Plex tops the list of media center applications with lots of impressive features. It is the central hub to watch 100+ live TV, several thousands of on-demand movies and shows. Besides this, Plex stores all your personal media collections like movies, TV, and more. Thus, it lets you access your entire media library from anywhere at any time. Although Plex has numerous impressive features, it does hold some drawbacks. For instance, DVR, live TV, parental controls aren’t available with the freemium version. If that is bothering you or you want to try other media centers, you shall look for a Plex alternative. If you were unable to choose between the multitude of options, then we have got you covered. For more info about Plex alternatives, you shall continue reading the article.
Things to Consider on Plex Alternatives
The following factors on any Plex alternatives ensure you are about to choose the best media center.
- It should keep the media files organized and clutter-free.
- Choose the one that can play on external devices as well.
- It should have a user-friendly interface and compatible with smart TVs.
- It must let you stream videos from different streaming services.
- Must be available for download from multiple platforms and devices.
- It allows you to access the library from one or more devices simultaneously.
- It should either be free or at least cost-efficient and not priced heavily.
Best Plex Alternative
The section below has covered the most efficient Plex Alternative options worth using.
Kodi – #1 Plex Alternative
- Open Source
Undoubtedly, Kodi by XBMC takes the top position when it comes to the Plex alternative. It acts as a central entertainment hub and media player. Kodi excels when it comes to organizing the media library. It supports different media formats and is completely customizable. Kodi has the biggest library of community addons and ensures you stream movies, TV shows, and more. It is a platform-independent media center and is available for a wide range of devices.
Platform Support: Android | iOS | Windows | Mac | Linux | Android TV | Fire TV | Raspberry Pi and more
Related: How to Install and Watch Kodi on Roku
Stremio
- Open Source
If you want a modern media center as a Plex alternative, then get Stremio. It is easy to use, and you can watch almost everything. With Stremio, you can stream movies, TV shows, sports, TV channels, web channels, podcasts, etc. Upon accessing the addons, you get the chance to watch even more contents. With a well-organized library, Stremiois easy to setup and use. It supports integrating with other streaming providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. Track everything you watch to new releases like episodes, series, and more with Calendar.
Platform Support: Android | iOS | Windows | Mac | Linux
Emby – Feature-Rich Plex Alternative
- Open Source (Emby Premier costs $4.99/mo)
Managing your media is super easy with Emby. It is one of the Plex alternatives with which you can access all your media from anywhere. With Emby, users can stream live TV, videos, music, and photos. You can record and manage DVR and access the library of contents. It has parental control features, and you can have an eye of what kids stream. Emby converts media in real-time automatically and includes an auto-organization feature.
Platform Support: Android | iOS | Windows | Mac | Linux | Xbox | Android TV | Chromecast | Fire TV | Apple TV | Nvidia Shield | PlayStation | Roku
Universal Media Player
- Open Source
Replace Plex with DLNA and UPnP supported media center called Universal Media Player. With this, you can stream videos, music, images on a wide range of devices. Universal Media Player is platform-independent, and it gets frequent updates. It streams or transcodes the media file without any configuration. The interface of Universal Media Player is simple, elegant, and is user-friendly. Besides managing media files, it lets you keep track of them efficiently.
Platform Support: Windows | Mac | Linux | NAS Device
Media Portal
- Open Source
Get the best of media experience with Media Portal. It is one of the most versatile media centers you can use instead of Plex. You can stream movies, TV shows, music, photos, and more. In addition, Media Portal supports playing media files from DVDs and Blu-ray discs. Choose from hundreds of plugins and skins to stream anything as per your need. It is remote-friendly and supports controlling HTPC. In addition to media files, you can check for news, weather, and more.
Platform Support: Android | Windows | Web
Serviio – Popular Plex Alternative
- Free
Start streaming your media files with Serviio, a Plex alternative. It keeps all your entire media organized in the best way. With Serviio, you can stream almost anything from videos to music and photos. The best thing with Serviio is it lets you use Alexa, the virtual assistant to stream media content. Serviio can transcode native format files in real0time. It supports RAW camera images, editable renderer profiles, trakt.tv integration, and more. With the plugins, you can stream content from non-trivial sources.
Platform Support: Windows | Linux | Mac | NAS platforms
TVersity
- Free. Full version costs $14.99 & Pro variant costs $24.99
With TVersity, you will get more personalized media management. It transcodes media files in real-time when the format isn’t supported by the device. You will stay organized with TVersity as it indexes music, movies, photos, and more. With plugins support, you can integrate with external media sources. It includes command-line tools and thus automates your tasks.
Platform Support: Android | iOS | Windows | Xbox | Roku | Chromecast
JRIver Media Center
- Free
Check out JRIver Media Center, one of the most comprehensive media software to replace Plex for free. Streaming music, TV, video, and image are better handled with this media center. With DLNA support, it organizes and lets you stream all the media files on different devices. JRIver Media Center is all you need to manage media as well as playback. It supports video sources like Netflix, YouTube, etc. With this tool, you can manage and sync all music and video files.
Platform Support: Windows | Mac | Linux
Related: Chromecast Plex to TV
OSMC
- Free & Open Source
OSMC media player is simple to use with great features. It plays almost any media format and hence is a better Plex alternative. In addition, it supports different sharing protocols. OSMC has an intuitive design that supports creating a dependable media server. This media center gets frequent updates and has a native app store. With OSMC, users can access media content from the local network.
Platform Support: Apple TV | Raspberry Pi | Vero
Some More Plex Alternatives
If you want some more replacement tools for Plex, then here are few tools.
- Mezzmo
- Ampache
- Streama
- MediaGoblin
- Windows Media Services
That was all our hand-curated list of Plex alternatives. You shall select any of them that are close to your requirements. Got any issues or queries? Leave a comment below.