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14 alternatives to Plex

Plex is a Media Streaming product. The community recommends 14 alternatives: 12 open source, 14 self-hostable and 12 free to use. They are ranked by community votes, ratings and favorites, with the key differences from Plex highlighted.

Last updated:

P

About Plex

Centralized home media playback system with a powerful central server.

Closed source
Self-hostable
View detailsVisit website

Quick picks

Jellyfin logo

Top rated

Jellyfin

5 (1 rating)

Jellyfin logo

Best open-source pick

Jellyfin

Open source, GPL-2.0 license

Jellyfin logo

Best self-hosted pick

Jellyfin

Run it on your own server

Jellyfin logo

Best free pick

Jellyfin

Free to use

All alternatives

  1. 0
    1.

    Jellyfin

    媒体串流

    An open-source media server for managing and streaming your media collection, with powerful transcoding and clients for many platforms.

    Open source · GPL-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    5 (1 rating)DetailsWebsite
  2. 0
    2.

    Emby

    Media Streaming

    Home media server supporting both DLNA and DIAL (Chromecast) devices out-of-the-box.

    Self-hostable
    DetailsWebsite
  3. 0
    3.

    Audioserve

    Media Streaming

    Simple personal server to serve audio files from directories (audiobooks, music, podcasts...). Focused on simplicity and supports sync of play position between clients.

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  4. 0
    4.

    Channels DVR Server

    Media Streaming

    Flexible server providing a whole home self hosted DVR experience for [Channels](https://getchannels.com).

    Self-hostable
    DetailsWebsite
  5. 0
    5.

    Gerbera

    Media Streaming

    UPnP Media Server, which allows you to stream your digital media throughout your home network and listen to/watch it on a variety of UPnP compatible devices.

    Open source · GPL-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  6. 0
    6.

    Kodi

    媒体串流

    开源的媒体中心软件，让您可以在各种设备上管理和播放媒体内容

    Open source · GPL-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  7. 0
    7.

    Kyoo

    Media Streaming

    Innovative media browser designed for seamless streaming of anime, series and movies, offering advanced features like dynamic transcoding, auto watch history and intelligent metadata retrieval.

    Open source · GPL-3.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  8. 0
    8.

    NymphCast

    Media Streaming

    Turn your choice of Linux-capable hardware into an audio and video source for a television or powered speakers (alternative to Chromecast).

    Open source · BSD-3-Clause
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  9. 0
    9.

    Rapidbay

    Media Streaming

    Self-hosted torrent videostreaming service/torrent client that allows searching and playing videos from torrents in the browser or from a Chromecast/AppleTV/Smart TV.

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  10. 0
    10.

    Reaparr

    Media Management

    Plex downloader that brings content from any server to yours!

    Open source · GPL-3.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  11. 0
    11.

    Retrom

    Games

    Private cloud game library distribution server + frontend/launcher.

    Open source · GPL-3.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  12. 0
    12.

    Rygel

    Media Streaming

    Rygel is a UPnP AV MediaServer that allows you to easily share audio, video, and pictures. Media player software may use Rygel to become a MediaRenderer that may be controlled remotely by a UPnP or DLNA Controller.

    Open source · LGPL-2.1
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  13. 0
    13.

    Stash

    Media Streaming

    A web-based library organizer and player for your adult media stash, with auto-tagging and metadata scraping support.

    Open source · AGPL-3.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  14. 0
    14.

    Webtor

    File Transfer

    Self-hosted version of webtor.io implemented as an all-in-one Docker image

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Plex

    • + Open source (Plex is not)
    DetailsWebsite

Plex vs. alternatives

ServiceOpen sourceSelf-hostedLicensePricingPlatformsRatingVotes
Plex
Current
NoYesproprietary——5 (1)—
JellyfinYesYesGPL-2.0——5 (1)0
EmbyNoYesproprietary———0
AudioserveYesYesMIT———0
Channels DVR ServerNoYesproprietary———0
GerberaYesYesGPL-2.0———0
KodiYesYesGPL-2.0———0
KyooYesYesGPL-3.0———0
NymphCastYesYesBSD-3-Clause———0
RapidbayYesYesMIT———0
ReaparrYesYesGPL-3.0———0
RetromYesYesGPL-3.0———0
RygelYesYesLGPL-2.1———0
StashYesYesAGPL-3.0———0
WebtorYesYesMIT———0

FAQ

What is the best alternative to Plex?

Community-recommended alternatives to Plex include Jellyfin, Emby, Audioserve, Channels DVR Server, Gerbera, and Kodi. Compare open source, self-hosting, pricing and platforms to choose.

Is there a free alternative to Plex?

Yes. Jellyfin, Audioserve, Gerbera, Kodi, Kyoo, and NymphCast can be used for free; the open-source, self-hostable ones can be run on your own server at no cost.

Is there an open-source alternative to Plex?

Yes. Open-source alternatives include Jellyfin, Audioserve, Gerbera, Kodi, Kyoo, and NymphCast.

Can I self-host an alternative to Plex?

Yes. Jellyfin, Emby, Audioserve, Channels DVR Server, Gerbera, and Kodi can run on your own server, so you keep control of your data.

Other Media Streaming services

Services in the same category that haven't been suggested as Plex alternatives yet. If one fits, add it as an alternative.

  • MediaCMS logo
    MediaCMS

    Modern, fully featured open source video and media CMS, written in Python/Django/React, featuring a REST API.

    Open source
    Self-hostable
  • N
    Netflix

    Subscription streaming service for films, TV series and original productions.

  • S
    Subsonic

    Web-based media streamer and jukebox.

    Self-hostable
  • Y
    YouTube

    Google's video sharing and streaming platform, ad-supported with an optional Premium subscription.

  • V
    Väinö

    High-fidelity music server for Raspberry Pi with iOS and Android companion apps.

    Self-hostable
  • S
    Spotify

    Music, podcast and audiobook streaming service with an ad-supported free tier and Premium subscriptions.

Know another Plex alternative?

Once added, the community can vote and the best suggestions rise to the top.