Best Open Source Alternatives to Plex

Compare the best free and open-source alternatives to Plex — self-hosted and desktop replacements you fully control, ranked by GitHub stars, license and platform support.

Curated by open-source.store · Updated November 2026 · 5 alternatives

Plex

Proprietary SaaS

PricingFreemium

Platformsweb, desktop, mobile, windows, macos, linux, android, ios

WebsiteVisit site

Plex alternatives compared

Open-source alternatives to Plex, compared by stars, license and platform
Tool		License	Platforms	Self-hosted
Jellyfin	58,941	GPL-2.0	LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker	Yes	Nov 2026	Visit
Kodi	21,422	GPL-2.0-or-later	LinuxmacOSWindowsandroid	No	Nov 2026	Visit
Streama	9,820	MIT	LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker	Yes	Oct 2026	Visit
Universal Media Server	2,668	GPL-2.0	LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker	Yes	Nov 2026	Visit
Gerbera	1,402	GPL-2.0	LinuxmacOSDocker	Yes	Nov 2026	Visit

Top open-source Plex alternatives

Jellyfin58,941GPL-2.0

Jellyfin is an open-source media server alternative to Plex that streams your personal movies, shows, and music with free hardware transcoding.

LinuxmacOSWindowsDockerWeb

vs Plex: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed GPL-2.0.

Visit Details

Kodi21,422GPL-2.0-or-later

Kodi is an open-source home theater player that replaces proprietary media hubs like Plex with subscription-free direct playback and total local control.

LinuxmacOSWindowsandroidios

vs Plex: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed GPL-2.0-or-later.

Visit Details

Streama9,820MIT

Streama is an open-source media server for streaming personal movies and TV shows in the browser with TMDb metadata and zero server-side transcoding.

LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker

vs Plex: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed MIT.

Visit Details

Universal Media Server2,668GPL-2.0

Universal Media Server replaces Plex for local streaming, transcoding media on the fly for DLNA devices without requiring dedicated client apps.

LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker

vs Plex: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed GPL-2.0.

Visit Details

Gerbera1,402GPL-2.0

Gerbera is a lightweight UPnP and DLNA media server replacing Plex for local playback, streaming media across home networks without accounts or tracking.

LinuxmacOSDocker

vs Plex: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed GPL-2.0.

Visit Details

Best Open Source Alternatives to Plex

Plex

Plex alternatives compared

Top open-source Plex alternatives

The modern standard for Protobuf workflows

Mentoring for backend developers. Consulting for startups.