Beebo vs Emby

Emby is an established personal media server with a free server and a paid Premiere tier. Beebo is a newer, smaller app for Windows households. Here is how they differ today, including where Emby is the stronger choice.

Checked September 21, 2026. As of September 2026 and only for the versions named on this page: Beebo for Windows 0.1.57 and the Beebo Android app 1.38.

The short version. Emby runs on far more devices and server platforms, and its Premiere tier adds mature features such as DVR and CarPlay and Android Auto. Beebo is free, and several features Emby lists under Premiere are included in Beebo at no charge, though some of them are still Beta. Choose Emby if you need broad device support, a mature DVR, or you like a one-time lifetime purchase. Choose Beebo if you want a free, Windows-first app and are comfortable with a newer product.

Side by side

Beebo features carry a status label. Only Available now means it is in the current downloads (Windows 0.1.57, Android 1.38).

Available nowIn the current downloads: Windows 0.1.57 and Android 1.38. You can use it today.

Beta: next releaseBuilt and tested by us, planned for the next release, and not in the current downloads.

In developmentBeing built. Not usable yet, and no release date.

PlannedWe intend to do it. No date, and nothing is built you can use.

Cost, ads and licence

Feature	Beebo	Emby
Cost of the app	Available now Free to use at home.	Free server. Some features, and full playback in some apps, need Emby Premiere.
Watching your own library away from home	Available now Free with a direct connection, automatic UPnP or your own relay. Beebo Relay is an optional paid fallback.	Emby Connect sign-in is free. Emby’s guides cover setting up access, such as port forwarding.
Paid options	Available now Only optional Beebo services are paid, such as Beebo Relay: about CA$3/month for 1080p or CA$5/month for 4K, per household. Its checkout is not open yet.	Emby Premiere: $4.99/month, $54/year or $119 lifetime.
Ads	Planned Ads are off by default. If Beebo ever offers optional ad-supported credit, it will only be switched on if you opt in, can be turned off any time, and is never required to use the app.	Emby describes itself as software for your own library, not a streaming service.
Licence	Not open source today. Planned Open-source direction, no date.	Proprietary. Closed source since 2018, per Emby.

Where it runs

Feature	Beebo	Emby
Server computer	Available now Windows 10 and 11. Beta: next release Linux desktop, and a headless server for Docker and NAS boxes (the Docker image is not a public download yet).	Windows, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker and many NAS brands.
Phones and tablets	Available now Android app. iPhone and iPad can watch in Safari and add Beebo to the Home Screen. Planned Native iPhone app.	Android and iOS apps. Full playback in some apps needs Premiere or an app purchase.
TVs and streaming boxes	Available now Android TV and Google TV (you install the Android app yourself), and casting to Chromecast or Google TV. In development Roku, Samsung and LG apps. Planned Apple TV.	Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, LG, Samsung, Xbox, PlayStation and Chromecast.

Watching and your library

Feature	Beebo	Emby
Hardware-accelerated video conversion	Available now Uses your PC’s NVIDIA, Intel or AMD video encoders when it has them, and can tone-map HDR video. Included.	A Premiere feature, with a few device exceptions.
Skip intro and credits	Beta: next release Automatic detection, in the web player first.	A Premiere feature.
Live TV and DVR	Beta: next release With your own HDHomeRun tuner and antenna. Beebo supplies no channels or guide data.	DVR is a Premiere feature. Free guide data for the US, Canada and the UK.
Music	Available now Albums, artists, queue, and lyrics from your own files.	Music playback and playlists. Lyrics display is a Premiere feature.
Audiobooks and books	Beta: next release Audiobooks from your own files, with chapters, bookmarks, speed and a sleep timer. No books or comics.	Not covered in our check.
Offline downloads to your phone	Available now In the Android app. Included.	A Premiere feature (Downloads and Sync).
Family controls	Available now Age ratings, blocked titles, daily limit, bedtime hours and an owner PIN, enforced by your PC. Not a children’s app.	User management and parental controls are free.
Themes and customisation	Beta: next release Four theme presets and custom colours for the browser pages, saved per person.	Theme customisation is a Premiere feature.
Backup and restore	Available now Built in and included: settings, users, history and playlists, with saved passwords optionally protected by a passphrase. Manual, not scheduled.	A Premiere feature.
Add-ons and integrations	Beta: next release A small read-only API and signed webhooks, for tools that run next to your server. No plug-ins.	Community plugins and themes. Webhooks and LDAP are Premiere features.
Works with other apps	Beta: next release Optional and off by default: some Jellyfin-compatible apps can connect. Not yet tested against real Jellyfin apps.	Emby’s own apps, plus Kodi and Alexa integrations.

Cost, in numbers

Beebo: free to use at home. Away from home is free with a direct connection, automatic UPnP or your own relay. Only optional Beebo services, such as Beebo Relay, are paid (about CA$3/month for 1080p or CA$5/month for 4K, per household; its checkout is not open yet).
Emby: the server is free. Emby Premiere is $4.99/month, $54/year or $119 lifetime for a household, with a 30-device limit, as listed on emby.media.

Prices as of September 2026 and in the currency each company shows. They change, so check the source before you decide.

Away from home

Emby Connect, its sign-in service for remote access, is listed as a free feature, and Emby’s guides cover setting up access, including port forwarding. Beebo builds in a free yourname.beebo.tv address, a connection test, and direct connection, automatic UPnP or your own relay, all free, with the optional paid Beebo Relay as a fallback.

Emby describes itself as software for your own library and not a streaming service. Ads are off by default. If Beebo ever offers optional ad-supported credit, it will only be switched on if you opt in, can be turned off any time, and is never required to use the app.

When Emby may suit you better

More devices: Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, LG, Samsung, Xbox, PlayStation and Chromecast. Beebo’s Roku, Samsung and LG apps are in development, and Apple is Planned.
More server choices: Windows, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker and many NAS brands. Beebo’s server is Windows today, with Linux and Docker in Beta.
DVR with Premiere and free guide data for the US, Canada and the UK. Beebo’s Live TV is Beta and needs your own HDHomeRun tuner.
CarPlay and Android Auto support with Premiere, and voice control through Alexa and Google Home.
A one-time lifetime price of $119, if you prefer to pay once. Beebo’s app is free at home, so there is nothing to buy once, though optional Beebo services are paid.
Years of development, an active community and community plugins and themes.

When Beebo may suit you better

The app is free to use at home. Several features Emby lists under Premiere are included in Beebo at no charge: hardware video conversion, offline downloads on Android and backup and restore are available now, while intro skipping, Live TV and themes are Beta.
Away-from-home viewing is free with a direct connection, automatic UPnP or your own relay.
Campsite Mode (Android, available now) and Trip Journal (Beta) for camping and road trips, plus Beebo Auto for the car.
Your library and video stay on your own PC. Beebo’s servers handle sign-in and introductions.
Family controls enforced by your PC: age ratings, blocked titles, a daily limit, bedtime hours and an owner PIN.

Who should choose what

Choose Beebo if

You run Windows 10 or 11 at home.
You watch on Android, in a browser, or on Android TV and Google TV.
You want away-from-home options built in.
You are happy with a newer app that is still growing.

Choose Emby if

You need the widest choice of devices today.
Your server will be a NAS, Mac or Linux box.
You value its maturity, community and long list of features.

Trying Beebo alongside Emby

Beebo does not move or change your files, so you can point it at the same folders Emby uses and try it beside Emby. Beebo does not import Emby watch history. Emby says some of its apps need Premiere, or an app purchase, for full playback, so check that before you compare like for like.

Questions

Is Beebo cheaper than Emby Premiere?

The Beebo app is free to use at home, and Emby’s server is free too. Emby Premiere adds features for a fee. Several of those features are included in Beebo at no charge, but some are still Beta and not in the current download, and Emby is ahead on devices and DVR.

Is Beebo open source?

Not today. An open-source direction is Planned, with no date. Emby has also been closed source since 2018, so neither is open source at the moment.

Does Beebo have anything like Emby Connect?

Beebo gives every household a free address like yourname.beebo.tv and a connection test for away-from-home viewing. Beebo’s servers handle sign-in and introductions, and your library and video stay on your PC.

Sources for the Emby facts

Read on September 21, 2026.

Emby’s prices are shown on its page with a “$” sign and no currency name. Check emby.media for current prices.

All four side by side Beebo vs Plex Beebo vs Jellyfin Beebo devices Beebo pricing

Plex, Jellyfin and Emby are names and trademarks of their respective owners. Beebo Entertainment is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by them. We describe them only to compare products. Their prices and features change, so check their own pages before you decide: the facts here are a snapshot from September 21, 2026. Prices are in the currency each company shows (Plex in US dollars, Beebo in Canadian dollars). “Not covered in our check” means we did not verify it, not that it is missing.