, and robust official apps are all available without having to install a single plugin. If you prefer to enjoy a perfect out-of-the-box experience, Plex requires less configuration than Jellyfin or other options.


What sets Plex apart from Jellyfin is the price. Jellyfin is open source and funded by donations. The team behind the platform even stopped accepting donations because too much money was being donated by the community. This is great news for anyone who relies on Jellyfin on a daily basis because it means the software will continue to be available for free. Everything from the server packages to the official apps are available at no additional cost. Hardware transcoding is available out of the box, but you will need to install some plugins to achieve Plex's functionality.


TV show

Related

5 reasons why I'm switching to Jellyfin after 7 years of using Plex on my home NAS

For Lifetime Plex Pass holders, it is finally time to abandon the sinking ship.

I've written about my experience switching from Plex Media Server, but there are some good reasons to do otherwise. The official Plex apps, especially for mobile platforms, are really good. PlexAmp is a delight for all your music streaming needs. Offline media support comes with high-quality playback and although a small in-app purchase or the Plex Pass is required to unlock access, you can enjoy your entire music collection once you're up and running. The interface is pretty slick too, especially the web player. I find Jellyfin to be a little rougher around the edges, but I also like its simpler design.

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.

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.

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