Plex and Kodi have long dominated the media center landscape, but Emby is becoming an increasingly popular choice among users.
In truth, Plex and Emby are more alike than Plex and Kodi. First of all, they are both dedicated media servers. In contrast, Kodi requires expert knowledge of MySQL or an ideal solution to function as a media server.
So if you are new to the world of cord cutting and home media, which one should you choose? Emby or Plex? Which is the best? Read on to find out.
We'll start with a quick word about cost. Both Plex and Emby offer a premium plan. They introduce extra features that make apps shine (although some of you might decide you don't need a Plex Pass 5 Reasons You Really Don't Need a Plex Pass 5 Reasons You Really Don't Need a Plex Pass If You Have A Lot of media saved locally on your computer, Plex is a must-have piece of software. But do you really need to pay for a Plex Pass? Find out… Read More).
A Plex Pass will set you back $14.99 for three months or $119.99 for a lifetime subscription. Emby Premiere is similarly priced; the monthly plan is $4.99/month and the lifetime subscription is $119.
Both Plex and Emby use a client/server setup. You need to install the server app on the computer or NAS drive where you keep your local media, and the client app on any device you want to enjoy the content on.
Setting up the client software for both applications is as easy as installing the program and entering a code. The tricky part is configuring the server software.
The process in Plex is simpler than in Emby. Generally speaking, it is geared more towards the mass market and non-tech savvy users.
For example, when you're building a movie library on Emby, you'll see advanced options like enabling chapter image extraction and pre-downloading metadata images. The settings will appeal to experienced bosses, but can be daunting for newcomers.
Thanks to its more substantial budget, Plex is the more polished of the two apps. As such, it's fair to say that it offers a more pleasant and user-friendly browsing experience.
Of course, much of this is subjective; There is nothing wrong with Emby browsing, Plex feels more professional. For someone who is used to dealing with slick operating systems on Apple TV, Android TV, and other set-top boxes, the switch to Emby might feel bad.
One of the areas where Kodi has an advantage over Plex is the level of customization available. Emby shares this advantage. If you like to play with endless settings and tweak the UI to your own specifications, Emby is the better of the two.
If you have the skills, you can apply your own CSS to the web app, change the login screen, use other people's themes, and much more. Neither of which is possible in Plex.
Much of the customization is made possible by the open source nature of Emby. Plex is closed source.
Plex and Emby offer a Live TV and DVR feature. While Live TV on Plex Plex Live TV:Everything You Need to Know Plex Live TV:Everything You Need to Know Plex has added live TV channels to its service, but what exactly is Plex Live TV? We've got everything you need to know about this exciting new option for cable cutters. Read More is restricted to premium users, Emby users can watch live TV for free through the web app, but will need to subscribe to Premiere to watch on any other device.
Naturally, there are some design differences, like Plex's built-in electronic program guide. Plex adds a live traditional TV channel guide. Plex adds a live traditional TV channel guide. . And so users have flooded streaming services with requests for the grid view. Including Plex… Read More (EPG). However, in terms of functionality, they are almost identical.
Once again, though, Plex has the upper hand when it comes to compatible gear. Emby only supports the HDHomeRun tuner natively (and Hauppauge devices on Windows). Plex supports HDHomeRun, DVBLogic, AVerMedia, and Hauppauge. You can add support for other tuners on Emby using a Live TV plugin.
Plex's news feature is also worth mentioning. The Plex news should help keep the cord cutters down. Keeping you up to date with what is happening in the world. Read more . It uses machine learning to recommend stories it thinks you'll be interested in. There is no equivalent function in Emby.
This is a huge win for Plex. Assuming all your devices are on the same network, Plex allows you to stream your content around your house for free. You do not need to subscribe to Plex Pass.
Emby, on the other hand, is a mixed bag. It will only allow you to enjoy content streamed through the web app, Roku, Apple TV, and Samsung Smart TVs.
If you want to stream content on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android and iOS tablets and other devices, you will need to pay the app unlock fee on a case-by-case basis or subscribe to Premiere.
The ability to stream content when you're away from home is a premium feature in both apps.
Assuming you have the subscription, you can download content for offline viewing, sync a “watchdog” video between devices, and stream content directly from your server.
Setting up remote streaming on Plex and Emby is as simple as enabling the feature in the Server Settings menu.
Plex and Emby support third-party extensions. They are made by the community to improve and extend the core functionality of the apps.
One of Plex's best features, the unsupported App Store, is a third-party extension. It allows you to access some brilliant unofficial Plex channels. 20 Unofficial Plex Channels You Should Install Right Now. 20 Unofficial Plex Channels You Should Install Now. With the AppStore not supported, you can unlock new Plex content to watch. Here are the best unofficial Plex channels to install. Read more . Unsupported App Store is easy to setup and install How to Unlock More Channels on Plex With Unsupported App Store How to Unlock More Channels on Plex With Unsupported App Store There are hundreds of Plex channels available through the App Store without support. Here is how to install it and unlock the bonus content. Read more . There are also dozens of officially supported plugins, called Channels, to choose from.
Because Emby is the newer of the two apps and has a smaller user base, its list of third-party plugins is less extensive.
However, both apps have many of the big name plugins most users would want, including TuneIn Radio, Trakt, and ITV Player.
Plex and Emby server apps are available on Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD, Docker, and a wide selection of NAS devices. The only difference is that Plex supports Drobo NAS devices while Emby does not.
Both client apps also support all major desktop operating systems, mobile operating systems, and streaming boxes. However, once again, there are some devices and services that Plex supports, but Emby does not. They include Sonos and Android Auto.
Also, on Emby, you must subscribe to Premiere to access the Amazon Alexa plugin.
Look, we have nothing on Emby. It's a great app that deserves huge praise for bringing the fight to Plex. Competition is a good thing; at the very least it will force Plex not to rest on its laurels.
However, it's hard to argue that Plex isn't the better of the two. It offers more native features, supports more external devices, provides a smoother user experience, and has a more polished interface.
We are sure that some of you will not agree with us, so please leave your thoughts in the comments. And if you want to learn more about Plex features, check out our list of Plex Plugins for Power Users Top 10 Plex Plugins for Power Users Top 10 Plex Plugins for Power Users For casual users, Plex is ready to go From box. Sin embargo, los usuarios avanzados pueden querer sacar más provecho de Plex. Y estos complementos de Plex te ayudarán. Más información, cómo usar los subtítulos en Plex Cómo usar los subtítulos en Plex:Todo lo que necesita saber Cómo usar los subtítulos en Plex:Todo lo que necesita saber Plex es compatible con varias soluciones de subtítulos para sus medios, pero están desactivados De la caja." Aquí tiene todo lo que necesita saber sobre cómo usar los subtítulos en Plex. Lea más, y cómo ver Plex en realidad virtual. Ahora puede ver Plex en realidad virtual. Ahora puede ver Plex en realidad virtual. Plex ha lanzado una nueva aplicación llamada Plex VR. Esto significa que puedes ver a Plex en un apartamento virtual o en un drive-in, e incluso invitar a tus amigos reales a compartir tus palomitas de maíz virtuales. Lee mas .
