Plex vs Emby: Which Should You Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
Emby is the better choice for self-hosters who want a media server they fully control. Plex requires an online account, routes discovery through its cloud servers, and has been adding ad-supported content and social features that many self-hosters don’t want. Emby keeps everything local by default. Choose Plex if you value its polished ecosystem of apps, its wider device support, or want to share libraries with remote users via Plex’s built-in relay.
Overview
Plex is the most well-known personal media server. It started as a media organizer and has evolved into a platform that mixes personal media with ad-supported streaming content, live TV, and social features (Discover, Watchlist). Plex requires an online account to use, even for local streaming. Plex Pass ($5/month or $120 lifetime) unlocks hardware transcoding, mobile sync, and other premium features. The server is proprietary (closed-source).
Emby is a media server with a simpler value proposition: organize and stream your personal media. No ad-supported content, no social features, no account requirement for local access. Emby Premiere ($5/month or $119 lifetime) unlocks hardware transcoding, DVR, mobile offline sync, and Cinema Mode. The server is partially open-source.
Both are commercial products with paid tiers. The difference is in scope: Plex has become a media platform, while Emby remains focused on personal media serving.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Plex | Emby |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free tier + Plex Pass ($5/mo or $120 lifetime) | Free tier + Premiere ($5/mo or $119 lifetime) |
| Account requirement | Required (online account, even for local use) | Optional (local access without account) |
| License | Proprietary (closed-source) | Partially open-source |
| Hardware transcoding | Plex Pass only | Premiere only |
| Ad-supported streaming | Yes (mixed with personal media) | No |
| Native mobile apps | iOS, Android (excellent) | iOS, Android (good) |
| TV apps | Android TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung, LG, Apple TV, PS4/5, Xbox | Android TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung, LG |
| Live TV & DVR | Plex Pass only | Premiere only |
| Offline sync (mobile) | Plex Pass only | Premiere only |
| DLNA | Yes | Yes |
| Music streaming | Yes (Plexamp is excellent) | Yes |
| Watch together | Yes (Watch Together) | Yes (SyncPlay, Premiere) |
| Remote access | Built-in relay (no port forwarding needed) | Manual (reverse proxy or port forwarding) |
| Subtitle support | Good (SRT, ASS, PGS) | Good (SRT, ASS, SSA, PGS) |
| User management | Yes (managed users, home users) | Yes (users, permissions, parental controls) |
| Plugin/extension system | Limited (Plex removed most plugin support) | Yes (plugin catalog) |
| Metadata providers | Plex’s own + TMDb, TheTVDB | TMDb, OMDb, TheTVDB |
| Collections & playlists | Yes | Yes |
Installation Complexity
Plex runs as a single container (plexinc/pms-docker). Setup requires creating a Plex account and claiming the server with a temporary claim token (expires in 4 minutes). Media is mounted as volumes. The claim token requirement adds friction but enables Plex’s remote access features without manual port forwarding.
Emby runs as a single container (emby/embyserver:4.9.3.0). Setup is simpler — no account creation or claim token needed. Mount media directories, configure UID/GID, start, and walk through the web UI wizard. Remote access requires manual reverse proxy or port forwarding setup.
Both use embedded SQLite databases and have similar resource requirements.
Winner: Emby (simpler initial setup). Plex’s claim token and mandatory account add unnecessary complexity for local-only use.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Resource | Plex | Emby |
|---|---|---|
| RAM (idle) | ~300 MB | ~300 MB |
| RAM (transcoding) | 500 MB–2 GB | 500 MB–2 GB |
| CPU (direct play) | Minimal | Minimal |
| CPU (software transcode, 1080p) | High (1+ core) | High (1+ core) |
| HW transcode performance | Excellent (mature implementation) | Good |
| Disk (application) | ~500 MB | ~500 MB |
| Network (idle) | Periodic cloud pings | No external connections |
Plex has a slight edge in transcoding quality and compatibility — it’s had more time to optimize its transcoding pipeline across thousands of hardware configurations. Both support Intel Quick Sync (QSV), NVIDIA NVENC, and VAAPI. For most content and hardware, the difference is negligible.
Plex phones home regularly (metadata fetching, analytics, account verification). Emby only contacts external servers for metadata scraping during library scans.
Winner: Tie on raw performance. Emby wins on privacy (no persistent external connections).
Community and Support
| Metric | Plex | Emby |
|---|---|---|
| User base | Largest (millions of users) | Smaller but dedicated |
| Community forums | Very active | Active |
| Documentation | Extensive | Good |
| Third-party tools | Huge ecosystem (Tautulli, Overseerr, *arr stack) | Smaller ecosystem |
| Development model | Commercial, closed-source | Commercial, partially open |
| Support quality | Forums + Plex Pass support | Forums + Premiere support |
| Plugin support | Removed most plugin support | Active plugin catalog |
Plex has the largest ecosystem by far. Tools like Tautulli (analytics), Overseerr (request management), and the *arr stack (Sonarr, Radarr, etc.) integrate deeply with Plex. Many of these tools also support Emby, but Plex integration is typically more mature.
Winner: Plex (ecosystem size and third-party tool support).
Use Cases
Choose Plex If…
- You share your library with remote users (Plex’s relay makes remote access trivial)
- You want the best mobile apps and widest device support
- You use Plexamp for music (it’s genuinely excellent)
- You rely on the *arr stack and want the most mature integrations
- You want Apple TV, PS4/5, or Xbox native apps
- You don’t mind an online account requirement
- You want “Watch Together” for remote viewing parties
Choose Emby If…
- You want a media server that works fully offline (no account requirement)
- Privacy matters — you don’t want your server phoning home
- You prefer a product focused on personal media (no ad-supported content mixed in)
- You want a plugin ecosystem for customization
- You value simplicity — Emby does one thing and does it well
- You’re frustrated with Plex’s direction toward becoming a streaming platform
- You want Samsung and LG TV apps without the Plex baggage
Final Verdict
Emby is the better self-hosted media server for people who value control and privacy. It does what a personal media server should do — organize and stream your content — without an online account requirement, ad-supported content mixed into your library, or persistent cloud connections.
Plex has the superior ecosystem. Its app quality, device coverage, and third-party tool integrations are unmatched. Plexamp alone is a reason some people stick with Plex. And the built-in remote relay eliminates the need for reverse proxy setup.
But Plex’s direction concerns many self-hosters. The mandatory online account, the ad-supported content mixed with personal libraries, the social features — these feel antithetical to why people self-host. If you want a media server that stays a media server, Emby is the safer bet.
For a completely free alternative with no paid tier at all, Jellyfin is the best option. It offers hardware transcoding for free and is fully open-source.
FAQ
Can I migrate from Plex to Emby?
There’s no official migration tool, but community scripts exist to transfer watched status and metadata between Plex and Emby. Your media files stay the same — both use the same directory structure conventions. Playlists and collections need manual recreation.
Which has better 4K HDR support?
Both handle 4K HDR content well for direct play. For transcoding 4K HDR (tone mapping), Plex has historically been ahead, but Emby has improved significantly. If your clients support direct play for your content, the difference doesn’t matter.
Is Plex Pass or Emby Premiere a better value?
They’re priced identically ($5/month or ~$120 lifetime) and unlock similar features. The choice depends on which server you prefer. If forced to choose purely on value: Jellyfin gives you all these features for free.
Why does Plex require an online account?
Plex uses its cloud infrastructure for server discovery, remote access relay, metadata matching, and user management. This architecture enables features like easy remote sharing without port forwarding, but it means Plex doesn’t work without internet access (there’s an offline mode, but it’s limited).
Can I disable Plex’s ad-supported content?
You can unpin the ad-supported content sources from your home screen and sidebar in Plex settings, but you can’t fully remove them from the platform. This is a frequent complaint from self-hosters.
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