Media & Entertainment · head to head
Pluto TV vs Jellyfin
P
Pluto TV
Media & Entertainment
Stream movies, TV shows and clips for free
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Pluto TV pluto TV is entirely ad-supported free streaming with no paid tier, available in a stated list of regions including the US, Canada, Latin America, Brazil, Germany/Switzerland/Austria, UK, Spain, France, Norway, Sweden, Italy and Denmark (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024); Jellyfin jellyfin is free open source software under the GNU GPL with no paid tier or vendor support contract available
- They diverge on capability: Pluto TV covers Live TV channels, Jellyfin covers Media server.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Pluto TV and Jellyfin actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Media & 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 Pluto TV
- Live TV channels
- Movies
- TV shows
- Recommendations
- Account management
- Parental controls
- Roku support
- Fire-tv support
Only in Jellyfin
- Media server
- Library management
- Open source
- Self-hosted
- Mobile devices
- Open source audit
- Self-hosted security
- User management
Both cover
- Streaming
- Smart TVs
- Streaming devices
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
- Smart-tv support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Pluto TV
- Free streamingnot Jellyfin
- Live TVnot Jellyfin
- On-demand contentnot Jellyfin
Jellyfin
- Open-source media streamingnot Pluto TV
- Self-hosted librarynot Pluto TV
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Pluto TV
- Pluto TV is entirely ad-supported free streaming with no paid tier, available in a stated list of regions including the US, Canada, Latin America, Brazil, Germany/Switzerland/Austria, UK, Spain, France, Norway, Sweden, Italy and Denmark (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024)
Jellyfin
- Jellyfin is free open source software under the GNU GPL with no paid tier or vendor support contract available
Pricing, plan by plan
Pluto TV
Free- FreeFree
- Full content
- Live channels
- Ad-supported
Jellyfin
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited streaming
- Open source
- No ads
Which should you pick?
Choose Pluto TV if
- You need live tv channels.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
- You also want movies.
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 library management.
Questions people ask
- Is Pluto TV or Jellyfin better?
- Neither clearly leads. Pluto TV starts at Free and Jellyfin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Pluto TV or Jellyfin?
- Pluto TV starts at Free and Jellyfin at Free.
- Does Pluto TV or Jellyfin run on more platforms?
- Pluto TV runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv. Jellyfin runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Desktop, Docker.
- Can I use Pluto TV for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Pluto TV best used for?
- Pluto TV is most often used for free streaming, live tv, on-demand content. Of those, free streaming and live tv are not what Jellyfin is typically brought in for.
- What can Pluto TV do that Jellyfin cannot?
- Pluto TV covers Live TV channels, Movies, TV shows, Recommendations. Jellyfin covers Media server, Library management, Open source, Self-hosted. Both handle Streaming, Smart TVs, Streaming devices, Web support.