Free Emby alternatives

All Emby alternatives

1. 

   

   Plex

   4.6(137.8K) · App StoreLike

   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 StoreLike

   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. 

   

   Kodi

   21.3KstarsLike

   Kodi is a free, open source media center, originally known as XBMC, designed for the big screen and remote controls. It organizes local and network movies, shows, music and photos with artwork and metadata, plays nearly every format, and is extended through add-ons, skins and PVR backends for live TV. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and small devices such as the Raspberry Pi.

   9 Kodi alternatives

   Pros

   • Big-screen interface designed for remote controls
   • Extensible with add-ons, skins and PVR backends for live TV
   • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and the Raspberry Pi

   Cons

   • Setup and configuration take time for newcomers
   • Third-party add-ons vary in quality, and some carry legal or security risks

   Cost / License

   FreeOpen source

   Categories

   Media Players & Servers

   Platforms

   WindowsMacLinuxAndroid

   Features

   Hardware decodingPlays almost any formatPlugins & extensionsSubtitles support

   Visit websiteMore about Kodi
4. 

   

   Infuse

   4.7(28.4K) · App StoreLike

   Infuse is a video player for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac and Vision Pro that plays files from network shares, cloud drives and media servers such as Plex, Emby and Jellyfin. It fetches artwork and metadata, downloads subtitles from OpenSubtitles and syncs watch history with Trakt. Core playback is free, while Infuse Pro adds support for more formats, Dolby Vision and Atmos audio, and additional services.

   7 Infuse alternatives

   Pros

   • Polished playback with artwork and metadata across Apple devices
   • Connects to network shares, cloud drives, Plex, Emby and Jellyfin
   • Trakt sync and automatic subtitles from OpenSubtitles

   Cons

   • Apple platforms only, with no Android or Windows app
   • Some formats, Dolby Vision and Atmos require Infuse Pro

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Media Players & Servers

   Platforms

   MaciPhone

   Features

   Cross-device syncPlays almost any formatSubtitles support

   Visit websiteMore about Infuse
5. 

   

   VLC media player

   3.7(6K) · App StoreLike

   VLC is a free and open source media player from the VideoLAN non-profit that handles most video and audio formats, DVDs, audio CDs and network streams without installing extra codecs. It supports subtitles, hardware decoding, filters, format conversion and streaming, and can be extended with add-ons and skins. It runs on desktop and mobile platforms, with no ads, tracking or paid tier.

   9 VLC media player alternatives

   Pros

   • Plays almost any file, disc or stream without extra codecs
   • Free and open source, with no ads or tracking
   • Available on desktop and mobile platforms

   Cons

   • Interface looks dated next to more modern players
   • Advanced settings are buried in complex preference menus

   Cost / License

   FreeOpen source

   Categories

   Media Players & Servers

   Platforms

   WindowsMacLinuxiPhoneAndroid

   Features

   Ad-freeHardware decodingPlays almost any formatPlugins & extensionsSubtitles support

   Visit websiteMore about VLC media player
6. 

   

   mpv

   37.3KstarsLike

   mpv is a free, open source media player for the command line with a minimal on-screen controller. Built on FFmpeg and descended from MPlayer, it plays a wide range of formats, renders high-quality video with GPU shaders and hardware decoding, and is configured through text files and key bindings. Lua and JavaScript scripts extend it, and the libmpv library powers front ends such as IINA.

   9 mpv alternatives

   Pros

   • Excellent video quality with GPU shaders and hardware decoding
   • Highly scriptable with Lua and JavaScript
   • libmpv powers other front ends such as IINA

   Cons

   • Minimal interface with no menus or playlist manager by default
   • Configuration lives in text files, which deters casual users

   Cost / License

   FreeOpen source

   Categories

   Media Players & Servers

   Platforms

   WindowsMacLinux

   Features

   API accessHardware decodingPlays almost any formatPlugins & extensionsSubtitles support

   Visit websiteMore about mpv
7. 

   

   IINA

   46.7KstarsLike

   IINA is a free, open source video player for macOS built on top of mpv. It wraps mpv's broad format support and hardware decoding in a native Mac interface with dark mode, Picture-in-Picture, trackpad gestures and Touch Bar controls. It can fetch subtitles from online sources, play YouTube and other web streams through youtube-dl compatible tools, and supports plugins written in JavaScript.

   7 IINA alternatives

   Pros

   • Native macOS interface with Picture-in-Picture and trackpad gestures
   • mpv engine plays almost any format with hardware decoding
   • Fetches subtitles online and plays web streams

   Cons

   • Available only on macOS
   • No media library management or media server features

   Cost / License

   FreeOpen source

   Categories

   Media Players & Servers

   Platforms

   Mac

   Features

   Dark modeHardware decodingPlays almost any formatPlugins & extensionsSubtitles support

   Visit websiteMore about IINA