Best Plex Alternatives
If you are leaving Plex, the best alternative for most people is Jellyfin: free, private, fully self-hosted, with free hardware transcoding. Emby is the polished middle ground, and Kodi is the answer if you want a media player rather than a server.
Updated 2026-06-03 · by Jonathan Caruso
Top pick
Jellyfin
Jellyfin is the natural Plex replacement. It does almost everything Plex does, including hardware transcoding, with no account, no telemetry, and no paid tier. The apps have improved a lot, and nothing leaves your network unless you set up remote access yourself.
The options
Jellyfin
GPL, freeA free, private, fully self-hosted media server (a community fork of Emby).
Visit Jellyfin site- Runs on
- Docker or native; Intel Quick Sync helps for transcoding.
- Pick it if
- You want free, private media with no account and free hardware transcoding.
Emby
Open core, free tierA polished media server with a free tier and Emby Premiere for extra features.
Visit Emby site- Runs on
- Docker or native.
- Pick it if
- You want more polish than Jellyfin and do not mind paying for some features.
Kodi
GPL, freeA media player and front end that runs on the device, not a server.
Visit Kodi site- Runs on
- Runs on the playback device (TV box, PC, Pi).
- Pick it if
- You want a local media player rather than a server streaming to clients.
How to choose
For almost everyone leaving Plex, Jellyfin is the move. It is the closest like-for-like replacement, free including hardware transcoding, and fully private. The one thing it asks is that you set up your own remote access, which a reverse proxy or a mesh VPN handles. Emby sits between Plex and Jellyfin: more polish than Jellyfin, a paid tier for some features, and no Plex account required.
Kodi is a different shape. It is a media player that runs on the playback device and reads your library directly, rather than a server streaming to thin clients. If your setup is one media box on a TV, Kodi can be simpler than running a server at all. For a head-to-head on the two big options, see Jellyfin vs Plex.
The verdict
The best Plex alternative for most people is Jellyfin: free, private, fully self-hosted, with free hardware transcoding and no account. Choose Emby if you want more polish and will pay for a few features, or Kodi if you want a local media player on the device rather than a server. For the detailed head-to-head, see Jellyfin vs Plex.
FAQ
What is the best Plex replacement?
Jellyfin, for most people. It is free, private, fully self-hosted, and does what Plex does including hardware transcoding, with no account and no subscription. Emby is the more polished paid-tier option, and Kodi is the choice if you want a local media player instead of a server.
Is Plex or Jellyfin better?
Plex has more polished apps and easier remote access. Jellyfin is free, private, and has no account or paid features. If you value polish and pay for Plex Pass, Plex; if you value owning your setup and zero cost, Jellyfin. See our full Jellyfin vs Plex comparison.
Is free Plex going away?
Plex has steadily moved features behind Plex Pass and changed how remote streaming is priced, which is what pushes people to look at alternatives. Jellyfin sidesteps all of that by being free with no account.