Here’s where the series splits. Everything up to this point applies no matter what you’re building. Plex and Jellyfin aren’t two steps in the same build though, they’re two answers to the same question, and nobody runs both as their actual media server. Pick a side.
⚡ Plex, the light side
Company-run, polished, works almost everywhere. Every TV, streaming box, and phone has a decent Plex app, and remote access takes close to zero configuration.
The cost is that a company sits in the middle of your own media library. Pricing can change, and it already did, dramatically. Some features live behind a subscription. This is what we actually run.
🌑 Jellyfin, the dark side
Free, fully open source, nothing phones home, no account required to set it up.
The cost is that you’re the support department. Device app quality varies more, and you’re leaning on a volunteer project rather than a company with a roadmap and a support line. Also the reason this guide exists at all: nobody can do to Jellyfin what Plex just did to its own pricing.
Already on Plex and thinking about jumping ship? There’s a guide for that: migrating from Plex to Jellyfin without losing your watch history.