Beebo vs Jellyfin

Jellyfin is a free, open-source media system run by volunteers. Beebo is a newer app for Windows households. Here is how they differ today, including where Jellyfin 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. Jellyfin is free, open source and available on many more devices and server platforms, with a plugin system and free Live TV and hardware conversion. Beebo is not open source yet, but it builds in away-from-home access, family controls and camping and road-trip features, and it runs on a Windows PC you already own. Choose Jellyfin if open source, plugins or a NAS server matter most. Choose Beebo if you want a Windows-first app with built-in away-from-home options and you accept that it is newer and smaller.

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	Jellyfin
Cost of the app	Available now Free to use at home.	Free. Open source under the GNU GPL.
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.	Free. Jellyfin has no built-in relay; its docs describe a reverse proxy, a VPN or a VPS relay that you set up yourself.
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.	None. Jellyfin says it has no premium licences or features.
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.	Jellyfin says it is not in the media business.
Licence	Not open source today. Planned Open-source direction, no date.	Open source (GNU GPL).

Where it runs

Feature	Beebo	Jellyfin
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, macOS, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Podman, Synology and TrueNAS SCALE.
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/iPadOS apps.
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, Roku, LG, Samsung, Xbox and, since July 2026, Apple TV through Swiftfin.

Watching and your library

Feature	Beebo	Jellyfin
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.	Free (NVIDIA, Intel, AMD and more, depending on your system).
Skip intro and credits	Beta: next release Automatic detection, in the web player first.	Varies. Community plugins exist.
Live TV and DVR	Beta: next release With your own HDHomeRun tuner and antenna. Beebo supplies no channels or guide data.	Live TV with DVR is listed as a feature. Version 12.0 improved HDHomeRun and guide support.
Music	Available now Albums, artists, queue, and lyrics from your own files.	Music is a supported media type.
Audiobooks and books	Beta: next release Audiobooks from your own files, with chapters, bookmarks, speed and a sleep timer. No books or comics.	Books and comics, expanded in version 12.0.
Offline downloads to your phone	Available now In the Android app. Included.	Varies by app.
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.	Varies; see Jellyfin’s documentation.
Themes and customisation	Beta: next release Four theme presets and custom colours for the browser pages, saved per person.	Varies by client.
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.	Varies. Jellyfin advises a full backup before major upgrades.
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.	A plugin system (version 12.0 requires plugins to be rebuilt).
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.	Jellyfin’s own apps, plus third-party clients.

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).
Jellyfin: free. Jellyfin says the server and official clients are free to download “now and always”, with no premium licences or features.

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

Away from home

Jellyfin has no built-in relay or NAT traversal. Its documentation says you must expose the server yourself and describes a reverse proxy (its preferred method), a VPN or a VPS relay, and advises against forwarding ports straight to the internet. Beebo builds the choice 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. If you enjoy building your own access, Jellyfin gives you full control.

Jellyfin says it is not in the media business. 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 Jellyfin may suit you better

Open source: Jellyfin is free software under the GNU GPL. Beebo is not open source, and an open-source direction is only Planned.
Free everything: hardware video conversion, Live TV with DVR and its other features have no paid tier. Beebo’s Live TV is Beta and needs your own HDHomeRun tuner.
More devices: Android TV, Fire TV, Roku, LG, Samsung, Xbox and, since July 2026, Apple TV through Swiftfin. Beebo’s Roku, Samsung and LG apps are in development, and Apple is Planned.
More server choices: Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Podman, Synology and TrueNAS SCALE. Beebo’s server is Windows today, with Linux and Docker in Beta.
A plugin system and a large volunteer community. Beebo has no plug-ins, only a small read-only API in Beta.
Books and comics support, expanded in version 12.0.
No company account: Jellyfin says it has no tracking, phone-home or central servers collecting your data. Beebo uses a small service for sign-in and introductions.

When Beebo may suit you better

Away-from-home access is built in and guided, without setting up a reverse proxy or VPN.
Family controls enforced by your PC: age ratings, blocked titles, a daily limit, bedtime hours and an owner PIN.
Campsite Mode (Android, available now) and Trip Journal (Beta) for camping and road trips, plus Beebo Auto for the car.
An Android app with downloads for offline viewing, available now.
Your library and video stay on your own PC, and Beebo’s servers only handle sign-in and introductions.

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 Jellyfin 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 Jellyfin

Beebo does not move or change your files, so you can point it at the same folders Jellyfin uses and try it beside Jellyfin. Beebo does not import Jellyfin watch history. Beebo also has an optional Jellyfin-compatible mode, off by default and in Beta, that lets some Jellyfin-compatible apps connect to Beebo. It has not been tested against real Jellyfin apps yet. Beebo is not Jellyfin and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Jellyfin project.

Questions

Is Beebo open source like Jellyfin?

Not today. An open-source direction is Planned, with no date. Jellyfin is free software under the GNU GPL.

Can I use Jellyfin apps with Beebo?

Beebo has an optional Jellyfin-compatible mode, in Beta for the next release and off by default. It has not been tested against real Jellyfin apps yet, and Beebo is not Jellyfin or affiliated with that project.

Is Beebo easier to use away from home than Jellyfin?

Beebo builds in a free address, a connection test and several free options. Jellyfin has no built-in relay and its documentation describes setting up a reverse proxy, VPN or VPS yourself. Which is easier depends on how comfortable you are with networking.

Sources for the Jellyfin facts

Read on September 21, 2026.

Jellyfin releases often. Check jellyfin.org for the latest before you decide.

All four side by side Beebo vs Plex Beebo vs Emby 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.