Jellyfin hosting for your own media server
Stream your own movies, shows, music and books to TVs, phones and browsers from a server that is always online. Jellyfin has no paid tier and needs no account in someone else’s cloud. Run it on a HyperDC server sized for your library, preinstalled as an app option or installed with our guide.
- Movies, shows, music, books and photos
- Apps for TVs, phones and every browser
- No paid tier and no third-party account
- Direct play on a VPS, transcoding with a supported GPU
- Install
- Official packages or Docker image
- Stack
- .NET 10 · FFmpeg · built-in SQLite
- Default portJellyfin listens on 8096, and on 8920 for HTTPS if you turn it on. Its docs recommend a reverse proxy on 443 instead of opening these ports; 7359/UDP discovery stays local.
- 8096, served on 443 through a reverse proxy
- TranscodingJellyfin’s hardware guide does not recommend transcoding without a GPU. On a server without one, keep media in formats your devices play directly.
- A GPU is recommended
- Current release
- Jellyfin 12.2 (October 2026)
- Official docs
- jellyfin.org/docs
Watch on
- Web browser
- Android
- iOS
- Android TV
- Fire TV
- Roku
- Kodi
- SyncPlay
- Live TV and DVR
- Plugins
Facts from the project’s official website, documentation and repository, checked in October 2026.
Jellyfin plans are being prepared
Tell us how big your library is and how many people watch at once, and our team will reply with the right server. Or start today on a Linux VPS and install Jellyfin with our guide.
How big a server does Jellyfin need?
Direct play is light: the server only sends the file. Transcoding converts video on the fly and needs a GPU to run smoothly.
| Feature |
Direct play
Files your devices play as they are
|
Recommended Light transcoding
Occasional 1080p conversion on the CPU
|
GPU transcoding
Many viewers, 4K and HDR
|
|---|---|---|---|
| vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server. | 2 | 4–8 | 8+ |
| MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system. | 4 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB+ |
| DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups. | Library plus 20 GB | Library plus 50 GB | Library plus 100 GB |
| HardwareWhere each column runs best. Hardware transcoding needs a server with a supported GPU. | VPS | VPS or VDS | A server with a supported GPU |
-
Direct play
Files your devices play as they are
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 2
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 4 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- Library plus 20 GB
- HardwareWhere each column runs best. Hardware transcoding needs a server with a supported GPU.
- VPS
-
Recommended
Light transcoding
Occasional 1080p conversion on the CPU
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 4–8
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 8 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- Library plus 50 GB
- HardwareWhere each column runs best. Hardware transcoding needs a server with a supported GPU.
- VPS or VDS
-
GPU transcoding
Many viewers, 4K and HDR
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 8+
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 8 GB+
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- Library plus 100 GB
- HardwareWhere each column runs best. Hardware transcoding needs a server with a supported GPU.
- A server with a supported GPU
Jellyfin’s hardware guide recommends 8 GB of RAM (4 GB can do on a headless Linux server), SSD storage and a GPU for transcoding. CPU transcoding is demanding, especially HDR tone mapping, so direct play suits a VPS best.
Your media, streamed from a server that is always on
Jellyfin organizes your library and streams it to every screen in the house and on the road.
Libraries with artwork
Jellyfin reads your folders, fetches posters and descriptions, and remembers where each person stopped watching.
Direct play first
Files in formats your devices support, such as H.264 or HEVC with AAC audio, stream without conversion and barely load the server.
Users and parental controls
Give each person an account, limit libraries and ratings for children, and watch together with SyncPlay.
GPU acceleration where available
On servers with a supported GPU, video transcoding and machine learning can use hardware acceleration. Our GPU servers page lists the current options.
Root access, your rules
Every Linux VPS, VDS and dedicated server comes with full root access: you choose the versions, the add-ons and the security settings.
Locations on three continents
Run your server in the United States, Europe or Asia, close to the people who use it. The order form estimates the latency from where you are to each location.
Room to grow
Start on a VPS and move to a bigger plan, a VDS with NVMe storage or a dedicated server when your data and users grow.
Preinstalled or with our guide
Choose the app as an option when you order and it is installed for you, or set it up yourself with our step-by-step guide.
Set up Jellyfin in four steps
Order the app preinstalled on your server, or install it yourself with our guide.
-
Choose your server
Pick a VPS, VDS or dedicated server in the size from the table above and the location closest to your users.
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Install Jellyfin
Choose Jellyfin as an app option, or install it from the official Debian and Ubuntu repository or with the jellyfin/jellyfin Docker image using our guide.
-
Add your domain and TLS
Point a subdomain such as media.example.com at the server and put a reverse proxy with a free Let’s Encrypt certificate in front of port 8096.
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Add your media
Upload your files with SFTP or rsync, run the setup wizard, add a library per media type and sign in from the apps.
Step-by-step setup guides
Install, secure and update the app with our guides, written for current Ubuntu and Debian releases.
-
How to install Docker Engine on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04
Install Docker Engine, Buildx and Compose from Docker's official apt repository on Ubuntu LTS, run it without sudo, rotate logs and keep published ports private.
15 min Beginner -
How to set up Caddy as a reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS
Install Caddy from the official repository, point your domains at the server and serve every self-hosted app over HTTPS with a two-line site block, plus headers, password protection, logs and backups.
30 min Beginner -
How to install Jellyfin with Docker and HTTPS
Deploy Jellyfin from the official image with Docker Compose, keep port 8096 on localhost behind Caddy, finish the setup wizard safely, avoid heavy CPU transcoding and back up the configuration.
30 min Intermediate
Related solutions
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Nextcloud, Immich, Jellyfin, Vaultwarden and more on your server.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions
Can Jellyfin transcode on a VPS?
It can, on the CPU, but Jellyfin’s own hardware guide does not recommend running without a GPU: software transcoding is demanding, and HDR tone mapping even more so. On a VPS, plan for direct play and use transcoding only now and then; for many transcoding viewers, choose a server with a supported GPU.
What is direct play?
The server sends the file as it is and the device decodes it. It works when the device supports the video codec, the audio codec and the container of the file, for example H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio in MP4 or MKV. The dashboard shows whether a stream plays directly or is transcoded.
Which devices can watch?
Any modern web browser, plus Jellyfin apps for Android, iOS, Android TV and Fire TV, Roku and Kodi, and a range of community apps. Every app connects to your server address with a Jellyfin account.
How do I upload my media?
Copy the files to the server with SFTP or rsync into folders per type, such as Movies, Shows and Music, named as Jellyfin’s docs describe. Large libraries upload once; afterwards only new files need to move.
Does Jellyfin have a paid tier?
No. Every Jellyfin feature is available on your own server, with no subscription and no account at a third party.
Can I share my library with family and friends?
Yes. Create an account for each person, choose which libraries they see and set parental limits for children. Share only media you own or have the right to share; our terms of service apply to the content on your server.
Why is the version now 12 instead of 10.12?
With Jellyfin 12.0 in September 2026 the project dropped the leading 10, so 10.11 was the last 10.x release. Version 12 moves to .NET 10, and a direct upgrade is possible from 10.10.7 or 10.11.
Ready to stream your own library?
Tell us what you want to run and for how many people, and we will help you pick the right server.