Plex Alternatives for Mac

There are many alternatives to Plex for Mac if you are looking for a replacement. The best Mac alternative 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 available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to Plex are Emby, Universal Media Server, Navidrome and Serviio.

filter to find the best alternatives

Plex alternatives are mainly Media Servers, but if you're looking for Media Centers or Media Players 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.
More about Plex
Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
Plex alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. Jellyfin icon

    Jellyfin

     325 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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
     
    |
    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
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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
     
    |
    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. Universal Media Server icon

    Universal Media Server

     133 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Universal Media Server screenshot 1
     
    |
    4
    37
    Comments about Universal Media Server as an Alternative to Plex
    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Works fine with Chromecast.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    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
  5. Navidrome icon

    Navidrome

     48 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Navidrome is an open source web-based music collection server and streamer. It gives you freedom to listen to your music collection from any browser or mobile device.

    63 Navidrome alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Self-Hosted
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Cloudron
    Navidrome screenshot 1
     
  6. Serviio icon

    Serviio

     54 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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.

    49 Serviio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Serviio screenshot 1
     
    |
    19
  7. Ampache icon

    Ampache

     62 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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.

    98 Ampache alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • PHP
    • Cloudron
    Ampache screenshot 1
     
    |
    2
    6
    Comments about Ampache as an Alternative to Plex
    Guest
    Negative
    6

    Ampache is an audio server, while plex supports both audio and video (and it is heavily focused on video streaming)

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Ampache is an audio server only, which is only a small subset of what Plex does, and not even Plex's primary focus.

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

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

    • Ampache is Free and Open SourcePlex is Freemium and Proprietary
  9. Infuse icon

    Infuse

     48 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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
     
    |
    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
  10. MediaChips icon

    MediaChips

     18 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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.

    38 MediaChips alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once or Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    MediaChips screenshot 1
     
  11. Subsonic icon

    Subsonic

     93 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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...

    87 Subsonic alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Windows Phone
    • Self-Hosted
    Main Application Window
     
    |
    1
    8
    Comments about Subsonic as an Alternative to Plex
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    No video server. Just music.

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

    • Most users think Subsonic is a great Plex alternative.

    • Subsonic is the most popular Web-based alternative to Plex.

    • Subsonic is Freemium and ProprietaryPlex is also Freemium and Proprietary
  12. JRiver Media Center icon

    JRiver Media Center

     40 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    JRiver Media Center is a multimedia application that allows the user to play and organize various types of media on a computer.

    53 JRiver Media Center alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    JRiver Media Center screenshot 1
     

    • JRiver Media Center is the most popular commercial alternative to Plex.

    • JRiver Media Center is Paid and ProprietaryPlex is Freemium and Proprietary
  13. Video Hub App icon

    Video Hub App

     23 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Browse, search, preview, and organize your videos.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Thumbnails view
     
  14. Madsonic icon

    Madsonic

     21 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Kindle Fire
    Madsonic screenshot 1
     
12 of 39 Plex alternatives