Beebo vs Plex

Plex is a very widely used personal media server. Beebo is a newer, smaller one built around Windows PCs, Android and browsers. Here is how they differ today, including where Plex 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. Plex is the more mature and more widely available product: more devices, more server choices and a larger feature set. Beebo is a free, Windows-first alternative where away-from-home viewing does not need a pass and your library and video stay on your own PC. Choose Plex if you need Apple TV, Roku, a NAS server or Plex’s Live TV and DVR today. Choose Beebo if a free, Windows-first setup with Android and browser viewing matches how you watch.

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	Plex
Cost of the app	Available now Free to use at home.	Free to stream on your own network. Paid plans add features.
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.	Needs a Plex Pass on the server owner’s account, or a Remote Watch Pass on the account that is watching (per Plex support).
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.	Remote Watch Pass: US$2.99/month or US$29.99/year. Plex Pass: about US$7/month or US$70/year, or US$749.99 lifetime for new purchases since July 1, 2026.
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.	Plex also offers a free, ad-supported catalogue of movies and shows, separate from your own library. Plex says a Plex Pass does not remove ads from it.
Licence	Not open source today. Planned Open-source direction, no date.	Proprietary.

Where it runs

Feature	Beebo	Plex
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, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD, Docker, Raspberry Pi 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.	iPhone, iPad and Android 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.	Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung, LG, consoles and more.

Watching and your library

Feature	Beebo	Plex
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 Plex Pass feature.
Skip intro and credits	Beta: next release Automatic detection, in the web player first.	A Plex Pass feature.
Live TV and DVR	Beta: next release With your own HDHomeRun tuner and antenna. Beebo supplies no channels or guide data.	Live TV and DVR with a Plex Pass, an antenna and a tuner.
Music	Available now Albums, artists, queue, and lyrics from your own files.	Music library, with some extras (Plexamp) needing a Plex Pass.
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 Plex Pass feature.
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.	Advanced parental controls are a Plex Pass feature.
Themes and customisation	Beta: next release Four theme presets and custom colours for the browser pages, saved per person.	Colour themes are a Plex Pass 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.	Not covered in our check.
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.	Not covered in our check.
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.	Plex’s own apps.

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).
Plex: the free plan streams on your own network. Remote Watch Pass is US$2.99/month or US$29.99/year. Plex Pass is about US$7/month or US$70/year, or US$749.99 lifetime for new purchases since July 1, 2026, and a new 5-year plan is US$249.99. Check Plex’s plans page for current prices.

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

Away from home

Plex’s support pages say that remote playback of your own media needs a Plex Pass on the server owner’s account, or a Remote Watch Pass on the account that is watching. Beebo tries a direct connection first, then automatic UPnP or your own relay, all at no charge. Only if none of those work is the optional paid Beebo Relay there as a fallback.

Plex also offers a free, ad-supported catalogue of movies and shows, separate from your own library, and says a Plex Pass does not remove ads from it. 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 Plex may suit you better

More devices: Plex has apps for Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, LG, consoles and more. Beebo’s Roku, Samsung and LG apps are in development, and Apple is Planned.
More server choices: Plex runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD, Docker and many NAS brands. Beebo’s server is Windows today, with Linux and Docker in Beta.
Live TV and DVR, available now with a Plex Pass and a tuner. Beebo’s is Beta and needs your own HDHomeRun tuner.
Plexamp and other music extras with a Plex Pass, and a long-established set of paid features.
An optional free, ad-supported catalogue of movies and shows, if you want it alongside your own library. Beebo includes no catalogue.
Years of development and a large community, where Beebo is new and small.

When Beebo may suit you better

The app is free to use at home, and features Plex lists under Plex Pass (hardware video conversion, offline downloads on Android) are included in Beebo. Some others, such as skip intro and themes, are Beta.
Away-from-home viewing is free with a direct connection, automatic UPnP or your own relay.
Your library and video stay on your own PC. Beebo’s servers handle sign-in and introductions.
Campsite Mode (Android, available now) and Trip Journal (Beta) for camping and road trips.
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 Plex 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 Plex

Beebo does not move or change your files, so you can point it at the same folders Plex uses and try it beside Plex. Beebo does not import Plex watch history or artwork choices, so expect to start fresh in Beebo. Posters and descriptions in Beebo come from TMDB with your own free key.

Questions

Do I have to pay to watch Beebo away from home?

No. Away from home is free with a direct connection, automatic UPnP or your own relay. The optional Beebo Relay is a paid fallback for households where none of those work.

Should I choose Beebo or Plex?

It depends on what you need. Plex is more mature and runs on far more devices today. Beebo may suit you if you run Windows, watch on Android or in a browser, and want a free app that keeps your library on your own PC.

Can I use Beebo and Plex at the same time?

Yes. Beebo does not move or change your files, so both can read the same folders. Beebo does not import Plex watch history.

Sources for the Plex facts

Read on September 21, 2026.

Some Plex pages would not load for our automated check, so a few Plex facts come from the search summary of the official page and are worded carefully. Plex Pass prices were confirmed with press coverage; please check Plex’s own page.

All four side by side Beebo vs Jellyfin 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.