Side by side
| Jellyfin | Plex | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free and open source; Live TV and recording included | Live TV and DVR require a Plex Pass |
| M3U playlists | Accepted directly as a tuner | Not directly: needs a proxy such as Threadfin or Dispatcharr |
| Guide data | XMLTV files or links; Schedules Direct (paid, US and Canada) | Your XMLTV guide, passed on by the proxy and mapped in Plex |
| Tuners | M3U, HDHomeRun network tuners | Tuners such as HDHomeRun |
| Apps | Android, Android TV, Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Roku, LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Xbox, desktop, Kodi add-on | Plex apps on most platforms |
| Runs on | A computer, NAS or Docker host that stays on | The same, with Plex Media Server |
From Plex’s and Jellyfin’s documentation, checked September 2026.
Setting up IPTV on each
- Jellyfin: add your M3U as a tuner in Live TV, add your XMLTV guide, map the channels and you’re done. See Jellyfin for IPTV.
- Plex: run a proxy such as Threadfin with your M3U and XMLTV, add it to Plex as a tuner, then set up the guide. See Plex for IPTV and Threadfin.
Before you start
A media server is a small home server: it needs a computer, NAS or Docker host that stays switched on, and some setup. If you only want to watch channels on one TV, a player app such as TiviMate is far simpler. See home IPTV servers and the best IPTV apps for Android TV.