shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Emby?

Emby is a personal media server that organizes and streams your own videos, music, photos, and live TV to your devices. - emby.media

Depends. Buy it if you're a hobbyist self-hosting a personal library and will keep it patched — users say setup is easy and it just works. Skip it if you want open source (choose Jellyfin) or won't manage security: a 2025 critical CVE allowed unauthenticated admin takeover on exposed servers.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~50 public sources; strong on community reviews and security incidents, no aggregate review ratings found.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free (Emby Server)

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Emby Premiere$119 lifetime (monthly option available)
Mobile apps$6.99 per app

Best for

  • Self-hosters streaming personal libraries
  • Households wanting Live TV and DVR
  • Plex users seeking a featured alternative
  • Large local libraries

Not for

  • People who won't patch promptly — exposed servers got hacked
  • Open-source purists — core is closed, use Jellyfin
  • Casual viewers with a few files — plain playback is simpler
  • Anyone unwilling to run and secure their own server

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Exposed servers were hacked and force-shut by Emby — use VPN or strict firewalling

medium

Hardware transcoding, DVR, and sync features require paid Premiere ($119 lifetime or monthly)

medium

Friends/family on your server may be prompted to purchase Premiere to watch

low

Apps cost $6.99 each on top of Premiere for some platforms

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Users report easy setup and reliable streaming
  • Strong Live TV feature praised by users
  • Many reviewers rank it above Plex and Jellyfin
  • Free core server with one-time $119 lifetime Premiere option
  • Community discusses very large libraries, including 50TB+ setups

Cons

  • Critical 2025 CVE allowed unauthenticated admin takeover
  • Emby shut down hacked user servers after an attack wave
  • Closed source puts off many self-hosters
  • Premiere paywall gates hardware transcoding and DVR extras
  • Some client users were prompted to buy Premiere to watch

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 10 sources - Weak recent record: critical 2025 admin-takeover CVE, hacked servers force-shut down, and a disclosed May 2023 incident.

official x3review x4security x2news x1
  • CVE-2025-64113 — unauthenticated admin takeover, Versions below 4.9.1.81 reportedly allow attackers to gain admin access; one advisory was later marked withdrawn, so verify your version.
  • Hacked user servers shut down, Emby disabled user media servers compromised in a recent attack wave; official May 2023 incident report also published.
  • Server-side request forgery (SSRF), Publicly documented SSRF issue in Emby Server per Beagle Security.
  • RCE via XSS in admin dashboard, Advisory GHSA-2gwc-988r-2r7x: malicious user can achieve remote code execution through the admin dashboard.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free core; community calls Premiere worth it
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Reviewers report easy setup, it just works
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Live TV, DVR, transcoding; 50TB library users
  • Support quality: 3/5. Very active community forums; official support unverified
  • Security posture: 1/5. Critical 2025 CVE; hacked servers force-shut down
  • $119 Premiere lifetime price one-time option (2026 pricing)
  • Yes Free tier core server free; Premiere unlocks extras
  • $6.99 Mobile app unlock per app (Apple App Store)
  • 1 Critical CVEs in 2025 CVE-2025-64113, unauthenticated admin takeover

Pricing

Free (Emby Server)

$0

  • Core server and library management
  • Basic streaming to devices

Emby Premiere

$119 lifetime (monthly option available)

  • Hardware-accelerated transcoding
  • Live TV/DVR extras, mobile sync
  • Cover art and cinema modes

Mobile apps

$6.99 per app

  • One-time app unlock (Apple App Store)

Security

Weak recent record: critical 2025 admin-takeover CVE, hacked servers force-shut down, and a disclosed May 2023 incident.

  • CVE-2025-64113 — unauthenticated admin takeoverVersions below 4.9.1.81 reportedly allow attackers to gain admin access; one advisory was later marked withdrawn, so verify your version.⁶
  • Hacked user servers shut downEmby disabled user media servers compromised in a recent attack wave; official May 2023 incident report also published.⁴
  • Server-side request forgery (SSRF)Publicly documented SSRF issue in Emby Server per Beagle Security.
  • RCE via XSS in admin dashboardAdvisory GHSA-2gwc-988r-2r7x: malicious user can achieve remote code execution through the admin dashboard.

What users say

Users widely call Emby easy to set up, reliable, and better than Plex for their needs, while some self-hosters avoid it over closed source and security incidents.

“Emby just WORKS.”
Emby Community forum
“I switched to Emby, and it's way better than Plex”
XDA Developers review headline
“Emby is a solid product”
Reddit, r/emby
Full analysis

Based on ~50 public sources; strong on community reviews and security incidents, no aggregate review ratings found.

Easy, well-liked media server, but patch fast: 2025 critical CVE and hacked servers. Free core; $119 lifetime Premiere.

Methodology

Based on ~50 public sources; strong on community reviews and security incidents, no aggregate review ratings found.

Sources

  1. Emby Media Server on openSUSE Linux | Reviewcubiclenate.com
    review
  2. I switched to Emby, and it's way better than Plexxda-developers.com
    review
  3. Why is emby so unpopular amongst many self-hosters?reddit.com
    review
  4. Emby shuts down user media servers hacked in recent attackbleepingcomputer.com
    news
  5. Critical Emby Server Flaw (CVE-2025-64113) Allows Unauthenticated Admin Takeoversecurityonline.info
    security
  6. CVE-2025-64113 Detailnvd.nist.gov
    security
  7. FULL DISCLOSURE: May 2023 Security Incident Reportemby.media
    official
  8. Emby Premiereemby.media
    official
  9. Emby Premiere Pricing 2026: $119 Lifetime vs Monthlyjellywatch.app
    review
  10. About Jellyfinjellyfin.org
    official

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