Jellyfin is a self-hosted media server that turns a personal collection of movies, TV shows, music and photos into a Netflix-style library you can stream to phones, smart TVs, browsers and streaming boxes. It was forked from Emby in 2018 after Emby began restricting features behind a paywall, and has remained completely free and open source ever since, run entirely by volunteer contributors with no company behind it, no account requirement and no telemetry by default.
Jellyfin vs. Plex and Emby: Why Some Users Switch
Plex and Emby both offer free tiers but gate features like hardware transcoding or mobile sync behind paid plans, and Plex requires signing in through its own cloud account even for local playback. Jellyfin has no premium tier at all — every feature, including hardware-accelerated transcoding and mobile apps, is free, and the server runs entirely on hardware you control without phoning home to a company server.
Jellyfin Features
- Media Library Organization — automatically fetches metadata, artwork and descriptions for movies, shows and music
- Live TV & DVR — integrates with tuner hardware to watch and record live television
- Hardware-Accelerated Transcoding — converts video on the fly for devices that can't play the original format, free of charge
- Cross-Platform Apps — official and community clients for Android, iOS, tvOS, Roku, Android TV, Kodi and web browsers
- User Accounts & Parental Controls — multiple profiles with per-user access restrictions
- Plugin System — extend the server with community plugins for extra metadata sources and features
- No Subscription or Account Requirement — the server and all clients are free with no company account needed
How to Install Jellyfin on Windows
- Open the official download page using the button on this page to get the installer from jellyfin.org.
- Download the Windows installer for the server (an installer bundle including the required prerequisites is provided).
- Run the installer and let it install Jellyfin Server as a background service.
- Open the setup wizard in a browser at the local address it provides to create an admin account and add media folders.
- Install a Jellyfin client app on your phone, TV or browser and sign in to your server to start streaming.
Is Jellyfin really free?
Open Source. Jellyfin is completely free and open source under the GPL, with no paid tiers, subscriptions or premium features — the entire project is maintained by volunteers.
How to download Jellyfin safely
Use the request button on this page and we will email you the current link for jellyfin.org — the publisher's own website — so you receive the authentic build. We do not host, mirror, patch or repackage this software in any way.
Avoid third-party "download manager" sites offering Jellyfin. They commonly wrap the genuine installer in their own bundler, which is how adware and browser hijackers get onto a machine that the user believed was clean.
Alternatives to Jellyfin
Other free media players software worth comparing before you decide:
Plex
A polished media server with a free tier and optional Plex Pass subscription.
Emby
A media server offering a free tier with additional features behind Emby Premiere.
Kodi
A free, open-source media center app for organizing and playing local media.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jellyfin really 100% free?
Yes. Unlike Plex or Emby, Jellyfin has no paid tier at all — every server and client feature is free and open source.
Do I need an internet connection to use Jellyfin?
No for local streaming on your home network; internet access is only needed if you want to stream to yourself remotely, which requires additional network setup.
Does Jellyfin require an account or sign-in to a company server?
No, Jellyfin has no central account system — your server and its user accounts are entirely self-hosted.
Can Jellyfin play almost any video format?
Yes, it can transcode formats that a playback device doesn't support natively, including with hardware acceleration where available.
Is Jellyfin related to Emby or Plex?
Jellyfin began in 2018 as an open-source fork of Emby, created after Emby moved some features behind a paywall; it now develops independently.
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People also search for
The terms visitors use to find this page. Each one lands here because it describes the same program.
Searches from India
Jellyfin is identical worldwide — these are search phrasings, not different downloads. Every one of them gets the same official build from jellyfin.org.
