The Best Emby AlternativesTop Media Centers & Media Servers like Emby

Emby is described as 'Formerly Media Browser, is a media aggregator plugin for Media Center that takes your recorded, digital, or ripped media and presents it in a simple, easy to use interface. Emby prides itself on delivering a fast, intuitive, media rich experience for the whole family' and is a very popular Media Center in the video & movies category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Emby for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, iPhone and Self-Hosted apps. The best Emby alternative is Jellyfin, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Emby are Plex, Universal Media Server, Meelo and Music Assistant.

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Emby alternatives are mainly Media Centers but may also be Media Servers or Media Players. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Emby.
Emby iconEmby
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Emby, formerly Media Browser, is a media aggregator plugin for Media Center that takes your recorded, digital, or ripped media and presents it in a simple, easy to use interface. Emby prides itself on delivering a fast,...

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Emby alternatives page was last updated Feb 6, 2025
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Alternatives
  1. Jellyfin icon

    Jellyfin

     278 likes
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    A free, open-source media system alternative to proprietary options like Emby and Plex, with Chromecast support, 4K streaming, plugin extensions, focusing on privacy without premium features, managing media from dedicated servers to multiple devices via various apps.

    47 Jellyfin alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • Tizen OS
    • F-Droid
    • Android TV
    • Kodi
    • Docker
    • Fire TV
    • Roku
    Jellyfin screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Media Streaming
    2.  Media Server
    3.  Local server
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Media Center
    6.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    7.  Media Transcoding
    8.  Support for DLNA
    9.  No registration required
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Works Offline
    12.  Kids Mode

    Jellyfin VS Emby

     
    Comments about Jellyfin as an Alternative to Emby
    Top Positive Comment
    g33kphr33k
    Jun 27, 2019
    10

    Jellyfin is the OpenSource version of Emby that has been code cleaned and improved since Emby made it's source proprietary.

    Most Recent Comment
    latotale
    Positive •Apr 3, 2020
    4

    Jellyfin will soon be better than emby, it's just a question of time

    Guest
    Positive •May 17, 2019
    2

    It's a fork of the Emby code base.

    Show more comments
    3 of 7 comments
    Emby Icon
    Jellyfin icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Jellyfin is a great Emby alternative.

    • Jellyfin is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Emby.

    • Jellyfin is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Emby.

    • Jellyfin is Free and Open SourceEmby is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Jellyfin is Privacy focusedEmby is not according to our users
  2. Plex icon

    Plex

     866 likes
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    A multimedia tool for streaming movies, TV shows, sports, and music while facilitating personal media organization with versatile libraries and metadata retrieval.

    93 Plex alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple TV
    • Daydream
    • Kindle Fire
    • Android TV
    • Kodi
    • Roku
    Plex screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Media Server
    2.  Media Streaming
    3.  Play local content
    4.  Local Storage
    5.  Media Center
    6.  Media Transcoding
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Chromecast Support
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Ad-free
    11.  Dark Mode
    12.  No registration required

    Plex VS Emby

     
    Comments about Plex as an Alternative to Emby
    Guest
    Negative •Jul 11, 2018
    0

    Emby is (used to be) "free"; any software that (1) has to use the term "freemium" and (2) is proprietary and (3) requires an online login is not equivalent enough.

    Emby Icon
    Plex icon

    • Most users think Plex is a great Emby alternative.

    • Plex is Freemium and ProprietaryEmby is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Plex is LightweightEmby is not according to our users
  4. Universal Media Server icon

    Universal Media Server

     133 likes
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    Universal Media Server is a media server capable of serving videos, audio and images to any DLNA-capable device. It supports any device capable of DLNA and runs on all major operating systems: Windows, OS X and Linux.

    46 Universal Media Server alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Universal Media Server screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Configurable

    Features

    1.  Support for DLNA
    2.  Dedicated Server Hosting
    3.  Chromecast Support
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  File Tagging
    8.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    9.  No registration required
    10.  Support for 4K
    11.  Media Transcoding
    12.  Simple installation

    Universal Media Server VS Emby

     
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Nero MediaHome icon
    Nero MediaHome

    Comprehensive media manager for archiving, organizing, and playing files. It supports wireless transfer from devices, CD ripping with album art, and offers editing tools. Users can create slideshows, playlists, and burn them to o...

    https://www.nero.com
    Learn More
  6. Meelo icon

    Meelo

     10 likes
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    A versatile self-hosted music server offering music video access, B-Side and rare track identification, extensive format support via transcoding, and detailed metadata parsing. Additional features include automatic 'featuring' detection, song version browsing, and genre retrieval through platforms like MusicBrainz.

    47 Meelo alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
    Meelo screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  No Tracking
    3.  Dark Mode
    4.  Automatic Lyrics Finder
    5.  Musicbrainz support
    6.  Music collection

    Meelo VS Emby

     
  7. Music Assistant icon

    Music Assistant

     9 likes
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    Turn your Home Assistant instance into a jukebox, hassle free streaming of your favorite media to Home Assistant media players.

    4 Music Assistant alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    Music Assistant screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Music Library
    2.  No registration required
    3.  Chromecast Support
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Dark Mode
    6.  No Tracking
    7. Spotify icon  Spotify integration
    8.  Subsonic API
    9. Deezer icon  Deezer integration
    10. Apple Music icon  Apple Music integration
    11. TIDAL icon  TIDAL integration

    Music Assistant VS Emby

     
  8. Infuse icon

    Infuse

     48 likes
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    Ignite your video content with Infuse – the beautiful way to watch almost any video format on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. No need to convert files! Infuse is optimized for iOS 12, with powerful streaming options, trakt sync, and unmatched AirPlay & subtitle support.

    69 Infuse alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Apple TV
    • visionOS
    Infuse screenshot 1

    Infuse Features

    1.  Vast format support
    2.  Search metadata
    3.  Support for DLNA
    4.  HDR Support
    5.  TV Shows meta data support

    Infuse VS Emby

     
    Comments about Infuse as an Alternative to Emby
    Guest
    Negative •Aug 3, 2020
    -1

    Only available on Apple devices.

    Emby Icon
    Infuse icon
    • Infuse is Freemium and ProprietaryEmby is also Freemium and Proprietary
  10. Android TV icon

    Android TV

     13 likes
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    Android TV is Google’s operating system for smart TVs and streaming devices. Android TV makes it easier for people to watch, play and do everything they love on their TV.

    49 Android TV alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Android TV
    Android TV screenshot 1

    Android TV Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Support for 4K
    3.  Chromecast Support
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Watch Live TV
    6.  TV Streaming
    7.  Android tv
    8.  Google assistant

    Android TV VS Emby

     
  11. MediaPortal icon

    MediaPortal

     52 likes
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    MediaPortal transforms your PC into a complete media solution. It runs on basic hardware, connects directly to your TV and displays your TV Series, Movies, Photos and Music in a much more dynamic way.

    29 MediaPortal alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    MediaPortal screenshot 1

    MediaPortal Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Dvb-t
    3.  Skinnable
    4.  DVB-C
    5.  TV Streaming
    6.  TV Tuner

    MediaPortal VS Emby

     
  12. Plasma Bigscreen icon

    Plasma Bigscreen

     13 likes
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    Plasma Bigscreen is an open-source user interface for TV's. Running on top of a Linux distribution, Plasma Bigscreen turns your TV or setup-box into a fully hackable device. A big launcher giving you easy access to any installed apps and skills.

    15 Plasma Bigscreen alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • KDE
    Plasma Bigscreen screenshot 1

    Plasma Bigscreen Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  KDE
    3. KDE Plasma icon  KDE Plasma integration
    4.  Media Streaming

    Plasma Bigscreen VS Emby

     
  13. Ampache icon

    Ampache

     57 likes
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    Ampache is a web based audio streaming application and file manager allowing you to access your music from anywhere, using almost any internet enabled device.

    100 Ampache alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • PHP
    • Cloudron
    Ampache screenshot 1

    Ampache Features

    1.  Subsonic API
    2.  Self-hosted music
    3.  Streaming
    4.  Support for MPD
    5.  WebDAV Support
    6.  Web-Based
    7.  Based on Laravel

    Ampache VS Emby

     
10 of 49 Emby alternatives