Plex.tv
Depends
Confidence: High
The free tier . free movies, TV, and server basics with no signup . is low-risk and fine to try.
Comparison
Plex.tv vs Emby
Plex.tv and Emby both land on Depends.
Emby
Depends
Confidence: Medium
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.
| Compare | Plex.tv | Emby |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Cord-cutters wanting free movies and TV | Self-hosters streaming personal libraries |
| Who it's not for | Privacy-minded users . telemetry plus a 2025 breach | People who won't patch promptly . exposed servers got hacked |
| Privacy | Active concerns: 2025 data breach plus multiple Plex Media Server CVEs; password resets were mandatory.⁴ | Weak recent record: critical 2025 admin-takeover CVE, hacked servers force-shut down, and a disclosed May 2023 incident. |
| Support quality | 1.4/5 across 518 Trustpilot reviews | Very active community forums; official support unverified |
| Public sentiment | Once loved by media enthusiasts, Plex now draws anger over its redesigned app, price hikes, and a 2025 breach, with Trustpilot at 1.4/5.¹ | 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.15 |
| Biggest gotcha | Lifetime Pass jumped to $749.99 . roughly tripled; more hikes signaled⁷ | Exposed servers were hacked and force-shut by Emby . use VPN or strict firewalling16 |
Pick Plex.tv when
- Cord-cutters wanting free movies and TV
- Households with big personal media libraries
- Multi-device streaming setups
When Plex.tv is not a fit
- Privacy-minded users . telemetry plus a 2025 breach
- Anyone considering the $749.99 lifetime Pass
- Buyers expecting decent support (1.4/5 Trustpilot)
- Small teams wanting workplace software . this is consumer media only
Pick Emby when
- Self-hosters streaming personal libraries
- Households wanting Live TV and DVR
- Plex users seeking a featured alternative
- Large local libraries
When Emby is not a fit
- 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
Sources
- Trustpilot reviews of plex.tvtrustpilot.comreview
- Plex: Find Movies & TV Shows . Google Playplay.google.comreview
review
security
- CVE-2025-34158 Detail . NVDnvd.nist.govsecurity
security
news
- Plex Pass plans . Plexplex.tvofficial
- Plex: Free vs Paid . Plex Supportsupport.plex.tvofficial
- Plex TV Review . Reviews.orgreviews.orgreview
- What is Plex? . Tom's Guidetomsguide.comreview
- Plex Alternatives? . Plex Forumsforums.plex.tvofficial
- Emby Media Server on openSUSE Linux | Reviewcubiclenate.comreview
- I switched to Emby, and it's way better than Plexxda-developers.comreview
- Emby shuts down user media servers hacked in recent attackbleepingcomputer.comnews