Free Plex Alternatives for iPad

There are many alternatives to Plex for iPad if you are looking for a replacement. The best free iPad alternative is Jellyfin, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Plex and 11 are free and available for iPad so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free iPad alternatives to Plex are Emby, Infuse, Madsonic and Finamp.

filter to find the best alternatives

Plex alternatives are mainly Media Centers, but if you're looking for Media Servers or Video Streaming Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Android, Apple TV, Linux, Mac, Chrome OS and Free. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Plex.
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Alternatives list

  1. Jellyfin icon

    Jellyfin

     326 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.

    50 Jellyfin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • Tizen OS
    • F-Droid
    • Android TV
    • Kodi
    • Docker
    • Fire TV
    • Roku
    • Cloudron
    Jellyfin screenshot 1
     
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    18
    126
    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
    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.

    Show more comments
    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

     170 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.

    48 Emby alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once or Subscription)
    • 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
     
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    7
    134
    Comments about Emby as an Alternative to Plex
    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Show more comments
    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. Infuse icon

    Infuse

     49 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.

    63 Infuse alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once or Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Apple TV
    • visionOS
    Infuse screenshot 1
     
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    1
    11
    Comments about Infuse as an Alternative to Plex
    Guest
    Negative
    4

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Plex Icon
    Infuse icon

    • Most users think Infuse is a great Plex alternative.

    • Infuse is Freemium and ProprietaryPlex is also Freemium and Proprietary
  5. Madsonic icon

    Madsonic

     21 likes
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    Madsonic is a web-based media streamer and jukebox fork of Subsonic Based on Java technology, Madsonic runs on most platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, OSX, and Unix variants.

    60 Madsonic alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Kindle Fire
    Madsonic screenshot 1
     
  6. Finamp icon

    Finamp

     7 likes
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    Finamp is a Jellyfin music player. Its main feature is the ability to download songs for offline listening.

    24 Finamp alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    Finamp screenshot 1
    Finamp screenshot 2
    Finamp screenshot 3
     
  7. Swiftfin icon

    Swiftfin

     Like
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    Swiftfin is a fast, native video player that works with Jellyfin, the open source free software media server.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Swiftfin screenshot 1
     
  9. iMediaShare icon

    iMediaShare

     8 likes
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    Play videos from your mobile to your HD TV! No box, no cables, no TV apps! Just pick a video and tap to play!

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    iMediaShare screenshot 1
     
  10. Molotov.tv icon

    Molotov.tv

     4 likes
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    Molotov is an app to watch TV on phone, Windows, MacOS and iphone/ipad.

    9 Molotov.tv alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Apple TV
    • Fire TV
    • Chromecast
    Molotov.tv screenshot 1
     
  11. VLC Streamer icon

    VLC Streamer

     7 likes
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    Sit anywhere in your house and watch movies or TV shows on your iPhone, iPod or iPad.

    68 VLC Streamer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • iPad
     
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    1
    Comments about VLC Streamer as an Alternative to Plex
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    very good app for IOS lovers. I use it always on my ipad.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Plex Icon
    VLC Streamer icon
    • VLC Streamer is Freemium and ProprietaryPlex is also Freemium and Proprietary
  13. Flipps icon

    Flipps

     8 likes
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    Watch the latest news, live sports events, YouTube and music videos on TV. Requires only phone/tablet and an optional connected TV. Supports Samsung TV, LG TV, Sony TV, Apple TV, XBox, Chromecast... and of course your mobile screen.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Kindle Fire
    Flipps screenshot 1
     
11 of 11 Plex alternatives