Nielix and other media servers
Nielix is not the right media server for everyone. Here is when to pick one of the others instead, and what I have focused on myself.
Last reviewed 1 November 2026
Read this first
The details about other programs were taken from their own websites on the date above and may be wrong or out of date, because they change. Always check with the vendor before you choose. All trademarks belong to their owners. Nielix is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
In short
- Nielix is young. I built it for a home that wants its own server, its own player and peace of mind.
- If you need apps on many kinds of devices, plugins or open source code, pick one of the others.
- If you can live with a web app and an Android TV app that is on its way, and you want your own TV channels, home automation and running without internet, Nielix may fit.
Pick one of the others if ...
Plex
- You want apps on as many different devices as possible. As far as I know, Plex has apps for far more device types than Nielix has.
- You want a widespread solution with a large user base and many guides online.
- You want the well-known Plex account and the services that go with it.
The Plex server can run on, among others, Windows, Mac, Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi and many NAS brands. There is a paid Plex Pass. See with Plex what it includes today.
Jellyfin
- You want open source. Jellyfin is free software under the GNU GPL. The Nielix source code is closed.
- You want a solution with no subscription, also for many users. Jellyfin is free.
- You want apps for iOS, Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV. Jellyfin lists clients for them.
- You want to extend it with plugins. Nielix has no code plugins.
- You want to record live TV from a TV tuner. Jellyfin lists live TV and recordings. Nielix has no built-in support for TV tuners.
Nielix has a compatibility layer, off by default, so Jellyfin apps can connect to a Nielix server. It does not support live TV, playlists, collections, SyncPlay, plugins and remote control between clients.
Emby
- You want apps for Android, iOS, Fire TV, Xbox and PlayStation. Emby lists apps for them.
- You want to record live TV with your own TV tuner. Emby lists DVR with Premiere.
- You want to buy a lifetime licence. Emby lists monthly, yearly and one-time purchase. Nielix is a subscription per server.
- You want voice control through Alexa or Google Home. Emby lists smart home with Premiere.
Emby Premiere is a paid add-on. See with Emby what is free and what needs Premiere.
What I have focused on in Nielix
This is not a claim that the others cannot do the same. It is what I built Nielix for.
- The server works without an account with me and without internet. Everything on your own drives plays, also in the holiday house.
- Your own TV channels built from your own series and films, with a TV guide, reminders and from the start.
- Child profiles with an age limit, time per day and bedtime, enforced by the server.
- Messages and speech to the TV screens in the house, MQTT, webhooks and a Home Assistant integration.
- The look is controlled from the server: eight themes in dark and light, your own home screen, your own name and logo.
- One subscription per server covers the whole household, and a key that the server checks itself without phoning home.
- No tracking in the app or the server. The server sends nothing to me unless you connect it yourself.
What Nielix is not
- Not open source.
- Not a program with plugins.
- Not a solution with apps for every device. There is a web app that works today, and an Android TV app that is on its way to Google Play.
- Not a TV tuner solution.
- Not a source of content. Nielix contains no films, series or channels.
Read on
Ready to try Nielix?
Download the server and run it on your NAS, mini PC or Raspberry Pi. You do not need an account to use it.