Jellyfin vs Plex comes down to cost versus convenience. Jellyfin is free and open source with every feature included. Plex is more polished and easier for relatives, but since April 2025 streaming your own media away from home needs a Plex Pass (US$69.99 a year) or a Remote Watch Pass. For NZ households that mostly watch at home, Jellyfin is now the better default.
This comparison is for anyone choosing a media server for the first time or wondering whether Plex’s price rises are worth paying. If you pick Jellyfin, our Jellyfin setup guide takes you through the install, and the home server guide covers the hardware it runs on.
Key takeaways
- Both are free for streaming at home. Plex charges once you stream away from home or want hardware transcoding, offline downloads or TV recording.
- Plex Pass costs US$6.99 a month or US$69.99 a year. The lifetime pass rose to US$749.99 on 1 July 2026, and a new five-year plan costs about US$250.
- The Remote Watch Pass, for viewers whose server owner has no Plex Pass, went up to US$2.99 a month or US$29.99 a year on 1 June 2026.
- Jellyfin 12.0 is free and needs no company account, but you set up remote access yourself with Tailscale or a reverse proxy.
- Plex is still the easier choice for non-technical families, and one Plex Pass on the server covers everyone you share with.
In this guide
- Jellyfin vs Plex at a glance
- Plex Pass Price and the 2025 Remote Streaming Changes
- Jellyfin: the Free Plex Alternative
- Which is Better for Families?
- Transcoding, Hardware and Performance
- Privacy, Accounts and Security
- Emby vs Jellyfin
- Common Mistakes When Choosing a Media Server
- Our Verdict: Jellyfin vs Plex in 2026
Jellyfin vs Plex at a glance
| Plex vs Jellyfin | Jellyfin | Plex |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Open source (GPL) | Proprietary, free tier plus paid passes |
| Account | Local users on your server | Plex account for everyone |
| Streaming at home | Free | Free, including the mobile apps since 2025 |
| Streaming away from home | Free, but you set up access | Plex Pass on the server, or a Remote Watch Pass per viewer |
| Hardware transcoding, downloads, DVR | Free | Plex Pass only |
| Apps | Official apps for most TVs and phones | The most polished apps, on almost everything |
| Setup effort | More hands-on | Easiest, with automatic server discovery |
If you are unsure which fits your house, answer five questions and the chooser will suggest one, with what Plex would cost you.
Jellyfin or Plex? Five quick questions
Tap the answer that fits best in each row. The chooser weighs cost, remote viewing, ease of use and privacy, and shows what Plex would cost you.
Who will watch?
Will anyone watch away from home?
How hands-on are you?
Budget for software?
Company accounts and privacy?
Plex prices are Plex’s US-dollar list prices in September 2026: Plex Pass US$6.99 a month, US$69.99 a year or US$749.99 lifetime; Remote Watch Pass US$2.99 a month or US$29.99 a year. A server owner’s Plex Pass covers everyone they share with. Your local app-store price may differ.
Plex Pass Price and the 2025 Remote Streaming Changes
Plex changed its model on 29 April 2025. Plex Pass went from US$4.99 to US$6.99 a month and from US$39.99 to US$69.99 a year, and the lifetime pass rose from US$119.99 to US$249.99. At the same time, streaming your own media outside your home network stopped being free: it now needs a Plex Pass on the server owner’s account or a Remote Watch Pass for the person watching. In return, the mobile apps no longer need a one-off activation fee to stream at home.
Prices have kept moving. The Remote Watch Pass left its introductory price of US$1.99 a month on 1 June 2026 and now costs US$2.99 a month or US$29.99 a year. On 1 July 2026 the lifetime Plex Pass tripled to US$749.99, and Plex added a five-year plan at about US$250. Existing lifetime holders keep what they paid for.
Plex lists these prices in US dollars. NZ customers buying through Apple or Google see app-store pricing, which may differ, so check the figure at checkout.
Plex free vs Plex Pass: what is included
| Plex option | What you get | Cost over five years |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Stream your own media at home on any app | US$0 |
| Remote Watch Pass | Stream from a friend’s or family server without a Plex Pass | US$149.95 per viewer (annual) |
| Plex Pass, annual | Remote streaming for you and everyone you share with, hardware transcoding, downloads, skip intro, DVR | US$349.95 |
| Plex Pass, five-year plan | As above for five years | About US$250 |
| Plex Pass, lifetime | As above, for as long as Plex exists | US$749.99 |
If you run the server and share it with family in other houses, one Plex Pass on your account is cheaper than buying Remote Watch Passes for three or more people.
Jellyfin: the Free Plex Alternative
Jellyfin includes the main features Plex Pass charges for, free: remote streaming, hardware transcoding, downloads, live TV and recording. Version 12.0, released on 7 September 2026, added alternate versions for TV episodes, proper book and comic support and a faster database. There is no company account to create and nothing is sent to a vendor.
The trade-offs are real. There is no relay service, so remote viewing means installing Tailscale or setting up a reverse proxy with HTTPS; our VPN explainer covers the basics. Some apps are less polished than Plex’s, and relatives need your server’s address or a Quick Connect code to sign in. If you enjoy tinkering, none of that is a problem; if you are the family’s reluctant IT department, it might be.
Which is Better for Families?
Plex is easier for grandparents and flatmates. Everyone signs in with a Plex account, the apps find your server automatically, and each viewer keeps their own watch history. The apps on smart TVs, Apple TV, game consoles and streaming sticks are consistently tidy.
Jellyfin covers the same screens with official apps for Android TV and Google TV, LG and Samsung TVs, Roku, Xbox, Android and iPhone. On an Apple TV, the Swiftfin app and the paid Infuse player connect to Jellyfin. Each family member gets their own user with parental ratings. For a household that watches together on one or two TVs at home, Jellyfin is every bit as usable; for relatives spread across the country, Plex is the smoother experience if you are happy to pay. Either way, remote viewers are limited by your upload speed, which you can check with our NZ speed test.
Transcoding, Hardware and Performance
Both servers convert video on the fly when a device cannot play a file, and both prefer an Intel processor with Quick Sync. The difference is price: Jellyfin’s hardware transcoding is free, while Plex’s needs Plex Pass. Without it, Plex falls back to the CPU, which struggles with 4K.
If you are choosing hardware, an Intel N100 or N150 mini PC or an Intel-based NAS handles several streams for either server, and both run happily in a container on Proxmox VE. Our NAS storage guide compares NZ models, including which ones can hardware-transcode. And if a stubborn file refuses to play in either app, VLC media player will almost certainly open it.
Privacy, Accounts and Security
Every Plex user signs in through Plex’s own servers, and Plex has had to ask users to reset passwords after data breaches, most recently in September 2025. Jellyfin keeps accounts on your server and is open source, so anyone can inspect the code, but that also puts security on you: keep it updated and never expose it to the internet without HTTPS or a VPN.
Emby vs Jellyfin
Emby is Jellyfin’s closed-source ancestor: Jellyfin forked from it in 2018 when Emby moved away from open source. Emby is free to start, but hardware transcoding, offline downloads and DVR need Emby Premiere at US$4.99 a month, US$54 a year or US$119 for a lifetime licence. It is a reasonable middle ground, but for most people it offers less than Jellyfin for free and less polish than Plex.
Common Mistakes When Choosing a Media Server
- Buying a Plex lifetime pass when you only watch at home. Home streaming is free on Plex.
- Assuming Jellyfin works away from home out of the box. Budget an hour to set up Tailscale.
- Paying for several Remote Watch Passes when one Plex Pass on the server would cover everyone.
- Choosing an AMD-based NAS for transcoding. Both servers work best with Intel graphics.
- Thinking you must pick one forever. Both can read the same media folders, so you can run Jellyfin alongside Plex while you decide.
Our Verdict: Jellyfin vs Plex in 2026
Our take
- Most NZ households should start with Jellyfin. It is free, private and covers the main Plex Pass features at no cost.
- Choose Plex if relatives in other houses will watch often and you want the least support work. Budget US$69.99 a year for Plex Pass.
- Skip the US$749.99 lifetime pass unless you are certain you will use Plex for a decade.
- Try both: point Jellyfin at your existing Plex folders and see which your family prefers.
Plex, Emby and Jellyfin change prices and features often. Details were checked in September 2026 and Plex and Emby prices are the companies’ US-dollar list prices. Nicegear is independent and has no paid placements.
Sources and further reading
FAQs
Is Jellyfin better than Plex?
For most people who watch mainly at home, yes: Jellyfin is free, open source and includes hardware transcoding, downloads and remote streaming. Plex is better if you want the most polished apps and simplest setup for relatives, and are willing to pay for Plex Pass.
How much does Plex Pass cost in 2026?
Plex Pass costs US$6.99 a month or US$69.99 a year. The lifetime pass rose to US$749.99 on 1 July 2026, and a five-year plan costs about US$250.
Can I still use Plex for free?
Yes. Streaming your own media at home is free on every Plex app. You need Plex Pass or a Remote Watch Pass to stream your media away from home, and Plex Pass for hardware transcoding, downloads and DVR.
Do my family need to pay to watch my Plex server remotely?
Not if you have Plex Pass, because a server owner’s Plex Pass covers everyone they share with. Without it, each remote viewer needs a Remote Watch Pass at US$2.99 a month or US$29.99 a year.
Is Jellyfin safe to use?
Yes, if you keep it updated and never expose it to the internet without HTTPS or a VPN. Because it is open source, its code is public and can be checked by anyone.
Can I run Jellyfin and Plex at the same time?
Yes. Both can read the same media folders on the same server, which is the easiest way to try Jellyfin without giving up Plex.
Is Emby better than Jellyfin?
Emby is more polished in places, but it is closed source and puts hardware transcoding, downloads and DVR behind Emby Premiere, which costs US$4.99 a month, US$54 a year or US$119 for life. Jellyfin offers those features free.
