Jellyfin
A media server that organizes and streams your own movies, shows and music, with no subscriptions or tracking.
58.8k GitHub stars · GPL-2.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Open-source and self-hosted alternatives to Plex
Stream your own movie, TV and music library. Jellyfin is the fully open-source media server; Kodi is a player app; Navidrome is for music.
Category: Photos & media · GitHub data as of Oct 29, 2026 · FAQ · Cost & self-hosting
Plex price change: Lifetime $119.99 → $249.99. New prices: $6.99 per month and $69.99 per year. Plex also put remote playback of personal media behind a paid option (details in the Plex post). (effective Apr 29, 2025, details and sources)
| Project | What it is | License | GitHub stars | Last release | Runs as | Hosted plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jellyfin Active GPL-2.0 | A media server that organizes and streams your own movies, shows and music, with no subscriptions or tracking. | GPL-2.0 | 58.8k | Oct 26, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| Navidrome Active GPL-3.0 | A self-hosted music server that streams your own music collection to web and mobile apps. | GPL-3.0 | 24.4k | Sep 24, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| Kodi Active Mixed or custom | Kodi is an award-winning free and open source home theater/media center software and entertainment hub for digital media. | Mixed or custom | 21.4k | Sep 27, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
Are they still maintained?
3 of 3 Plex alternatives here had a code push or release in the last 180 days (checked Oct 29, 2026).
- Jellyfin: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- Navidrome: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- Kodi: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
See every project in the "Is it still maintained?" tracker →
What switching from Plex costs
Plex: current plans and prices are on Plex's pricing page. Its most recent price change we track took effect on Apr 29, 2025 (see the price tracker).
| Alternative | How you run it | Software cost | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jellyfin | Your server | $0 (GPL-2.0) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| Navidrome | Your server | $0 (GPL-3.0) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| Kodi | Desktop app | $0 (Mixed or custom, check terms) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
Self-hosting basics: Jellyfin and Navidrome need a server, which can be a small cloud server or a spare machine at home. For a sense of scale, DigitalOcean's price list shows a 1 GiB server at $6/month and 2 GiB at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size, and budget time for updates and backups.
Nothing to host: Kodi runs on your own computer.
License check: Kodi does not use a single standard open-source license that GitHub can detect. Read the license before using it in a business.
The options in more detail
Navidrome
A self-hosted music server that streams your own music collection to web and mobile apps.
24.4k GitHub stars · GPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Kodi
Kodi is an award-winning free and open source home theater/media center software and entertainment hub for digital media.
21.4k GitHub stars · Mixed or custom · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Plex alternatives: common questions
What is the best open-source alternative to Plex?
It depends on how you use Plex. Of the 3 options here, Jellyfin is the most followed on GitHub (58.8k stars) and is actively maintained, with its latest release on Oct 26, 2026. If you want an app on your own computer, look at Kodi. If you need something your whole team can log into, look at Jellyfin and Navidrome.
Is there a self-hosted Plex alternative?
Yes. Jellyfin and Navidrome run on a server you control, so your data stays with you. We have not confirmed an official hosted plan for these, so plan on running them yourself or using a third-party host.
Is there a free alternative to Plex?
Yes. Every project on this page can be downloaded and used at no cost from its public repository. Kodi installs on your own device, so it costs nothing to run. Server apps are free software, but you pay for the server they run on. Check the license of Kodi before using it in a business.
Are these Plex alternatives still maintained?
As of Oct 29, 2026, 3 of 3 had a code push or release in the last 180 days. None are flagged as inactive or archived. We re-check every project weekly.
How much does it cost to switch from Plex?
The software itself is free. Desktop and device apps (Kodi) cost nothing to run. For server apps, the main cost is hosting: as a reference point, DigitalOcean lists a 1 GiB server at $6/month and a 2 GiB server at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size. The hidden cost is time: moving your data and, for self-hosted apps, keeping up with updates and backups.
Are all of these really open source?
Not all under a standard license. Kodi: GitHub could not identify a single standard license for this repository (often a mix of open-source and commercial parts). Read the LICENSE file before using it. The others use OSI-approved open-source licenses.
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