[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":184},["ShallowReactive",2],{"seo-verification":3,"blog-migrating-from-plex-to-jellyfin-after-the-july-2026-paywall-en":6},{"google":4,"bing":5},"EycwPY2XMyTkVzas3n1ygeNJFGAH513qrMjfDljzsMQ","",{"id":7,"slug":8,"slugs":9,"title":12,"excerpt":13,"readTime":14,"views":15,"isPinned":16,"publishedAt":17,"category":18,"categories":24,"featuredImage":26,"bgImage":27,"posterImage":28,"relatedSolution":29,"intro":32,"sections":33,"ctaTitle":130,"ctaBody":131,"ctaButton":132,"ctaUrl":133,"relatedPosts":134},292,"migrating-from-plex-to-jellyfin-after-the-july-2026-paywall",{"fr":10,"en":8,"ar":11},"migrer-plex-vers-jellyfin-2026","الهجرة-من-plex-إلى-jellyfin-بعد-paywall-يوليو-2026","Migrating from Plex to Jellyfin after the July 2026 paywall","Plex put remote streaming behind a paywall in July 2026. Here's how to migrate to Jellyfin on your VPS: library intact, same clients, remote access restored.",10,0,false,"2026-08-22T00:00:00+00:00",{"id":19,"name":20,"slug":21,"color":22,"icon":23},7,"Self-hosting","self-hosting","bg-indigo-500\u002F10 text-indigo-400","cloud",[25],{"id":19,"name":20,"slug":21,"color":22,"icon":23},null,"\u002Fblog\u002Fcovers\u002Fbg.svg","\u002Fblog\u002Fcovers\u002Fmigrer-plex-vers-jellyfin-2026-poster.svg",{"categorySlug":30,"appSlug":31},"collaboration-productivity","jellyfin","In July 2026, Plex placed remote access to your media library behind a paid subscription — $2.99 per month or a lifetime Pass at $749.99. Jellyfin replaces Plex functionally, with no paywall, no mandatory account, running entirely on your own VPS. Your library stays in place: only the software layer changes, and your existing Plex clients continue to work via Jellyfin's Plex API compatibility.",[34,38,50,53,81,117,120,124,127],{"type":35,"title":36,"body":37},"h2","Why leave Plex now","For years, Plex offered remote access for free. In July 2026, that changed: without a Plex Pass subscription ($2.99\u002Fmonth or $749.99 lifetime), streaming outside your local network is blocked. The notification or the first access refusal from a mobile device or remote desktop is often the trigger: the user looks for an immediate exit, not a lengthy evaluation.\n\nJellyfin is the direct answer. It is a community fork of the Emby codebase, released under GPL-2.0 license, with no mandatory account, no telemetry, and no feature locked behind a paywall. It implements the Plex API — meaning existing Plex clients (Infuse, Plexamp, nPlayer, and others) continue to work without major reconfiguration. Media files do not move: only the server layer changes.",{"type":39,"title":40,"items":41},"ul","What Jellyfin delivers in practice",[42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49],"**Zero paywall** — remote access, multi-user accounts and transcoding are available without any subscription or lifetime Pass.","**No mandatory account** — setup does not require linking an external service; user management is entirely local.","**Zero telemetry** — no usage data is sent to a third party by default; the code is auditable (GPL-2.0).","**Plex API compatibility** — clients that speak the Plex API detect Jellyfin as a standard Plex server, with no client-side migration needed.","**Media files stay in place** — only the metadata database needs to be rebuilt; storage is untouched.","**Native clients available** — Android, iOS, Android TV, Apple TV, web browser, and dozens of third-party apps support Jellyfin natively.","**Hardware transcoding supported** — Intel Quick Sync, VAAPI and NVENC are configurable to reduce CPU load on high-definition streams.","**Active community and regular updates** — frequent releases, community plugins, and comprehensive official documentation.",{"type":35,"title":51,"body":52},"Requirements before you start","The migration assumes you already have a VPS with Docker installed. Jellyfin in Direct Play mode (devices read the file without transcoding) runs well with 2 vCPUs and 2 GB RAM. If you expect software 1080p transcoding, count at least 4 vCPUs per simultaneous stream: Jellyfin is CPU-intensive without hardware acceleration. For 4K, a GPU or an Intel chip with Quick Sync are strongly recommended.\n\nStorage is the main sizing factor: a medium-sized media library weighs several terabytes. Your media files stay where they are — there is nothing to copy. On the network side, your domain must point to the VPS and port `8096` must be reachable internally (the reverse proxy handles HTTPS exposure).\n\nIn summary: a Linux VPS (Debian 12 or Ubuntu 22.04+), Docker and `docker compose` v2, a configured domain, a reverse proxy (Caddy or Nginx), and SSH access to the server.",{"type":54,"title":55,"steps":56},"steps","Step-by-step migration",[57,60,63,66,69,72,75,78],{"title":58,"body":59},"Export your Plex data before stopping the service","Before anything else, export your Plex library while it is still running. From the Plex server, copy the metadata folder (`~\u002F.config\u002FPlex Media Server\u002F` on Linux, `\u002Fvar\u002Flib\u002Fplexmediaserver\u002F` depending on the install). This backup lets you recover playlists, watch progress and ratings if you ever decide to go back.\n\nYour media files (`\u002Fmnt\u002Fmedia\u002Ffilms`, `\u002Fmnt\u002Fmedia\u002Fseries`, etc.) do not move — do not relocate them.",{"title":61,"body":62},"Stop Plex cleanly","Stop the Plex container or service:\n\n```bash\ndocker compose stop plex\n```\n\nOr, if Plex runs via systemd:\n\n```bash\nsystemctl stop plexmediaserver\n```\n\nFree up port `32400`; Jellyfin will use `8096` by default, so you can leave the Plex port free or close it in your firewall.",{"title":64,"body":65},"Create the Jellyfin folder structure","Create the configuration and cache directories Jellyfin will use:\n\n```bash\nmkdir -p \u002Fopt\u002Fjellyfin\u002Fconfig \u002Fopt\u002Fjellyfin\u002Fcache\n```\n\nYour media remain at their original location — do not move them. Jellyfin will declare them as libraries in the initial wizard.",{"title":67,"body":68},"Write the docker-compose.yml file","Create `\u002Fopt\u002Fjellyfin\u002Fdocker-compose.yml` with the following content:\n\n```bash\ncat > \u002Fopt\u002Fjellyfin\u002Fdocker-compose.yml \u003C\u003C 'EOF'\nservices:\n  jellyfin:\n    image: jellyfin\u002Fjellyfin:latest\n    container_name: jellyfin\n    restart: unless-stopped\n    environment:\n      - JELLYFIN_PublishedServerUrl=https:\u002F\u002Fmedia.yourdomain.com\n    volumes:\n      - \u002Fopt\u002Fjellyfin\u002Fconfig:\u002Fconfig\n      - \u002Fopt\u002Fjellyfin\u002Fcache:\u002Fcache\n      - \u002Fmnt\u002Fmedia:\u002Fmedia:ro\n    ports:\n      - \"127.0.0.1:8096:8096\"\nEOF\n```\n\nAdjust `\u002Fmnt\u002Fmedia` to the actual path of your media. The `:ro` (read-only) flag is good practice: Jellyfin does not need to write to your media files.",{"title":70,"body":71},"Start Jellyfin and run the initial wizard","Start the container:\n\n```bash\ndocker compose -f \u002Fopt\u002Fjellyfin\u002Fdocker-compose.yml up -d\n```\n\nOpen `http:\u002F\u002Fyour-ip:8096` in a browser. The wizard asks you to create a local admin account (no external email address required), then to declare your libraries. Point to your existing media folders (`\u002Fmedia\u002Ffilms`, `\u002Fmedia\u002Fseries`, etc.) — Jellyfin launches an automatic scan and rebuilds metadata from TheMovieDB and TheTVDB.",{"title":73,"body":74},"Configure the reverse proxy with SSL","Expose Jellyfin over HTTPS via Caddy or Nginx. Example Caddy configuration (`Caddyfile`):\n\n```bash\nmedia.yourdomain.com {\n    reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:8096\n}\n```\n\nCaddy obtains and renews the Let's Encrypt certificate automatically. With Nginx, add the `X-Real-IP` and `X-Forwarded-For` headers that Jellyfin uses for access logs.",{"title":76,"body":77},"Reconfigure your clients and enable remote access","In Jellyfin (Dashboard → Networking), verify that the published URL (`JELLYFIN_PublishedServerUrl`) is correct. Native Jellyfin apps (Android, iOS, Apple TV) can add the server by URL. Clients that support the Plex API (Infuse, for example) can also point to Jellyfin: in the Infuse settings, add a Plex server and enter your Jellyfin URL — the discovery protocol is compatible.\n\nVerify access from a mobile connection (not your Wi-Fi) to confirm that remote access works without restriction.",{"title":79,"body":80},"Migrate playlists and watch progress (optional)","Jellyfin does not natively read Plex's SQLite database. Two options: manually recreate playlists in the Jellyfin interface (a few minutes for a typical user), or use the community tool `PlexToJellyfin` to import watch progress (last episode watched, playback time) from Plex's XML export. This script reads the `Plex Media Server\u002FPlug-in Support\u002FDatabases\u002F` file and pushes data via the Jellyfin API.",{"type":82,"title":83,"headers":84,"rows":88},"comparison","Plex Pass 2026 vs Jellyfin: functional comparison",[85,86,87],"Feature","Plex (without Pass)","Jellyfin",[89,92,96,99,102,106,110,113],[90,91,91],"Local streaming (home network)","Yes",[93,94,95],"Remote streaming (off-network)","Paid ($2.99\u002Fmonth)","Free",[97,91,98],"Mandatory external account","No",[100,91,101],"Telemetry \u002F data sent","No (by default)",[103,104,105],"Code license","Proprietary","GPL-2.0",[107,108,109],"Plex client compatibility (API)","Native","Yes (API emulation)",[111,112,95],"Hardware transcoding","Paid (Pass required)",[114,115,116],"Multi-user accounts","Limited without Pass","No cap, local",{"type":35,"title":118,"body":119},"Recommended post-installation configuration","Once the migration is complete, a few settings improve day-to-day experience.\n\n**Metadata.** Jellyfin uses TheMovieDB and TheTVDB by default. If some films or series are not recognized automatically, rename files using the convention `Title (Year)\u002FTitle (Year).mkv` for films and `Series\u002FSeason 01\u002FSeries - S01E01.mkv` for series — Jellyfin applies these conventions during scanning.\n\n**Subtitles.** Enable OpenSubtitles or embedded subtitles under Dashboard → Plugins. Retrieval is automatic during library scans.\n\n**Hardware transcoding.** If your VPS has an Intel chip, enable VAAPI under Dashboard → Playback → Transcoding. This significantly reduces CPU load during stream conversions.",{"type":121,"title":122,"body":123},"tip","Securing Jellyfin access","Jellyfin exposes a public web interface by default once behind your reverse proxy. A few hardening measures to apply at launch: disable public account creation (Dashboard → Users → Disable registration), enable two-factor authentication for the admin account, and restrict access to the admin interface to the local network where possible. If you use Nginx, add a rate limit on `\u002FUsers\u002FAuthenticateByName` routes to slow brute-force attempts. Finally, keep the Docker image up to date: `docker compose pull && docker compose up -d` is sufficient to pick up security patches.",{"type":35,"title":125,"body":126},"Troubleshooting: common errors after migration","A few errors come up consistently during a Plex → Jellyfin migration.\n\n**`Connection refused` on port 8096.** The container is started but nothing responds. Check that the port mapping is `127.0.0.1:8096:8096` and not `0.0.0.0:8096:8096` if you intend to route through the reverse proxy. Diagnostic command: `docker logs jellyfin`.\n\n**Metadata fails to load.** The initial scan can take from 10 minutes to several hours depending on library size. Monitor progress under Dashboard → Activity. If files remain without posters, check that the filename follows the convention and force a new scan with \"Scan library files\".\n\n**Remote access does not work.** If `https:\u002F\u002Fmedia.yourdomain.com` responds from the server but not from outside, check that the firewall allows port 443 (`ufw allow 443`), that DNS points to the correct IP, and that `JELLYFIN_PublishedServerUrl` matches exactly the public URL configured in the reverse proxy.\n\n**Infuse or a Plex-compatible client does not detect the server.** In Infuse, select \"Plex\" as the server type and manually enter your Jellyfin URL. Automatic discovery via Bonjour does not work outside the local network — a manual URL is always more reliable.\n\n**CPU transcoding spikes to 100%.** Without hardware acceleration, a single 4K transcoding stream can saturate several cores. Switch to VAAPI if your processor supports it, or encourage your users to enable Direct Play in their client settings.",{"type":35,"title":128,"body":129},"Further reading and related guides","The migration covers replacing Plex, but Jellyfin fits into a broader ecosystem. If you are starting from scratch (without a prior Plex install), the guide \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fheberger-jellyfin\">Hosting Jellyfin on your own VPS\u003C\u002Fa> covers the initial installation from the beginning. For an in-depth functional comparison between the two platforms, see \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fjellyfin-vs-plex\">Jellyfin vs Plex: which media server to choose\u003C\u002Fa>.\n\nIf this migration is part of a broader move toward self-hosting to reduce SaaS costs, \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fheberger-ghost\">hosting Ghost on your VPS\u003C\u002Fa> covers another common case. The logic is the same: open-source software, a VPS, access you control.\n\nThe official Jellyfin documentation (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.jellyfin.org\">docs.jellyfin.org\u003C\u002Fa>) is comprehensive and actively maintained — it is the reference for advanced use cases (hardware transcoding, LDAP, plugins, advanced reverse proxy).","Your Jellyfin server in minutes","The Jellyfin template on ServOrbit deploys a pre-configured Docker environment on a dedicated VPS: root access, dedicated IP, reverse proxy ready. Import your library the same day.","Deploy Jellyfin","\u002Fmarketplace\u002Fcollaboration-productivity\u002Fjellyfin",[135,150,168],{"id":136,"slug":137,"slugs":138,"title":141,"excerpt":142,"readTime":143,"views":15,"isPinned":16,"publishedAt":144,"category":145,"categories":146,"featuredImage":26,"bgImage":27,"posterImage":148,"relatedSolution":149},84,"host-jellyfin-on-your-own-vps",{"fr":139,"en":137,"ar":140},"heberger-jellyfin","استضافة-jellyfin-على-خادمك-الافتراضي-الخاص-vps","Host Jellyfin on Your Own VPS","Host Jellyfin on your VPS: a free media server for movies, TV shows and music, with transcoding, Docker and SSL. Complete tutorial.",3,"2026-03-28T00:00:00+00:00",{"id":19,"name":20,"slug":21,"color":22,"icon":23},[147],{"id":19,"name":20,"slug":21,"color":22,"icon":23},"\u002Fblog\u002Fcovers\u002Fheberger-jellyfin-poster.svg",{"categorySlug":30,"appSlug":31},{"id":151,"slug":152,"slugs":153,"title":156,"excerpt":157,"readTime":158,"views":15,"isPinned":16,"publishedAt":159,"category":160,"categories":165,"featuredImage":26,"bgImage":27,"posterImage":167,"relatedSolution":26},98,"jellyfin-vs-plex-which-self-hosted-media-server",{"fr":154,"en":152,"ar":155},"jellyfin-vs-plex","jellyfin-مقابل-plex-أي-خادم-وسائط-مستضاف-ذاتيا","Jellyfin vs Plex: Which Self-Hosted Media Server?","Jellyfin vs Plex on a VPS: license, transcoding, clients, and privacy compared to choose your self-hosted media server.",4,"2026-03-14T00:00:00+00:00",{"id":161,"name":162,"slug":163,"color":164,"icon":163},5,"Comparison","comparatif","bg-info\u002F10 text-info",[166],{"id":161,"name":162,"slug":163,"color":164,"icon":163},"\u002Fblog\u002Fcovers\u002Fjellyfin-vs-plex-poster.svg",{"id":169,"slug":170,"slugs":171,"title":174,"excerpt":175,"readTime":176,"views":15,"isPinned":16,"publishedAt":177,"category":178,"categories":179,"featuredImage":26,"bgImage":27,"posterImage":181,"relatedSolution":182},72,"hosting-ghost-on-your-own-vps",{"fr":172,"en":170,"ar":173},"heberger-ghost","استضافة-ghost-على-خادمك-الـvps-الخاص","Hosting Ghost on your own VPS: complete 2026 guide","Deploy Ghost v6 on your VPS with Caddy, MySQL, Ghost CLI and Stripe Tax: installation, TLS reverse proxy, updates and troubleshooting common startup errors.",9,"2026-04-09T00:00:00+00:00",{"id":19,"name":20,"slug":21,"color":22,"icon":23},[180],{"id":19,"name":20,"slug":21,"color":22,"icon":23},"\u002Fblog\u002Fcovers\u002Fheberger-ghost-poster.svg",{"categorySlug":21,"appSlug":183},"ghost",1787581008006]