Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Jellyfin VS JRiver Media Center

Compare Jellyfin VS JRiver Media Center and see what are their differences

Jellyfin logo Jellyfin

Jellyfin is a personal media server.

JRiver Media Center logo JRiver Media Center

Home · Download · Purchase · Support · Company. Share? The Most Comprehensive Media Software · The best choice for seamless audio, image, television, & video. Overview.
  • Jellyfin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-21
  • JRiver Media Center Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-22

Jellyfin features and specs

  • Open Source
    Jellyfin is completely open-source, meaning its source code is freely available for anyone to inspect, modify, or improve. This leads to greater transparency and potentially quicker fixes and feature additions.
  • Cost
    Jellyfin is free to use, unlike other media server software that may require a subscription or one-time purchase.
  • Privacy
    Since Jellyfin is self-hosted, all media files and user data remain on your server, giving you full control over your privacy.
  • Customization
    Users can customize Jellyfin extensively, from the user interface to backend functionalities, fitting it to their specific needs.
  • Platform Support
    Jellyfin supports a wide range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker, and various NAS devices, allowing flexibility in deployment.
  • No DRM Restrictions
    Jellyfin doesn't impose Digital Rights Management (DRM) restrictions, providing an unconstrained media experience.

Possible disadvantages of Jellyfin

  • Complex Setup
    Setting up Jellyfin can be more complicated than proprietary alternatives, requiring a good understanding of server management and networking.
  • Community Support
    Being a community-driven project, the support relies mainly on forums and community contributions, which may not be as immediate or comprehensive as professional support services.
  • Updates and Stability
    Since it is managed by volunteers, updates and new features may not be as frequent or stable as those offered by commercial software.
  • Lack of Certain Features
    Some advanced features found in premium media server solutions may be missing or less polished in Jellyfin.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running Jellyfin can be resource-intensive, particularly for transcoding processes, requiring relatively powerful hardware for optimal performance.
  • Compatibility Issues
    There could be compatibility issues with certain devices or media formats, leading to a less seamless experience compared to more mature, commercial solutions.

JRiver Media Center features and specs

  • Versatile Media Management
    JRiver Media Center supports a wide range of media formats including audio, video, and images, making it a comprehensive solution for users with diverse media collections.
  • High-quality Audio Playback
    The software is renowned for its high-quality audio playback capabilities, offering advanced features like support for high-resolution audio files, DSP studio, and customizable equalizer settings.
  • Customization and Advanced Features
    Users have access to a myriad of settings and options to tailor their media experience, including customizable views, tagging, and extensive control over the media library.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    JRiver Media Center is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring users can use the software across different systems.
  • Extensive Streaming Options
    The software supports various streaming services and protocols, allowing users to stream content from online sources or share their media library across devices.

Possible disadvantages of JRiver Media Center

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive feature set and customization options, new users might find the software overwhelming and may require time to fully understand its capabilities.
  • High Resource Usage
    JRiver Media Center can be resource-intensive, which might affect system performance, especially on older or less powerful computers.
  • Paid Software
    JRiver Media Center is not free and requires a purchase or subscription, which might be a drawback for users looking for a free media management solution.
  • Complex Interface
    The user interface can be complex and cluttered, which may be less appealing to users who prefer a simpler and more intuitive design.
  • Limited Online Integrations
    Compared to some other media players, JRiver Media Center might have fewer integrations with certain online services and platforms, potentially limiting its utility in some environments.

Jellyfin videos

This FOSS app has TAKEN OVER my server! - Jellyfin Review

More videos:

  • Review - Jellyfin a fully open source alternative to Plex, Emby, and other media centers. Self-hosted & Free
  • Review - Jellyfin Media Server Setup for Openmediavault
  • Tutorial - Bob

JRiver Media Center videos

JRiver Media Center Video Tour

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to setup jRiver Media Center (part 1 of 2) - Intro

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Jellyfin and JRiver Media Center)
Media And Entertainment
100 100%
0% 0
Video
73 73%
27% 27
Media Players And Streaming Platforms
Media Player
79 79%
21% 21

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Jellyfin and JRiver Media Center

Jellyfin Reviews

The Best 5 Kodi Alternatives You Can Try
Jellyfin is another alternative to Kodi. According to Wikipedia, it’s a suite of multimedia applications used for the organization, management, and sharing digital media files to network devices. With this freeware, you can collect, organize, and enjoy your movies, TV shows, and music, and it also enables you to watch Live TV and set automatic recordings.
15 Best Plex Alternatives [2022] – FREE and BETTER Options
Jellyfin or one of the others listed on this page. Plex offers a premium subscription and live channels, but Jellyfin allows you to add more features using plugins. Jellyfin is better than Plex and Emby if you are a tinkerer. In either case, we believe Jellyfin is the best free media server.
Top 10 Best Linux Media Server Software
An open-source media server software with several features. Jellyfin is actually a fork of the Emby media server. It may be one of the best out there, available for ‘free’.
Source: itsfoss.com
16 Best Jellyfin Alternatives - Features, pros & cons, pricing | Remote Tools
Watch the latest episodes from major networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, History, A&E, and many more Pricing When to use SelectTV Relevance to remote workers SelectTV allows remote workers to watch latest episode of their favorite show or a fun movie for the whole family and it's all just a click away See Alternatives to SelectTV See SelectTV's Competitors Jellyfin Alternative...
Best Kodi Alternatives for Free Streaming
Jellyfin is open source software that requires two devices. One acts as a server (it can be a PC, laptop, or NAS) and houses your media collection. Jellyfin’s additional feature stack includes support for DLNA, Live TV and DVR, and QuickConnect. The latter allows users to easily log in to new devices through previously authenticated devices.

JRiver Media Center Reviews

10 Best Kodi Alternatives You Should Use (2023)
If you are a movie geek, Jriver is a must-try. Movies and music, audio, and other media files can be streamed on JRiver very easily. With extra premium features like High Definition streaming and remote access, JRiver is a better Kodi alternative than others.
Source: techdator.net
15 Best Plex Alternatives [2022] – FREE and BETTER Options
JRiver Media Center uses multiple software servers to share media between devices. Media Center zones serve media to multiple clients, even playing different media on the same device at the same time. JRiver Media Center works with smart TVs, Blu-ray players, receivers, and other devices supporting DLNA playback. You can even use a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 with JRiver.
Top 10 Alternatives to Plex Media Server
JRIver Media Center is a complete multimedia solution platform will allow you to organize all type of your media content and play it on any digital device or operating system. JRIver Media Center is available for Mac OS X and Windows operating system users and allows the users to build their own media center in order to organize media files of all type.
Source: www.easefab.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Jellyfin seems to be a lot more popular than JRiver Media Center. While we know about 255 links to Jellyfin, we've tracked only 12 mentions of JRiver Media Center. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Jellyfin mentions (255)

  • Plex no Longer Offers Free Remote Playback for Personal Media
    Switched from Plex to https://jellyfin.org/ without much trouble. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Plex price increases for 2025, remote streaming of personal media no longer free
    After trying Plex, I found Jellyfin [1] to be a complete replacement when paired with a VPN for remote devices. I haven't had a single issue with a library over 2TB and thousands of files. [1]: https://jellyfin.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Ode to one diagnostic rule and to couple more, or Jellyfin check
    Jellyfin is based on the Emby 3.5.2 release and ported to the .NET Core platform to provide full cross-platform support. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • How I built my own SeedBox with K8S
    Indeed, it would be really cool to set up a Jellyfin server now and connect it to the network volume to enjoy the content from the couch ;). - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Netflix: Piracy Is Difficult to Compete Against and Growing Rapidly
    At least for the last point I can recommend jellyfin. It has a web interface, a android tv app and an iphone app. I use it on my phone, tv and in the browser. https://jellyfin.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

JRiver Media Center mentions (12)

  • So. . .given lack of Roon support and recent acquisition by Harman. . .any realistic alternatives?
    Https://jriver.com/ It does a lot of what Roon does. It also includes local videos and youtube. Source: over 1 year ago
  • What is the best mp3 player that also displays the album art while the file is playing?
    It's not free, but I'm a big fan of JRiver Media Center and have been using it for many years. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Your license will last forever, but you do need to pay for major version upgrades (once-per-year). I'm an audiophile with a substantial library and I'm personally happy to support efforts like this, but I get that paying isn't for everyone. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Newbie question about volume control in my streaming setup
    I use JRiver Server with my WiiM Pro and it works flawlessly. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Why can’t they abstract?
    I suspect another commercial product, JRiver Media Center, might be more flexible than Mezzmo (less arbitrary about what you can and can't do), but it sounds like the Android and Android TV client is probably a mess. I've never done a setup with it. Source: over 2 years ago
  • program for ripping CDs with correct metadata
    Many media players support ripping 1 disc at a time at least. Even Windows Media player can rip to wave and FLAC. Foobar2000 is a good option here. I personally have my library in JRiver, which isn't free, but I've been happily using it for many years. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Jellyfin and JRiver Media Center, you can also consider the following products

NZBGet.com - Fast, reliable, and feature-packed NZB downloader.

Kodi - Kodi is an award winning free and open source media player that got its start on the Xbox console.

SABnzbd - SABnzbd is a free/open-source cross-platform binary newsreader written in Python.

Emby - media server for personal streaming movies tv music photos in mobile app or browser for all devices android iOS windows phone appletv androidtv smarttv and dlna.

NZBGet - The most efficient usenet downloader.

Universal Media Server - Universal Media Server allows you to host your entire library of video, music, and pictures, and broadcast them conveniently to a wide variety of different devices.

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