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Entertainment · head to head

Emby vs StubHub

Emby logo

Emby

Entertainment

Your personal entertainment server

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
StubHub logo

StubHub

Entertainment

Ticket resale marketplace charging both buyers and sellers, with combined fees often a large share of face value

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Emby hardware accelerated transcoding requires Emby Premiere, so a server GPU sits unused without a subscription; StubHub combined buyer and seller fees can amount to a large fraction of a ticket's face value, so the printed listing price understates the real total cost by a wide margin.
  • They diverge on capability: Emby covers Personal media server, StubHub covers Buy and sell marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Emby and StubHub actually diverge.

Attributes where Emby and StubHub differ
AttributeEmbyStubHub
Pricing modelfreemiumFree to browse, two sided transaction fees on buyers and sellers
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, DesktopiOS, Android, Web
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Entertainment).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Emby

  • Personal media server
  • Streaming
  • Library management
  • Sync
  • Remote access
  • Smart TVs
  • Streaming devices
  • Mobile devices

Only in StubHub

  • Buy and sell marketplace
  • FanProtect guarantee
  • Price alerts
  • Interactive seat maps
  • Mobile and PDF ticket delivery
  • Seller payout tracking

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Emby

  • Running a personal media server for films, television and musicnot StubHub
  • Streaming a home library to phones, tablets and televisionsnot StubHub

StubHub

  • A fan trying to buy a ticket to a sold-out event no longer available at face value from the primary sellernot Emby
  • Someone who bought tickets they can no longer use and wants to resell themnot Emby
  • A buyer wanting a guarantee that a resold ticket will be valid and delivered on timenot Emby
  • Comparing seat locations and prices across multiple listings for the same event before buyingnot Emby

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Emby

  • Hardware accelerated transcoding requires Emby Premiere, so a server GPU sits unused without a subscription
  • The mobile, Fire TV, Xbox and PlayStation apps need Premiere for full access, with only basic playback unlockable per app
  • Offline downloads to phones and tablets are Premiere only
  • Premiere is $4.99 a month or $54 a year, with a lifetime option at $119

StubHub

  • Combined buyer and seller fees can amount to a large fraction of a ticket's face value, so the printed listing price understates the real total cost by a wide margin.
  • Buyer fees are typically not shown until near checkout, which regulators in the US and UK have specifically targeted as a form of drip pricing in the ticketing industry.
  • Sellers receive less than their listed price after StubHub's seller fee is deducted, which can surprise first-time sellers expecting to net the full listed amount.
  • As a secondary market, prices for popular events can be well above face value, and there is no guarantee of a cheaper option appearing before the event date.
  • Refund and guarantee terms depend on FanProtect policy conditions, and disputes over cancelled or changed events can take time to resolve through customer support.

Pricing, plan by plan

Emby

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Media server
    • Local streaming
  • Premiere$4.99/month
    • Cloud sync
    • Remote access
    • Sync to devices

StubHub

Free
  • Buyer fee$undefined/per transaction
    • Service fee added at checkout, commonly around 20 to 30 percent or more of ticket price
    • Fee amount varies by event and is shown before final purchase confirmation
  • Seller fee$undefined/per transaction
    • Service fee deducted from the sale proceeds, historically around 10 to 15 percent
    • Rate can vary by event and seller volume

Which should you pick?

Choose Emby if

  • You need personal media server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Desktop.
  • You also want streaming.
Emby review

Choose StubHub if

  • You need buy and sell marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want fanprotect guarantee.
StubHub review

Questions people ask

Is Emby or StubHub better?
Neither clearly leads. Emby starts at Free and StubHub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Emby or StubHub?
Emby starts at Free and StubHub at Free.
Does Emby or StubHub run on more platforms?
Emby runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Desktop. StubHub runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Emby for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Emby best used for?
Emby is most often used for running a personal media server for films, television and music, streaming a home library to phones, tablets and televisions. Of those, running a personal media server for films, television and music and streaming a home library to phones, tablets and televisions are not what StubHub is typically brought in for.
What can Emby do that StubHub cannot?
Emby covers Personal media server, Streaming, Library management, Sync. StubHub covers Buy and sell marketplace, FanProtect guarantee, Price alerts, Interactive seat maps.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Emby: How much does Emby cost?

Emby does not publish pricing information on its website. The service mentions Emby Premiere as an optional premium tier with bonus features including mobile downloads and hardware accelerated transcoding, but no cost is specified.

Source
StubHub: Does StubHub charge fees to both buyers and sellers?

Yes, it charges a service fee to sellers deducted from their proceeds, and a separate service fee to buyers added at checkout.

StubHub: How much are StubHub fees in total?

They vary by event, but buyer fees are commonly in the range of 20 to 30 percent or more of the ticket price, and seller fees historically around 10 to 15 percent, so combined fees can be a large share of face value.

StubHub: Are resold tickets guaranteed?

StubHub's FanProtect guarantee covers ticket validity, on-time delivery and event cancellation or significant changes, subject to its terms.

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