The Best Plex AlternativesTop Media Servers & Media Centers like Plex

Plex is described as 'Need something to watch? We’re on it. Plex combines free movies & TV with the best free streaming services, so there’s always more to discover' and is a leading Media Center in the video & movies category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Plex for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps. The best Plex alternative is Jellyfin, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Plex are Emby, Kodi, Universal Media Server and Infuse.

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Alternatives list

  1. Jellyfin icon

    Jellyfin

     375 likes

    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.

    81 Jellyfin alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • Tizen OS
    • F-Droid
    • Android TV
    • Cloudron
    • Kodi
    • Docker
    • Fire TV
    • Roku
    Jellyfin screenshot 1
     
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    18
    Jellyfin vs Plex Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    seczamotu
    9

    It's FOSS and they don't spy on you. No paywalls and 'Premium' packages. It's completely free.

    obradk
    0

    It would be ok except it's impossible to disable transcoding and have decent subtitles. It's slow, but it's FOSS and it's not trying to upsell you at all times.

    intp
    Positive
    0

    Certainly a viable free, open-source alternative, but be advised that getting it working with a Roku, for example, can be a lot more challenging for less tech savvy users.

    3 of 18 comments
    • Jellyfin is Free and Open SourcePlex is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Jellyfin is Privacy focused and DecentralizedPlex is not according to our users
  2. Emby icon

    Emby

     175 likes

    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, intuitive, media rich experience for the whole family.

    61 Emby alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Apple TV
    • Kindle Fire
    • Cloudron
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
    Emby screenshot 1
     
    |
    7
    Emby vs Plex Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Horaciogarro
    5

    Is the exact alternative to Plex.+ web server!

    dzevel5
    Positive
    -1

    Plex is horrible at consumer privacy! Emby just a perfect solution especially for NAS.

    While Plex logging and collecting data, Emby won’t and then device can go into sleep mode perfect.

    Guest
    Positive
    -1

    A superb alternative to plex, much faster streaming start of the video over internet.

    3 of 7 comments
    • Emby is Freemium and ProprietaryPlex is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Emby is a Media Center Plex is a Media Server
  4. Kodi icon

    Kodi

     1561 likes

    Open-source media player compatible with Linux, Mac, Windows, Xbox, and iOS, designed for home theater PCs. Customizable with themes, supports 4K, audio and video formats, streaming, privacy-focused operations, and extensible with plugins.

    92 Kodi alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Fire TV
    • Apple TV
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • Xbox
    • F-Droid
    Kodi screenshot 1
     
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    12
    Kodi vs Plex Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    0

    Kodi has way more functionalities than Plex

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    10

    kodi is not a media server, it's a media viewer not designed to share content

    fPortal
    Negative
    0

    It is not a media server. It is a player.

    3 of 12 comments
    • Kodi is Free and Open SourcePlex is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Kodi is a Media Player Plex is a Media Server
    • Kodi is Privacy focusedPlex is not according to our users
  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. Universal Media Server icon

    Universal Media Server

     137 likes

    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.

    54 Universal Media Server alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Universal Media Server screenshot 1
     
    |
    4
    Universal Media Server vs Plex Comments
    Jonathan Brickman
    Positive
    3

    Extremely easy install. Completely seamless connection to Roku Media Player. Very lightweight, but fully functional.

    Guest
    Positive
    4

    No faffing about and less intrusive and no personal data shared like plex does.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Works fine with Chromecast.

    3 of 4 comments
    • Universal Media Server is Free and Open SourcePlex is Freemium and Proprietary
  8. Infuse icon

    Infuse

     54 likes

    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.

    134 Infuse alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Apple TV
    • visionOS
    Infuse screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    Infuse vs Plex Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    4

    This is equivalent to other media players (like VLC etc.) not to streaming media servers like Plex.

    • Infuse is Freemium and ProprietaryPlex is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Infuse is a Media Player Plex is a Media Server
  9. Meelo icon

    Meelo

     16 likes

    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.

    56 Meelo alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Meelo screenshot 1
     
  10. Plezy icon

    Plezy

     8 likes

    Cross-platform media client with Flutter UI offering native performance and a visually streamlined interface, compatible with Plex and Jellyfin servers, enabling direct streaming, HDR and Dolby Vision playback, offline downloads, and minimal transcoding.

    24 Plezy alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android TV
    • Fire TV
    Home (macOS)
     
  11. Serviio icon

    Serviio

     53 likes

    Serviio is a free media server. It allows you to stream your media files (music, video or images) to any DLNA-certified renderer device (e.g. a TV set, Bluray player, games console) on your home network.

    56 Serviio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Serviio screenshot 1
     
  13. Android TV icon

    Android TV

     17 likes

    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.

    52 Android TV alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android TV
    Android TV screenshot 1
     
  14. Subsonic icon

    Subsonic

     93 likes

    Subsonic is a free, web-based media streamer, providing ubiquitous access to your music and video. Use it to share your music with friends, or to listen to your own music while at work. You can stream to multiple players simultaneously, for instance to one player in your kitchen...

    103 Subsonic alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Windows Phone
    • Self-Hosted
    Main Application Window
     
    |
    1
    Subsonic vs Plex Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    No video server. Just music.

    • Subsonic is Freemium and ProprietaryPlex is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Subsonic is a Music Streaming Plex is a Media Server
  15. MediaChips icon

    MediaChips

     19 likes

    MediaChips is a desktop app for organizing local media libraries. It helps you tag, filter, preview, and browse videos, images, audio, and text files that already live on your disks or NAS — with no accounts, no cloud, and no data collection.

    47 MediaChips alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Docker
    Videos grid
     
12 of 101 Plex alternatives