# Jellyfin review, pricing and alternatives

Source: https://listme.name/software/jellyfin
Website: https://jellyfin.org/

Free software media server you run on your own hardware

Jellyfin is a free, open-source media server that streams your movies, shows, music and photos to web, desktop, mobile and TV clients. It is built by volunteers, has no subscription, and its code is published on GitHub under GPL-2.0.

Jellyfin runs a personal media server on your own hardware and streams the library to clients such as web browsers, desktop apps, Android and Apple devices, and TV boxes. Its site describes it as the volunteer-built free software media system that puts users in control of their media, with the server running on your system. It handles movies, TV, music and photos.

The project is free software and has no subscription or premium tier, which is the main difference from Plex. Setup takes more work than Plex, because the server, storage and client apps are configured by the user. It suits people who want a free, self-hosted library and do not want an account with a vendor, while Plex suits people who are willing to pay for extras and want its apps.

- Free and open source | Web, Android, Self-hosted | open source (GPL-2.0)
- Price: Free and open source with no subscription; you host the server
- Checked: 2026-10-10

## Strengths

- Free software with no subscription or premium tier
- Streams to web, Android and TV clients
- Your library stays on your own server

## Limits

- Setup and maintenance are on the user
- Client app quality varies across platforms

## Rankings

- #1 of 10 in [best Media server software](https://listme.name/best/media-server-software), score 94.0: Free and open source under GPL-2.0, covering movies, TV, music and photos with no vendor account required. Setup and client apps take more effort than Plex, but nothing in the software sits behind a paid pass.
- #3 of 10 in [best Media players](https://listme.name/best/media-players), score 87.5: Free software media server with no subscription, streaming to web and Android clients from your own hardware. Setup and maintenance fall on the user, which makes it harder to start than Plex.

## Alternatives

- [Plex](https://listme.name/software/plex), score 92.5
- [VLC media player](https://listme.name/software/vlc), score 91.5
- [Immich](https://listme.name/software/immich), score 91.0
- [Navidrome](https://listme.name/software/navidrome), score 90.0
- [Audiobookshelf](https://listme.name/software/audiobookshelf), score 89.5
- [Komga](https://listme.name/software/komga), score 88.0
- [Kavita](https://listme.name/software/kavita), score 87.0
- [Emby](https://listme.name/software/emby), score 84.5