1 open source alternatives to Netflix
Subscription video streaming. Here are the open source projects real teams use instead — ranked by fit, with honest pros and cons for each.
What people don't love about Netflix
- Library changes frequently.
- Password-sharing crackdown.
- No way to own a copy of content.
Current Netflix pricing (for reference): Standard from $15.49/month.
Quick comparison
| Alternative | Best for | License | Self-host | Hosted cloud? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Jellyfin Open source media server — stream your movies, shows, and music. |
Stream your own movies and shows to any device, free. | GPL-2.0 | ★★☆☆☆ | Self-host only |
1. Jellyfin — Stream your own movies and shows to any device, free.
Open source media server — stream your movies, shows, and music.
Strengths
- 100% free — no accounts, no paywalled apps.
- Plays on virtually every platform.
- Active plugin and skin ecosystem.
Weaknesses
- Metadata scraping sometimes needs manual fixes.
- Transcoding requires hardware acceleration for 4K.
- Sharing with friends needs port-forwarding or a reverse proxy.
Jellyfin homepage · Source on GitHub · Netflix vs Jellyfin →
Not what you're looking for?
Browse other tools in Media Streaming, or check out open source projects by category on the full category index.
Other SaaS in Media Streaming
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