The Most Popular Media Servers
The Most Popular Open-Source Media Servers 2023
The most popular open-source media servers of 2023 are:
- Plex
- Jellyfin
- Kodi
- Emby
- MediaPortal
- Universal Media Server
- OSMC
A Feature Comparison
The media server features we will compare are:
- Server Platforms - The device type(s) where you can install the media server software. The server platform can also be its own client as with a Home Theater server. The server platforms are different than the client platforms.
- Client Platforms - The device(s) that can access your media server, usually remotely.
| Media Server |
Server Platforms |
Client Platforms |
Hardware Transcoding |
Music / Photos |
Live TV / DVR |
Subscription |
||
| Plex |
Linux, Windows, Docker, NAS, Nvidia Shield, Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro, NETGEAR X10 router |
Android, IOS, Web, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast,LG, Samsung, VIDAA, Vizio, and Hisense Smart TVs |
Yes |
Yes
|
Free / Paid
|
|||
| JellyFin |
Free |
|||||||
| Kodi |
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi |
Self
|
Free |
|||||
| Emby |
Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker, NAS | Free / Paid |
||||||
| Media Portal |
Windows |
Self |
Free |
|||||
| Universal Media Server |
Windows, macOS, Linux |
|
Free |
|||||
| OSMC |
Free |
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