# Jellyfin vs Universal Media Server

> Two self-hosted [Plex alternatives](https://selfhost.directory/alternative-to/plex), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Jellyfin | Universal Media Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 88/100 ✓ | 62/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 118 in Media Server | #24 of 118 in Media Server |
| GitHub stars | 58 744 ✓ | 2 668 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 301 ✓ | +14 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 ✓ | 11 |
| Latest release | v12.4 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ | 15.9.0 · 5 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | C | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Jellyfin scores 88/100 against 62/100 for Universal Media Server, so it is the safer default.

Jellyfin ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 11 for Universal Media Server.

If you want the quickest setup, Universal Media Server is easier to run; Jellyfin needs more configuration.

Jellyfin is growing faster right now (+1 301 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Jellyfin](https://selfhost.directory/project/jellyfin) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/jellyfin.md)
- [Universal Media Server](https://selfhost.directory/project/universal-media-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/universal-media-server.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/jellyfin-vs-universal-media-server