the catalog · 🎬 Audio & video
Jellyfin
★ 42kMedia server for movies, shows, and music with apps on every device — no accounts, no tracking, no fees.
Jellyfin does the job of Plex Pass, self-hosted. It is GPL-2.0-licensed, a copyleft licence, and setting it up is an afternoon, not a weekend. Plex Pass bills $5 for it. 42k stars on GitHub.
Open-source replacement for Plex Pass.
- Licence
- GPL-2.0
- Self-hosting
- Medium
- The paid one costs
- $5
- GitHub stars
- 42k
Is it actually a replacement?
We have not written a verdict on Plex Pass yet, so this page says what Jellyfin is rather than judging what you would give up. When that product gets a page, this one will link to it.
How Jellyfin runs
Where it runs
Jellyfin runs on your server.
Installing it
Native server package for Windows/macOS/Linux/NAS, or Docker/Podman.
Where your data lives
Media stays in mounted filesystem folders; Jellyfin stores settings, users and indexed metadata in its local server data directory, including a SQLite database.
What setup takes
You must keep a server running, map media and config storage correctly, and configure networking/TLS for access outside the home.
The catch compared with Apple Music
It has no licensed catalogue or Spatial Audio service, and its music experience is secondary to a general-purpose video media server rather than a first-class Apple-native music app.
Jellyfin questions
Is Jellyfin open source?
Yes — it is released under GPL-2.0.
Can I self-host Jellyfin?
Yes — we rate it medium to self-host, and it runs on your server. Native server package for Windows/macOS/Linux/NAS, or Docker/Podman.