I've been happily using Plex for a while now, especially thanks to the Lifetime Pass I secured for myself in early 2024. Over the course of two years, my Plex server has been serving as the media library for three different families across three houses in separate cities. Of course, I've come to appreciate some of the features that have made my life a lot easier, and it's been particularly enjoyable seeing Jellyfin slowly but surely catch up.
In 2026, I have absolutely no reason to recommend Plex over Jellyfin to anyone (unless they somehow chance upon a free lifetime pass). Having very recently helped a friend set up their own media server using Jellyfin instead of Plex, I've come to realize just how many features the open-source alternative offers for free that Plex makes its users pay for.
Remote streaming requires a Plex Pass
Your own server shouldn't require a subscription to leave the house
Remote Streaming was one of the main reasons many users stayed loyal to Plex despite Jellyfin's improvements. This feature was a major pillar of the “Plex just works” argument, but eventually the company did start monetizing features that were fundamentally tied to the idea of self-hosting in the first place. Streaming your own media remotely shouldn't be something you have to pay for.
Jellyfin approaches this entire thing from a different angle, though. Once you put in the time to…