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Apps with Media server

3 apps

Top Media server apps ranked by the community

  1. Plex

    4.6(137.8K) · App Store

    Plex is a media platform that organizes your movies, shows, music and photos with Plex Media Server and streams them to apps on phones, TVs, consoles and browsers. It fetches artwork and metadata, transcodes when needed and offers free ad-supported movies and live TV. Core features are free, while a Plex Pass subscription unlocks extras such as hardware-accelerated transcoding and remote playback of your own media.

    9 Plex alternatives

    Pros

    • Polished apps on phones, TVs, consoles and browsers
    • Rich artwork and metadata for movies, shows and music
    • Free ad-supported movies and live TV alongside your own library

    Cons

    • Remote playback of your media and hardware transcoding need Plex Pass
    • Requires a Plex account, with sign-in depending on Plex servers
    • Ad-supported content clutters the interface
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Categories
    Media Players & Servers
    Platforms
    WebWindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroidSelf-hosted
    Features
    Cross-device syncHardware decodingMedia serverSubtitles support
    Visit websiteMore about Plex

  2. Jellyfin

    4.1(489) · App Store

    Jellyfin is a free, open source media server for hosting your own movies, TV shows, music, books and photos and streaming them to web, mobile, TV and desktop clients. Forked from Emby in 2018, it has no premium tier or tracking: hardware transcoding, live TV and DVR, multiple users and plugins are all included. The server runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker and many NAS devices.

    9 Jellyfin alternatives

    Pros

    • Completely free, with hardware transcoding and DVR included
    • Open source, with no tracking and no premium tier
    • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker and many NAS devices

    Cons

    • Client apps are less polished than Plex or Emby on some devices
    • Remote access needs manual setup such as a reverse proxy or VPN
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
    Categories
    Media Players & Servers
    Platforms
    WebWindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroidSelf-hosted
    Features
    Ad-freeHardware decodingMedia serverPlugins & extensionsSubtitles support
    Visit websiteMore about Jellyfin

  3. Emby

    3.1(654) · App Store

    Emby is a media server that organizes your movies, shows, music and photos and streams them to apps on the web, mobile devices, smart TVs and consoles. It supports multiple user profiles with parental controls, automatic metadata and live TV. The server and basic apps are free, while an Emby Premiere subscription unlocks extras such as hardware transcoding and DVR. Emby moved away from open source in 2018.

    7 Emby alternatives

    Pros

    • Streams to web, mobile, smart TVs and consoles
    • Multiple profiles with parental controls and live TV
    • Automatic metadata keeps libraries well organized

    Cons

    • Hardware transcoding and DVR require an Emby Premiere subscription
    • No longer open source, unlike its fork Jellyfin
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Categories
    Media Players & Servers
    Platforms
    WebWindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroidSelf-hosted
    Features
    Hardware decodingMedia serverPlugins & extensionsSubtitles support
    Visit websiteMore about Emby