Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Jellyfin VS Serviio

Compare Jellyfin VS Serviio and see what are their differences

Jellyfin logo Jellyfin

Jellyfin is a personal media server.

Serviio logo Serviio

Web on Big Screen. Serviio enables playback of online sources like RSS feeds, live streams or web site content so that you can listen to your favourite podcasts or watch latest TV programmes published online.
  • Jellyfin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-21
  • Serviio Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29

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.

Serviio features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Serviio runs on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, which makes it versatile and accessible to a wide user base.
  • Device Support
    Serviio supports a wide range of devices for streaming including TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and mobile devices.
  • Media Format Support
    The software supports a variety of media formats and can transcode unsupported formats on the fly, ensuring compatibility across different devices.
  • Metadata Fetching
    It automatically fetches metadata such as posters, subtitles, and descriptions for your media files, enhancing the user experience.
  • User Interface
    Offers a concise and easy-to-use web-based console for managing the server and configuring settings.
  • Freemium Model
    The basic version of Serviio is free, offering enough features for the average user while providing a Pro version for advanced functionalities.

Possible disadvantages of Serviio

  • Premium Features Locked
    Some advanced features like media library organization and access from mobile devices are locked behind the Pro version, which may be a drawback for some users.
  • Complex Setup
    Initial configuration might be complicated for users who are not tech-savvy, as it may require network and device compatibility setup.
  • Performance
    On lower-end hardware, running the server and on-the-fly transcoding can be resource-intensive, potentially affecting performance.
  • Limited Built-in Content
    Unlike some other DLNA servers that come with built-in channels or plugins for streaming online content, Serviio focuses mainly on serving local content.
  • No Official Mobile Apps
    The lack of an official mobile app for managing or accessing the media server may detract from the convenience for smartphone users.

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

Serviio videos

Ultimate Serviio Media Server Setup Guide - Stream PC to PS3, XBOX 360, Android...

More videos:

  • Review - Serviio Plugins HDHomerun Setup

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Jellyfin and Serviio)
Media And Entertainment
100 100%
0% 0
Video
56 56%
44% 44
Media Players And Streaming Platforms
Media Player
66 66%
34% 34

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 Serviio

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.

Serviio Reviews

The Best 5 Kodi Alternatives You Can Try
Serviio is also regarded as one of the best Kodi alternatives. It’s a free media server and allows you to stream media files (video, music, images) to rendered devices. It also can stream content from online sources. And it supports subtitles, RAW camera images, video thumbnails, CD covers, etc. Also, Serviio can classify video files. And it offers a paid pro edition.
7 Best Home Media Server Software Choices (2022)
Serviio requires you to already have your content organized and titled correctly, otherwise, it will look like a total mess. In the free version, you can stream to newer Playstation and XBox devices, as well as other computers, but other devices like Sonos, Roku, and Chromecast have been known to have issues working with Serviio. Because of its detailed configuration...
Source: heavy.com
15 Best Plex Alternatives [2022] – FREE and BETTER Options
Serviio also implements the standard DVD file structure stack video stacking feature. If you have a DVD file structure or split videos, Serviio can stack multiple parts into one. It supports most playlist formats and subtitles. Serviio also supports RAW camera images.
Top 10 Best Linux Media Server Software
Serviio is an interesting free media server. Note that it is not an open-source solution, but supports Linux.
Source: itsfoss.com
Top 10 Alternatives to Plex Media Server
Serviio is a freemium multifunctional media server for the Mac, Linux and Windows operating systems. Serviio is capable in streaming the media files of all type for home based DLNA devices only. Serviio is the expert in streaming media files to renderer devices - Blu-ray player, smartphones, games consoles, TV sets - on the connected home network.
Source: www.easefab.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Jellyfin seems to be a lot more popular than Serviio. While we know about 255 links to Jellyfin, we've tracked only 8 mentions of Serviio. 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

Serviio mentions (8)

  • Old cMP 5,1 - Help me decide what to do with it?
    I was using https://serviio.org/ for streaming until it broke, never got around to fixing it (around 2017~). No idea if there's better options. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • M3U
    I setup the Serviio server on my computer. I put in links to m3u8 channels I want to watch and broadcast them to my Roku TV. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Non-Internet way of watching movies from an External Hard drive?
    I use Serviio, https://serviio.org/, which I personally have found much easier to use than Plex. Streaming to BluRay players can be hit and miss (worked fine on my Sony, Samsung sucks) but it works fine with Roku (just need to install Roku Media Player from the app store). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Can Hypnotix m3u8 links be extracted
    I don't have an HDMI cable long enough to go from the computer to the TV. I plug the links into Serviio and use the Roku Media Player on my TV to display the media browser from the server, so I can pick which IPTV channel I want to watch. As a bonus, I can stream local media, usually used for PLEX, on Serviio as well. But I can't plug entire lists in Serviio, and wouldn't want to anyway. Too many junk links. It's... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Smart Audio for the Smart Home
    Im my experience Serviio was the only thing that made DNLA even half work and even with that it was flakey. https://serviio.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Jellyfin and Serviio, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

NZBGet - The most efficient usenet downloader.

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.

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