The influence of streaming on the market is undeniable, and competition among online services is becoming fierce. However, many users favor their local collections and meticulously manage that content. Plex is the most recommended tool, but many of its features sit behind a paywall, and its main rival Emby decided to follow a similar path. Fortunately, the community responded with Jellyfin, a free and open source alternative to Plex that works wonderfully, and is very easy to use.
The Streaming Landscape in 2022
Even though streaming has become the preferred entertainment route for millions of users around the globe, the truth is that it is far from perfect. For example, Netflix is living a nightmare in 2022, after losing hundreds of thousands of subscribers and billions in market value. Subscription fatigue, price increases, inflation, limited catalogs, and the ever-present password sharing suggest that streaming is not adapting to users' needs fast enough.
Of course, that is not a problem for those who have cultivated and managed their local collections, but if you are interested in moving away from streaming and returning to classic offline playback, you will need a good management tool. At the top of the list is Plex, and by and large it is hard to go wrong with that platform, but some of its most interesting aspects require a premium account. Something similar happens with Emby, with an annual subscription of $54, or a one-time payment of $119. So, what is the best alternative to Plex? All arrows point in the direction of Jellyfin, open, free, and with excellent support.
Setting Up Jellyfin
One of the most surprising things about Jellyfin is its ease of use. Like many other tools for creating media centers, Jellyfin uses a server-client structure, so you will need to install the server software on a computer, configure all the paths where your content is stored, and then install clients on other devices. However, don't let that intimidate you. The step-by-step installation is intuitive and will only take a few minutes.
Once you have configured the paths for your series and movies, Jellyfin will search for all relevant metadata online and create thumbnails. The default extensions are AudioDB, MusicBrainz, and OMDb, but I definitely recommend browsing the catalog and exploring the available offerings. If you watch a lot of anime, it is always a good idea to add aniDB and AniSearch. Open Subtitles is "the" source for alternative subtitles, and Covert Art Archive is very useful if you want to add music to your collection.
Jellyfin has a healthy number of compatible clients. Android TV, Fire TV, Roku, Kodi, Xbox One, PS4, LG webOS, Samsung, Google Cast and AirPlay are some of the supported options among TVs and dedicated devices. The mobile space has official apps for iOS and Android, plus alternative clients. On desktop, both Jellyfin Media Player and Kodi work very well, and there is also Sonixd for music.
The latest stable version of Jellyfin Server for Windows x64 requires a download of 132 megabytes, and you will need to add another 173 megabytes for the client. This may seem a bit excessive on the surface, but we have not found any stability issues, and its resource consumption is very reasonable considering its flexibility. I imagine that older Plex and Emby users will think twice, but if you are interested in adopting a free and open source alternative to Plex with excellent support, Jellyfin is what you are looking for.
Official site and downloads: Click here
