Plex vs Jellyfin: Hardware Requirements

Quick Verdict

Jellyfin needs less hardware than Plex for the same workload. Jellyfin is open-source with no artificial limitations on hardware transcoding. Plex requires a Plex Pass ($120 lifetime or $5/month) to unlock hardware transcoding — without it, you need a significantly more powerful CPU for software transcoding. If you’re buying hardware specifically for a media server, Jellyfin’s lower barrier makes the hardware decision simpler.

The Key Difference: Transcoding Licensing

Feature	Plex	Jellyfin
Software cost	Free (basic) / Plex Pass ($5/mo or $120 lifetime)	Free (fully open-source)
Hardware transcoding	Plex Pass required	Free, no restrictions
HDR tone mapping	Plex Pass required	Free
Subtitle burn-in (HW)	Plex Pass required	Free

This matters for hardware selection. Without Plex Pass:

Plex falls back to software transcoding (CPU only)
A single 1080p software transcode needs ~2,000 PassMark score
A 4K software transcode needs ~12,000+ PassMark
An Intel N100 (PassMark ~5,500) handles maybe 2 software transcodes

With Plex Pass or Jellyfin:

Hardware transcoding offloads work to the GPU
An Intel N100’s QuickSync handles 3-4 simultaneous transcodes with minimal CPU load
Hardware is 5-10x more efficient than software transcoding

Bottom line: If you’re not buying Plex Pass, budget 2-3x more CPU power. If you’re using Jellyfin or Plex Pass, budget for a decent Intel iGPU.

Hardware Requirements Compared

Minimum Hardware (Direct Play Only)

If every client supports your media formats natively (4K HEVC on Apple TV, NVIDIA Shield, modern smart TVs), neither Plex nor Jellyfin needs much hardware.

Spec	Plex	Jellyfin
CPU	Any quad-core	Any quad-core
RAM	2GB+	2GB+
GPU	Not needed	Not needed
Example hardware	Raspberry Pi 5	Raspberry Pi 5
Cost	~$80	~$80

No meaningful difference. Both stream direct-play content with near-zero CPU usage.

Light Transcoding (1-2 Concurrent Streams)

Spec	Plex (no Pass)	Plex (with Pass)	Jellyfin
CPU	Intel i5/Ryzen 5 (12,000+ PassMark)	Intel N100+ (QuickSync)	Intel N100+ (QuickSync)
RAM	4-8GB	4-8GB	4-8GB
GPU	CPU only (no HW transcode)	Intel iGPU	Intel iGPU
Example hardware	Used Dell OptiPlex i5	N100 mini PC	N100 mini PC
Cost	$150-250	$180 + $120 (Pass)	$180
Total	$150-250	$300	$180

Jellyfin wins on total cost. The hardware transcoding that requires a $120 Plex Pass is free in Jellyfin.

Heavy Transcoding (4+ Concurrent Streams)

Spec	Plex (with Pass)	Jellyfin
CPU	Intel N305+ or dedicated GPU	Intel N305+ or dedicated GPU
RAM	8-16GB	8-16GB
GPU	Intel 32 EU+ or NVIDIA NVENC	Intel 32 EU+ or NVIDIA NVENC
Example hardware	N305 mini PC	N305 mini PC
Cost	$350 + $120 (Pass)	$350

At this tier, both need similar hardware. Plex still costs $120 more for the Pass.

GPU and Transcoding Deep Dive

Intel QuickSync

Both Plex and Jellyfin support Intel QuickSync. Capability by generation:

Intel Gen	iGPU	H.264	HEVC	HEVC 10-bit	AV1	HDR Tone Map
6th-7th (Skylake)	HD 530/630	Encode + Decode	Decode only	No	No	No
8th-9th	UHD 630	Full	Full	Decode	No	No
10th-11th	UHD 730	Full	Full	Full	Decode	Yes
12th+ (N100/N305)	UHD (24-32 EU)	Full	Full	Full	Full	Yes

Minimum recommended: 10th gen or newer for HDR tone mapping. 12th gen (N100/N305) for AV1 decode and the best overall experience.

Docker setup (both Plex and Jellyfin):

devices:
  - /dev/dri:/dev/dri  # Pass through Intel iGPU

NVIDIA NVENC

Both support NVIDIA hardware transcoding. Key differences:

Feature	Plex	Jellyfin
NVENC support	Yes (Pass required)	Yes (free)
Session limit bypass	Not needed (Plex handles it)	Not needed (no session limit)
GeForce 3-session limit	Yes (unless driver patched)	Yes (unless driver patched)
Quadro/Tesla	Unlimited sessions	Unlimited sessions

Consumer GeForce cards are limited to 3 simultaneous NVENC sessions by NVIDIA’s driver. Both Plex and Jellyfin hit this limit. Workarounds:

Use a Quadro P2000 (~$60-80 used) for unlimited sessions
Apply the nvidia-patch to unlock GeForce cards (Linux only)

AMD

AMD’s hardware transcoding (AMF/VCN) support is improving but still behind Intel and NVIDIA:

Feature	Plex	Jellyfin
AMD AMF support	Experimental	Experimental (via VA-API)
Reliability	Variable	Variable
Recommendation	Use Intel or NVIDIA instead	Use Intel or NVIDIA instead

Don’t buy AMD hardware specifically for media transcoding. The software support isn’t mature enough. If you already have AMD, test it — it may work for basic transcoding.

RAM Comparison

Usage	Plex	Jellyfin
Base (idle, small library)	200-400MB	100-300MB
Medium library (5,000 items)	500MB-1GB	300-600MB
Large library (20,000+ items)	1-2GB	500MB-1GB
Per transcode session	~200-400MB	~200-300MB

Jellyfin uses slightly less RAM overall. Plex’s media analysis, preview thumbnails, and Discover features consume extra memory. Neither needs more than 8GB for a typical home setup.

Client Compatibility (Affects Transcoding Needs)

Transcoding happens when a client can’t play the original format. Fewer compatible clients = more transcoding = more hardware needed.

Clients that rarely need transcoding:

Apple TV 4K (HEVC, HDR, Atmos — covers most formats)
NVIDIA Shield Pro (broadest codec support)
Modern smart TVs (Samsung, LG 2020+) — with caveats on audio codecs
Dedicated apps (Infuse, Swiftfin)

Clients that frequently need transcoding:

Web browsers (no HEVC in most browsers — always transcode 4K content)
Older Roku devices
Chromecast (depends on model — older ones struggle with HEVC)
Mobile on cellular (bandwidth-limited, forces quality reduction)

Plex-specific: Plex’s web player transcodes more aggressively than Jellyfin’s. Plex sometimes transcodes audio unnecessarily, triggering a video transcode as well. Jellyfin’s web player is more conservative about when transcoding is needed.

Recommended Hardware by Budget

Under $200 — Jellyfin on N100

Component	Choice
Hardware	Intel N100 mini PC (16GB RAM)
Cost	~$180
Transcoding	2-3 concurrent via QuickSync
Software	Jellyfin (free)
Total cost	$180

Best value. Hardware transcoding is free with Jellyfin.

Under $200 — Plex on N100 (no Pass)

Component	Choice
Hardware	Intel N100 mini PC (16GB RAM)
Cost	~$180
Transcoding	Software only — 1-2 concurrent max
Software	Plex Free
Total cost	$180

Works but limited. Software transcoding on an N100 caps at 1-2 streams. Buy Plex Pass to unlock QuickSync.

$300-350 — Plex with Pass on N100

Component	Choice
Hardware	Intel N100 mini PC (16GB RAM)
Cost	~$180
Plex Pass	$120 (lifetime)
Transcoding	2-3 concurrent via QuickSync
Total cost	$300

Same transcoding capability as Jellyfin on the same hardware, but $120 more for the Plex Pass.

$350-400 — Either on N305

Component	Choice
Hardware	Intel N305 mini PC (16-32GB RAM)
Cost	~$350
Software	Jellyfin (free) or Plex + Pass ($120)
Transcoding	3-5 concurrent via QuickSync
Total cost	$350 (Jellyfin) / $470 (Plex)

The N305’s 8 cores and 32 GPU EUs handle a busy household with headroom.

Feature Comparison (Non-Hardware)

Hardware aside, your choice between Plex and Jellyfin should also consider:

Feature	Plex	Jellyfin
Mobile apps	Polished (iOS/Android)	Good (Swiftfin iOS, Findroid Android)
Smart TV apps	Excellent (most platforms)	Growing (Samsung, LG, webOS, Android TV)
Live TV & DVR	Yes (Pass required)	Yes (free)
Offline sync	Yes (Pass required)	Not officially supported
Remote access	Built-in relay server	Manual setup (VPN/tunnel)
Music library	Plexamp (excellent)	Basic (use Navidrome instead)
User management	Good	Good
Privacy	Plex collects usage data	No telemetry
Self-contained	No (requires Plex account/internet)	Yes (fully offline capable)

FAQ

Can I run both Plex and Jellyfin?

Yes. Many homelabbers run both side-by-side pointed at the same media library. The media files aren’t modified — both create their own metadata databases. This lets you compare and keep whichever you prefer.

Which has better 4K HDR support?

Both handle 4K HDR well with hardware transcoding enabled. Jellyfin’s HDR tone mapping is free (Plex requires Pass). In practice, the quality is comparable when using Intel QuickSync on both.

Does Jellyfin work on Apple TV?

Yes, via the Swiftfin app. It’s not as polished as Plex’s Apple TV app but is actively developed and handles most use cases. Infuse ($25) is an alternative client that works with both Plex and Jellyfin.

Is Plex Pass worth it for the hardware transcoding alone?

If you’re buying an Intel-based server anyway, the $120 lifetime pass pays for itself by letting you use cheaper hardware. Without Pass, you’d need a $300+ CPU for the same transcoding performance that a $180 N100 + Pass ($300 total) achieves. It’s a wash — Jellyfin gives you the same result for free.

What about AMD APUs (Ryzen 5600G, 8600G)?

AMD APUs have powerful iGPUs but transcoding support in both Plex and Jellyfin is still experimental on Linux. If you already own one, test it. If you’re buying specifically for media serving, Intel QuickSync is the safer bet.