Best 10 Plex Alternatives in 2026: Free and Paid Media Servers

Jellyfin is the best overall Plex alternative: it is free, open source and needs no account. This list covers 10 media servers, players and music-only options for video, music and live TV. The mix includes free, freemium and paid picks across server, player and home-theater categories.

Why people look for alternatives to Plex

Some users want to avoid paywalled features, like premium tiers or subscriptions.

Others prefer a setup with no central account system, either for privacy or for control.

Some just want something simpler, such as a basic DLNA server for TVs. Then there are the niche needs: music-only streaming, live TV and recording, or a better player for Apple devices.

Quick comparison table

Read the "Type" column first. A server hosts your library, while a player only plays media from somewhere else.

1. Jellyfin

Best for: users who want a fully free, self-hosted Plex replacement.

Jellyfin is open source and has no paid tier. Unlike Plex, it has no central account system, and it runs on a wide range of platforms, including Docker.

Its best trait is simple: nothing is locked behind a paywall.

The trade-off is that without a central account system, you get no built-in cloud sign-in.

2. Emby

Best for: users who want a design closest to Plex.

Emby organizes video, music and photo libraries and streams them to many devices, including NAS setups. It has a free tier and a paid Emby Premiere subscription.

Premiere is where the good stuff lives: hardware transcoding and DVR. If you want those, expect to pay, much as you would with Plex's premium options.

3. Kodi

Best for: living-room users who want a customizable local player.

Kodi is a free, open-source media center that plays local and network media. Its add-on ecosystem is the main draw, since it lets you reshape the interface and extend what it can do.

The catch is that it is mainly a player front-end. It is not a server with built-in remote streaming like Plex.

4. Infuse

Best for: Apple users who want a polished player.

Infuse is a player, not a server. It streams from SMB, NFS, Plex, Jellyfin, Emby and other sources, so it can sit in front of your existing library.

Its strength is playback from many source types in one Apple-native app. There is a free tier and a Pro option, sold as a subscription or one-time purchase. It runs only on Apple platforms.

5. Stremio

Best for: people who want to aggregate streaming sources in one place.

Stremio organizes video content through add-ons and can also play local libraries. Add-on-based aggregation is what sets it apart.

The trade-off is focus. It is not built around hosting your own library the way Plex is, so it suits browsing better than library management.

6. Universal Media Server

Best for: simple DLNA streaming to TVs and consoles.

Universal Media Server is a free DLNA, UPnP and HTTP server with no cloud accounts. It streams to a broad range of devices with minimal setup.

It is simpler than Plex, but it has no mobile-app ecosystem, so don't expect polished phone apps.

7. Serviio

Best for: home-network DLNA streaming to compatible devices.

Serviio streams video, audio and images across your home network. It comes in a free edition and a Pro edition.

Its strength is DLNA streaming to compatible devices around the house. The downside is that its client apps are less polished than Plex's.

8. Subsonic

Best for: people who mainly use Plex for music.

Subsonic is a web-based personal music streaming server with apps on several platforms. You can reach it from a browser, which suits a music-focused setup.

Note that the apps require a paid subscription, and it is audio-only, so video is off the table.

9. Navidrome

Best for: self-hosters who want a light music server.

Navidrome is open source, audio-only and compatible with Subsonic clients. Its very low resource use is the highlight.

It supports Docker, which makes deployment easy. Unlike Plex's all-in-one approach, it does one job: music.

10. MediaPortal

Best for: Windows home-theater PC builders who want live TV and recording.

MediaPortal is an open-source Windows media center with local library playback. Live TV and recording are its strongest features.

The catch is that it is Windows only, and it is not a server-and-apps model like Plex.

How we picked these tools

Each tool does a core Plex job and has a clear use case. Together they cover a mix of price tiers, and the list spans servers, players and music-only options.

Entries are based on published product information, not hands-on testing, ratings or scores. Features and pricing can change, so check the official sites.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free Plex alternative?

Jellyfin is the best free option as a full server. Kodi is a free choice if you only need a player.

Which alternative is closest to Plex, and what works for music?

Emby is closest to Plex in design. For music only, look at Navidrome or Subsonic. For Apple devices, Infuse is the player to try.

Do I need a server to use these?

Not always. Servers like Jellyfin, Emby and Navidrome host your library and stream it out. Players like Kodi and Infuse only play media, either from local files or from a server elsewhere.

The verdict

Jellyfin is the strongest overall pick: free, open source and broadly supported.

Emby is the runner-up if you want a Plex-like experience and accept a paid tier. Infuse is the runner-up for Apple users who want a better player.

Music-only listeners should try Navidrome. If you only need DLNA, Universal Media Server is the simple choice.