--- title: "I tried replacing Plex with Jellyfin, but the free, open-source app just can't compete" url: https://daily.dev/posts/i-tried-replacing-plex-with-jellyfin-but-the-free-open-source-app-just-can-t-compete-hhxf8ljpg source_url: https://www.xda-developers.com/i-tried-replacing-plex-with-jellyfin-but-the-free-open-source-app-just-cant-compete type: article source: "XDA Developers" published: 2026-07-07T15:34:46.324Z updated: 2026-07-07T15:35:32.888Z tags: ["open-source", "self-hosting", "jellyfin"] reading_time: 4 upvotes: 2 comments: 1 language: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # I tried replacing Plex with Jellyfin, but the free, open-source app just can't compete **[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 4 min read · 2 upvotes · 1 comments ## Summary A personal account of switching from Plex to Jellyfin as a self-hosted media server. After a week of daily use across TV, phone, and tablet, the author returned to Plex. Key advantages Plex retains include polished cross-device UI, seamless remote access without manual configuration, more accurate metadata matching (especially for indie and international content), library sharing, and built-in discovery features. Jellyfin is praised for being free and open-source and works well for single-user setups, but falls short on polish and ease of use compared to Plex's commercial-grade experience. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Community discussion Top comments from developers on daily.dev. **@mrkkr** · 0 upvotes > i don't undertand why people pay for Plex since we have Emby or Kodi ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [I tried ditching Plex for Jellyfin, but my TV brought me right back](https://daily.dev/posts/i-tried-ditching-plex-for-jellyfin-but-my-tv-brought-me-right-back-uvw4dlswq) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [I replaced Plex with this open-source app, and I haven't looked back](https://daily.dev/posts/i-replaced-plex-with-this-open-source-app-and-i-haven-t-looked-back-l6mot3jb3) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [I switched to Jellyfin, but Plex's one real advantage keeps pulling me back](https://daily.dev/posts/i-switched-to-jellyfin-but-plex-s-one-real-advantage-keeps-pulling-me-back-zw7hhtkni) · XDA Developers · 1 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#open-source](https://daily.dev/tags/open-source), [#self-hosting](https://daily.dev/tags/self-hosting), [#jellyfin](https://daily.dev/tags/jellyfin) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/i-tried-replacing-plex-with-jellyfin-but-the-free-open-source-app-just-can-t-compete-hhxf8ljpg)