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Entertainment · head to head

Jellyfin vs WinDirStat

Jellyfin logo

Jellyfin

Entertainment

The free software media system

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WinDirStat logo

WinDirStat

Utilities

Windows disk usage analyser that shows where space went as a colour-coded treemap

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Jellyfin no commercial support or SLA available; project is volunteer-maintained; WinDirStat it walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • They diverge on capability: Jellyfin covers Media server, WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Jellyfin and WinDirStat actually diverge.

Attributes where Jellyfin and WinDirStat differ
AttributeJellyfinWinDirStat
Pricing modelfreeOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Desktop, DockerWindows
CategoryEntertainmentUtilities
Founded2018Unknown

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

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 Jellyfin

  • Media server
  • Streaming
  • Library management
  • Open source
  • Self-hosted
  • Smart TVs
  • Streaming devices
  • Mobile devices

Only in WinDirStat

  • Treemap visualisation
  • Three linked views
  • Multithreaded scanning
  • Cleanup actions
  • Any filesystem
  • GPL licensed

What people use each for

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

Jellyfin

  • Open-source media streamingnot WinDirStat
  • Self-hosted librarynot WinDirStat

WinDirStat

  • Finding what filled a Windows system drive when the usual suspects are not responsiblenot Jellyfin
  • Auditing a shared or network drive where files are spread across thousands of foldersnot Jellyfin
  • Environments where licence terms forbid personal-use-only freeware on company machinesnot Jellyfin
  • Explaining disk usage visually to someone who will not read a list of folder sizesnot Jellyfin

Where each one falls short

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

Jellyfin

  • No commercial support or SLA available; project is volunteer-maintained
  • Self-hosted deployment required; no cloud hosting provided by project

WinDirStat

  • It walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • The version most users have installed is the 2007 build, and because it was dormant for so long, search results and download mirrors still point at it.
  • It is Windows only, so a mixed estate needs a different tool for macOS and Linux machines.
  • There is no scheduling, reporting or export for fleet use, so it answers a question on one machine at a time rather than monitoring storage across an organisation.
  • Hard links, junctions and deduplicated volumes can be counted in ways that make the totals disagree with what Windows reports, which causes confusion on servers.

Pricing, plan by plan

Jellyfin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited streaming
    • Open source
    • No ads

WinDirStat

Free
  • WinDirStatFree
    • GPL licensed
    • Commercial use permitted
    • No paid edition or feature gating

Which should you pick?

Choose Jellyfin if

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

Choose WinDirStat if

  • You need treemap visualisation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want three linked views.
WinDirStat review

Questions people ask

Is Jellyfin or WinDirStat better?
Neither clearly leads. Jellyfin starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Jellyfin or WinDirStat?
Jellyfin starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free.
Does Jellyfin or WinDirStat run on more platforms?
Jellyfin runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Desktop, Docker. WinDirStat runs on Windows.
Can I use Jellyfin for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Jellyfin best used for?
Jellyfin is most often used for open-source media streaming, self-hosted library. Of those, open-source media streaming and self-hosted library are not what WinDirStat is typically brought in for.
What can Jellyfin do that WinDirStat cannot?
Jellyfin covers Media server, Streaming, Library management, Open source. WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation, Three linked views, Multithreaded scanning, Cleanup actions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Jellyfin: How much does Jellyfin cost?

Jellyfin is completely free with no costs, hidden fees, or subscriptions. The Jellyfin server and official clients are free to download and use for personal, commercial, or any other purpose. There are no paid tiers or premium features.

Source
WinDirStat: Is WinDirStat still maintained?

Yes. It was dormant from around 2007 until new maintainers resumed development and released the 2.x line with multithreaded scanning and current Windows support.

Jellyfin: Is Jellyfin open source?

Yes, Jellyfin is free and open-source software distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Users can download, use, study, modify, and distribute it at no cost. The project is maintained by volunteers and supported through user donations.

Source
WinDirStat: Can I use it at work?

Yes. It is GPL licensed with no personal-use restriction, which is the practical advantage over free-for-personal-use alternatives in this category.

WinDirStat: Why is it slower than WizTree?

Different method. WizTree reads the NTFS master file table directly; WinDirStat traverses directories, which is slower but works on any filesystem, including network shares.

WinDirStat: Does it run on macOS or Linux?

No. Separate projects exist with similar treemap interfaces, but WinDirStat itself is Windows only.

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