Software · head to head
Tubi vs Emby
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Tubi the App Store listing (Tubi, Inc) shows the app as entirely free with advertising; there is no in-app purchase, ad-free tier, or premium subscription offered anywhere in the listing, meaning users who want to remove ads have no paid option at all; Emby hardware accelerated transcoding requires Emby Premiere, so a server GPU sits unused without a subscription
- They diverge on capability: Tubi covers Full catalog, Emby covers Personal media server.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Tubi and Emby actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2014).
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 Tubi
- Full catalog
- Search
- Recommendations
- Watchlist
- Content filtering
- Account management
- Roku support
- Fire-tv support
Only in Emby
- Personal media server
- Library management
- Sync
- Remote access
- Mobile devices
- User management
- Parental controls
- Remote access controls
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.
Tubi
- Free streamingnot Emby
- Content discoverynot Emby
Emby
- Running a personal media server for films, television and musicnot Tubi
- Streaming a home library to phones, tablets and televisionsnot Tubi
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Tubi
- The App Store listing (Tubi, Inc) shows the app as entirely free with advertising; there is no in-app purchase, ad-free tier, or premium subscription offered anywhere in the listing, meaning users who want to remove ads have no paid option at all
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Tubi
Free- FreeFree
- Full catalog
- Ad-supported
Emby
Free- FreeFree
- Media server
- Local streaming
- Premiere$4.99/month
- Cloud sync
- Remote access
- Sync to devices
Which should you pick?
Choose Tubi if
- You need full catalog.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
- You also want search.
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 library management.
Questions people ask
- Is Tubi or Emby better?
- Neither clearly leads. Tubi starts at Free and Emby at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Tubi or Emby?
- Tubi starts at Free and Emby at Free.
- Does Tubi or Emby run on more platforms?
- Tubi runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv. Emby runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Desktop.
- Can I use Tubi for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Tubi best used for?
- Tubi is most often used for free streaming, content discovery. Of those, free streaming and content discovery are not what Emby is typically brought in for.
- What can Tubi do that Emby cannot?
- Tubi covers Full catalog, Search, Recommendations, Watchlist. Emby covers Personal media server, Library management, Sync, Remote access. Both handle Streaming, Smart TVs, Streaming devices, Web support.