Alternatives to Emby Server

A personal media server for video, music, photos and live TV, with the good parts behind a subscription. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Emby Server.

  • Jellyfin

    A free media server for your own films, shows and music, with no premium tier and no account.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedWeb

    Jellyfin is free and open source under GPL-2.0 with no premium tier, so hardware transcoding and every other feature are available without paying, though TV client quality varies.

  • Plex Media Server

    A polished media server for your own library, free on the home network, with a paid pass for remote streaming.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedWebAndroidiOS

    Plex is also closed source and freemium, with client apps on more devices, free local streaming, and a paid pass needed for streaming outside the home.

  • Dim

    Self-hosted media manager with automatic metadata fetching.

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hosted

    Dim is a free open-source self-hosted media manager with automatic metadata fetching, but it runs only as a web and self-hosted service with a smaller community.

  • Universal Media Server

    DLNA media server that streams a local library to TVs, consoles and phones.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted

    Universal Media Server is a free GPL-2.0 DLNA server that reaches old TVs and consoles without an app, but it lacks polished client apps and user features.

  • Kyoo

    A self-hosted media server for movies, TV series and anime, with transcoding and Chromecast support.

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hosted

    Kyoo is a free open-source server for films, series and anime with transcoding and OpenID Connect login, with a smaller client app ecosystem and no live TV.

  • Channels DVR

    A home DVR server that records live TV and streams recordings and personal media to your devices.

    PaidProprietaryAndroidiOSSelf-hosted

    Channels DVR focuses on recording antenna, provider and internet TV, also serving personal media, and is paid and closed source with apps for Apple TV and Fire TV.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Emby Server as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • MythTV

    A free open source digital video recorder and home media center for recording and watching TV.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hosted

    Emby Server offers live TV and DVR from tuner cards plus a full media library, but it is closed source and puts hardware transcoding behind a paid subscription.

  • Navidrome

    A tiny music server for your own collection that works with dozens of existing phone apps.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedWeb

    Emby Server covers music plus video, photos and live TV with its own mobile apps, but it is closed source and the mobile apps are limited until you pay.

  • NextPVR

    A whole-home personal video recorder that records live TV and streams it to your devices.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted

    Emby Server adds live TV and DVR to a full media library with polished client apps, but hardware transcoding and offline downloads require a paid subscription.

  • Serviio

    A Java-based DLNA media server that streams music, video and images to devices on a home network.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted

    Emby Server offers client apps, live TV and multiple users, but it is closed source and hardware transcoding needs a paid subscription.

  • Tvheadend

    A Linux TV streaming server and recorder for DVB, ATSC, IPTV and other live TV sources.

    FreeProprietaryLinuxSelf-hosted

    Emby Server provides live TV and DVR from a tuner card or network tuner on several operating systems, but it is closed source with key features behind a subscription.

  • Twonky Server

    A paid DLNA media server that shares music, photos and video with devices on a home network.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    Emby Server is a freemium media server with polished client apps, parental controls and live TV, with hardware transcoding and offline downloads behind a subscription.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.