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Why pay for Plex when Jellyfin exists?

Someone1234 5mo ago
For me, constant streaming hiccups, when the two were on the same physical network (Cat6 end-to-end). It may be the Apple TV Jellyfin app, but all the advice online is "re-encode your content so Jellyfin works correctly" (with everyone suggesting a different "correct" format). Ultimately Plex "just works" for the most part, including channel information for live TV. Jellyfin is very impressive, for free. It is just hard to sustain multiple apps across platforms, when you have little to no income to hire developers.
- cricalix 5mo ago
  I have content in mkv and mp4, SDR and HDR, 264 and 265. I stream from a Jellyfin container with an onboard Intel GPU passed through for transcoding as needed. The client is a 8 series NUC on gigabit using the Flatpak Jellyfin app on a Fedora 44 install. I've yet to encounter any issues with any of my library. Anecdotes aren't data and all that.
- s_dev 5mo ago
  https://neptuneplayer.com/ https://neptuneplayer.com/ https://firecore.com/infuse https://firecore.com/infuse
- magarnicle 5mo ago
  The Apple TV app is terrible. I use Infuse instead.
trynumber9 5mo ago
There's little reason at this price. I run both, Plex for people who are already used to it, and Jellyfin for myself and anyone new. At around ~$100 I think the Plex experience was better enough to justify it, personally.
samfriedman 5mo ago
I believe of Plex/Jellyfin/Emby, only Plex has a app for PS5. From what I gather Sony are rather strict about who they allow to develop PS5 apps, and Plex is a "strategic partner" ($$$).
tym0 5mo ago
For me, and despite the constant enshitification of Plex, the apps are still better. But I'm really close to the tipping point, I've been tinkering with making Kodi not suck but custom themes really seem like piles of unsuported plugins.
aeturnum 5mo ago
Historically, Plex was the only show in town - and the only non-DLNA server you could access from most streaming devices. That's changing now, but it's not changing that fast. I believe our older google streamers still don't have a jellyfin app (though I could be wrong). We simply run both services in any case.
enlyth 5mo ago
Some of us already have a lifetime subscription, why move to Jellyfin? I'd have to set it up and tell all the consumers of my server to move apps, and not all of them are tech literate. It would take a lot of enshittification to force me to move.
surajrmal 5mo ago
If you have to ask the question you're probably not the target demographic.
joecot 5mo ago
Because Plex provides a way for me to share my server with my friends. They're mostly not very technical, but they can handle "sign up for this free account and install an app and you can stream from my basement like it's Netflix". Jellyfin has no such solution that I can tell. Stuff like give them access over Tailscale is not the same user friendly option that Plex has. When there's an actual alternative for easily sharing with friends, I'll consider it. Til then I've had a lifetime Plex Pass for around a decade.
- s_dev 5mo ago
  I have a remote Jellyfin setup as a server that streams. It's entirely in the cloud. It's far easier to share with friends as none of them are required to buy a Plex account.
  - joecot 5mo ago
    None of mine are required to buy a plex account either. They just need to make a free account. Me running it with Plex Pass means they don't have to pay to stream it.
- BeetleB 5mo ago
  > They're mostly not very technical, but they can handle "sign up for this free account and install an app and you can stream from my basement like it's Netflix". Ironically, every person I've tried to get to sign up so they can view my content failed, because they all would put in a different email address than the one they were invited to use (presumably one they use for signing up stuff). I then have to either re-invite them or tell them to sign up with the original email address. All but one just gave up. These are somewhat technical users, so perhaps they're too smart for it?
TiredOfLife 5mo ago
Plex works.
BeetleB 5mo ago
Every few years I try Jellyfin, and each time it really fails bad. I need it to work on Roku. I need it to work on my phone. Working on XBox is nice. The last time I tried it, it couldn't handle a folder with hundreds of videos. I don't remember the problem, but I think clicking on one video would play a completely different video. And their DVR support was really, really bad (I heavily use Plex for OTA DVR - it is awesome). I definitely would like to use Jellyfin as an alternative, but it's never "just worked" for me.

For me, constant streaming hiccups, when the two were on the same physical network (Cat6 end-to-end). It may be the Apple TV Jellyfin app, but all the advice online is "re-encode your content so Jellyfin works correctly" (with everyone suggesting a different "correct" format). Ultimately Plex "just works" for the most part, including channel information for live TV. Jellyfin is very impressive, for free. It is just hard to sustain multiple apps across platforms, when you have little to no income to hire developers.

cricalix 5mo ago
I have content in mkv and mp4, SDR and HDR, 264 and 265. I stream from a Jellyfin container with an onboard Intel GPU passed through for transcoding as needed. The client is a 8 series NUC on gigabit using the Flatpak Jellyfin app on a Fedora 44 install. I've yet to encounter any issues with any of my library. Anecdotes aren't data and all that.
s_dev 5mo ago
https://neptuneplayer.com/ https://neptuneplayer.com/ https://firecore.com/infuse https://firecore.com/infuse
magarnicle 5mo ago
The Apple TV app is terrible. I use Infuse instead.

trynumber9 5mo ago

There's little reason at this price. I run both, Plex for people who are already used to it, and Jellyfin for myself and anyone new. At around ~$100 I think the Plex experience was better enough to justify it, personally.

samfriedman 5mo ago

I believe of Plex/Jellyfin/Emby, only Plex has a app for PS5. From what I gather Sony are rather strict about who they allow to develop PS5 apps, and Plex is a "strategic partner" ($$$).

tym0 5mo ago

For me, and despite the constant enshitification of Plex, the apps are still better. But I'm really close to the tipping point, I've been tinkering with making Kodi not suck but custom themes really seem like piles of unsuported plugins.

aeturnum 5mo ago

Historically, Plex was the only show in town - and the only non-DLNA server you could access from most streaming devices. That's changing now, but it's not changing that fast. I believe our older google streamers still don't have a jellyfin app (though I could be wrong). We simply run both services in any case.

enlyth 5mo ago

Some of us already have a lifetime subscription, why move to Jellyfin? I'd have to set it up and tell all the consumers of my server to move apps, and not all of them are tech literate. It would take a lot of enshittification to force me to move.

surajrmal 5mo ago

If you have to ask the question you're probably not the target demographic.

joecot 5mo ago

Because Plex provides a way for me to share my server with my friends. They're mostly not very technical, but they can handle "sign up for this free account and install an app and you can stream from my basement like it's Netflix". Jellyfin has no such solution that I can tell. Stuff like give them access over Tailscale is not the same user friendly option that Plex has. When there's an actual alternative for easily sharing with friends, I'll consider it. Til then I've had a lifetime Plex Pass for around a decade.

s_dev 5mo ago
I have a remote Jellyfin setup as a server that streams. It's entirely in the cloud. It's far easier to share with friends as none of them are required to buy a Plex account.
- joecot 5mo ago
  None of mine are required to buy a plex account either. They just need to make a free account. Me running it with Plex Pass means they don't have to pay to stream it.
BeetleB 5mo ago
> They're mostly not very technical, but they can handle "sign up for this free account and install an app and you can stream from my basement like it's Netflix". Ironically, every person I've tried to get to sign up so they can view my content failed, because they all would put in a different email address than the one they were invited to use (presumably one they use for signing up stuff). I then have to either re-invite them or tell them to sign up with the original email address. All but one just gave up. These are somewhat technical users, so perhaps they're too smart for it?

TiredOfLife 5mo ago

Plex works.

BeetleB 5mo ago

Every few years I try Jellyfin, and each time it really fails bad. I need it to work on Roku. I need it to work on my phone. Working on XBox is nice. The last time I tried it, it couldn't handle a folder with hundreds of videos. I don't remember the problem, but I think clicking on one video would play a completely different video. And their DVR support was really, really bad (I heavily use Plex for OTA DVR - it is awesome). I definitely would like to use Jellyfin as an alternative, but it's never "just worked" for me.