Jellyfin is an open source media server that puts your personal media library on any device in your home or over the internet, with no Plex Pass required and no data sent to a third-party cloud.
Plex charges $4.99/month or $119.99 lifetime for remote access beyond the local network. Without Plex Pass, your media stays locked to your home Wi-Fi. Jellyfin has no subscription tier and no remote access paywall: install it, open a port or set up a reverse proxy, and your library is reachable from anywhere.
Unlike Plex, Jellyfin collects no telemetry and has no cloud account requirement. Your watch history, playback data, and metadata stays on your server. The client apps cover web, Android, iOS, Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV, and live TV with DVR works through a TV tuner without an additional subscription.
Key Features
- Streams to web browsers, Android, iOS, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and more client apps
- Automatic metadata fetching and library organization for movies, TV shows, music, and photos
- Live TV and DVR via TV tuner integration and Electronic Program Guide support
- SyncPlay for synchronized remote watch parties across multiple users
- Hardware-accelerated transcoding to serve any device regardless of codec support
- Plugin system for custom metadata providers, subtitle downloading, and theme customization
Self-Hosting
Install via Docker, the official Linux package, or the Windows/macOS installer. Docker is the easiest path: one docker run command with volume mounts for your media. Remote access requires a reverse proxy (Nginx or Caddy) or port forwarding through your router.
License
GPL-2.0. Jellyfin is fully community-funded with no corporate owner. All client applications are covered under the same license and free to use, fork, and redistribute.
Best For
Jellyfin is best for media collectors who want to stream their own library without a subscription fee. It is the right choice for anyone who has hit Plex's remote access paywall or who wants their watch history and viewing data kept off external servers entirely.
