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Emby Server vs Tvheadend: catalog facts
Emby Server	Tvheadend
Freemium The server is free to use. Emby Premiere is a paid subscription that unlocks hardware…	Free Free to download and run on your own server.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted, Android, iOS, Web	Linux, Self-hosted
Client apps on phones, tablets, smart televisions and consoles Live TV and DVR from a tuner card or network tuner	Handles broadcast tuners and IPTV in one server Streams live TV and records programmes
Closed source since 2018 Hardware transcoding and offline downloads need a paid subscription	Linux only Needs tuner hardware or an IPTV source to be useful
Self-hosted, Downloadable app	Self-hosted
Closed source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.