Plex AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Media Centers

The best Media Center alternative to Plex is Jellyfin, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Plex and many of them are Media Centers so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Media Center alternatives to Plex are Emby, Universal Media Server, Infuse and Android TV.

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Plex alternatives are mainly Media Centers but may also be Media Players or Media Servers.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Plex.
Plex iconPlex
  866
  • ...

Stream movies, TV shows, sports, and music while organizing and playing all your personal media libraries with a visually stunning interface.

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Plex alternatives page was last updated Oct 9, 2024
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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 Plex

     
    Comments about Jellyfin as an Alternative to Plex
    Comment summary: Jellyfin is praised for being a free, open-source alternative to Plex, offering increased privacy without requiring a cloud account. It's appreciated for customization, ease of setup, and lack of paywalls. However, users note challenges with certain devices and that Jellyfin is currently less polished than Plex, though improvements are underway. Its functionality and privacy features are highlighted as major strengths.
    Top Positive Comment
    seczamotu
    Oct 5, 2019
    9

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

    Most Recent Comment
    obradk
    •Feb 12, 2024
    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 •Dec 23, 2023
    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.

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    3 of 18 comments
    Plex Icon
    Jellyfin icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Jellyfin is a great Plex alternative.

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

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

    • Jellyfin is Free and Open SourcePlex is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Jellyfin is Privacy focusedPlex is not according to our users
  2. Emby icon

    Emby

     169 likes
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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, intuitive, media rich experience for the whole family.

    49 Emby alternatives

    License model

    • 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

    Top Emby Features

    1.  Media Streaming
    2.  Media Server
    3.  Browser Gallery
    4.  Private gallery
    5.  Optimized for Mobile
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Chromecast Support
    8.  Kids Mode
    9.  Remote Media Access
    10.  Local server
    11.  Media Transcoding
    12.  Asset Pipeline

    Emby VS Plex

     
    Comments about Emby as an Alternative to Plex
    Top Positive Comment
    Horaciogarro
    Sep 14, 2015
    5

    Is the exact alternative to Plex.+ web server!

    Most Recent Comment
    dzevel5
    Positive •Mar 30, 2019
    -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 •Feb 28, 2019
    -1

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

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    3 of 7 comments
    Plex Icon
    Emby icon

    • Most users think Emby is a great Plex alternative.

    • Emby is Freemium and ProprietaryPlex is also Freemium and Proprietary
  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 Plex

     
    Comments about Universal Media Server as an Alternative to Plex
    Most Recent Comment
    Jonathan Brickman
    Positive •Nov 16, 2018
    3

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

    Guest
    Positive •May 4, 2019
    4

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

    Guest
    Positive •Jul 7, 2015
    0

    Works fine with Chromecast.

    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    Plex Icon
    Universal Media Server icon

    • Most users think Universal Media Server is a great Plex alternative.

    • Universal Media Server is Free and Open SourcePlex is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Universal Media Server is LightweightPlex is not according to our users
  5. 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 Plex

     
    Comments about Infuse as an Alternative to Plex
    Guest
    Negative •Sep 27, 2020
    4

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

    Plex Icon
    Infuse icon

    • Most users think Infuse is a great Plex alternative.

    • Infuse is Freemium and ProprietaryPlex is also Freemium and Proprietary
  6. 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.

    50 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 Plex

     
  7. OSMC icon

    OSMC

     82 likes
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    OSMC (Open Source Media Center) is a free and open source media player based on Linux and founded in 2014 that lets you play back media from your local network, attached storage and the Internet. OSMC is the leading media center in terms of feature set and community and is based...

    43 OSMC alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Apple TV
    • Raspberry Pi
    OSMC screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Designed for TVs
    2.  Momentjs integration
    3.  Auto-identifies vids
    4.  Based on Debian
    5.  Stream video to Apple TV

    OSMC VS Plex

     
    Comments about OSMC as an Alternative to Plex
    Guest
    Negative •Jul 6, 2016
    16

    From the FAQ of the project: What is the difference between OSMC and Kodi?

    Kodi is a media center application and OSMC is the operating system that runs Kodi and brings it to your device. OSMC is not a fork of Kodi but rather a Linux distribution that ships Kodi as the main application.

    Guest
    Negative •Nov 26, 2017
    7

    totally different piece of software

    Plex Icon
    OSMC icon

    • Some users think OSMC is a great Plex alternative, some don't.

    • OSMC is Free and Open SourcePlex is Freemium and Proprietary
    • OSMC is LightweightPlex is not according to our users
  9. MediaChips icon

    MediaChips

     13 likes
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    This app for navigating your large video collection. Add tags, performers, websites, sort/filter videos, create playlists and play them in the built-in player.

    36 MediaChips alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    MediaChips screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Support for Themes
    3.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  File Tagging
    2.  Media library
    3.  Content Management
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  No Tracking
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Support for 4K
    9.  Full-Text Search
    10.  Built-in viewer
    11.  Portable
    12.  File Organizer

    MediaChips VS Plex

     
7 of 31 Plex alternatives