Alternatives / Plex
Looking for an open source Plex alternative? We compared 2 open source media solutions based on their media-server capabilities, self-hosting, licensing, device support, and pricing.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Jellyfin | Self-hosted media streaming | GPL-2.0 |
| Kodi | Home theater & local media | GPL-2.0-or-later |
We kept projects that are genuinely open source and overlap with Plex's media-server features: organizing, managing, and streaming movies, TV shows, music, and photos. We compared them on media-server capabilities, self-hosting, licensing, device support, and pricing. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Jellyfin is server-first: one central server manages your library and streams it to multiple clients. Kodi is playback and home-theater-first: it turns a TV, mini-PC, or other device into a media center, and it can use different media backends for multi-device setups.
Choose Jellyfin if you want to replace Plex's server architecture. Choose Kodi if you primarily want to turn a TV, mini-PC, or home-theater device into a media center.
Plex is a media-server platform designed to organize, manage, and stream movies, TV shows, music, and photos across multiple devices. Open-source alternatives provide greater control over your media library and infrastructure, without requiring a proprietary platform or subscription. The two solutions here take different approaches: Jellyfin is a complete media server, while Kodi is primarily a media-center application designed for playback and home-theater use.
| Alternative | Media server | Media center | Movies & TV | Music | Photos | Live TV / DVR | Multi-device streaming | Self-hosted | Subscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jellyfin | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Kodi | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Via backends | ✓ | — |
Want a direct open-source replacement for Plex
Jellyfin is a complete media server: one central server manages your library and streams it to computers, phones, smart TVs, and other devices.
Want to replace Plex's server architecture
Jellyfin's client-server design, web interface, mobile clients, and SyncPlay cover the same ground as a Plex server.
Want a home theater or media center
Kodi turns a TV, mini-PC, or other compatible device into a media center with a remote-control interface and a large add-on ecosystem.