I ditched the official Jellyfin app for alternative clients that fit my devices better

While the official Jellyfin client works well on most platforms, having the right client for my devices and media type is essential to getting the most out of my self-hosted media server. I can consume all media through the official app, but some third-party clients work well for video on Android, while others suit movies and shows on TVs, and some listen to music on phones or desktops.

When I first set up my Jellyfin server, I started with the official client, but quickly realized that it wasn’t the best for every application or media situation. Fortunately, the open source project is full of alternative applications that help me get the most out of my own managed media.

Video clients for Android

Get more from movies and shows on your mobile phone

One of the cleanest client interfaces for my Jellyfin videos on Android is the Findroid app. It has a simple, less complicated interface, focuses on video, and brings a self-hosted Netflix-style video experience to my Pixel and other Android devices. It offers a video player app on my phone. It also includes a bundled mpv/ExoPlayer engine that handles multiple codecs. So any video file that can be played in MPV or VLC format will be played by Findroid from the server.

Another great option for Android phones is Streamyfin, which also focuses on movies and shows with built-in MPV and offline video support. It also allows partial server control by displaying active sessions, requesting media via Seerr/Jellyseerr, and managing playback experiences. If you manage multiple users, get the Streamyfin Companion Plugin for server-side media management for other users with Jellyfin.

Streaming devices

Theme feature for big screen

The official Jellyfin client is available on most streaming devices and smart TVs. However, Moonfin is my pick for its custom themes and solid big screen playback. It has many built-in theme features. This means I can set a theme like Hulu or Netflix, or change the layout or appearance of the sidebar, giving me more control over the movies and shows I watch.

I can customize the libraries to be displayed, add Seerr/JellySeerr integration, and it supports unique media types like comics and e-books. It also offers live TV and DVR browsing. It can also be an Emby media server client, so it’s nice to have cross-server support if needed. It’s available on other devices, but I’ve found it to be the best option for streaming devices connected to TVs.

It gives the feel of a complete entertainment media center. It is available on almost any streaming device. Wolfin another strong contender for watching videos on Android TV on the big screen. It creates beautiful visuals for your content and has a responsive, simple interface unlike Moonfin.

Play with Jellyfin

Music oriented clients for your tunes

Many Jellyfin clients process all media or especially video on my server. I ripped most of my CD collection to FLAC and MP3 files and added them to my server to play whenever I wanted. My favorite client for music files Jellybox. It acts as my personal Spotify for desktop and mobile. It shows the full bitrate, codec and sample rate of my music. It also allows me to easily download full albums so I can listen on the go.

Don’t like how the official client puts the music in the background. Jellybox behaves like a native music app on my phone or computer. I can easily sort my music collection by album, artist or genre, or search for something specific. It creates playlists based on the music I listen to most often and lets me output the lyrics as I listen. It is cross-platform and works on Android, iOS, PC, macOS and CarPlay. The developers also note that Android Auto support is coming soon.

Another dedicated music app for Jellyfin is a must try Fin ampa Spotify-style player for self-hosted music files. It lets you browse artists, songs, and albums with the playback controls you’d expect from a music player. Like Jellybox, you can sync music to your device for offline playback.

If you want to turn the knob up to 11, try it Symphony on Android For a Plex-like music experience. It includes detailed views if you want to organize your music collection. The UI is more responsive than others I’ve tried, making navigation faster. It has some great animated scenes and playback controls that are quick to execute. It’s only for Android, but a powerful music player if you have a large music library.

Infusion for jellyfin

An elegant look on Apple devices

Infuse is designed specifically for Apple devices and helps integrate multiple independently hosted media servers. However, I consider it a good choice for viewing Jellyfin content because it’s easy to use and adds a vibrant client experience. Designed for Apple products, it has the polish you’ve come to expect from iPhone, Mac and Apple TV interfaces. It feels like Jellyfin belongs in the ecosystem, although Moonfin isn’t bad on this platform either.

It is a native Jellyfin client for iOS, tvOS and macOS with an intuitive and responsive user interface. Infuse makes it easy to move between your movie and show libraries on all your devices. It includes codec support to help reduce server load. It also pulls alternate artwork from the TMDB that may not be visible from the Jellyfin server’s metadata settings.

Finding the right Jellyfin client for your media and devices

You don’t need to rely on the official client to use your own managed media. Certain types of media are handled better on a particular device than others. What works well on one device may not work on another.

For example, choosing the best music client is a big challenge. It’s nice to have choice, and Jellyfin’s open source nature ensures that new clients are constantly being rolled out. I’m testing them out to see which one handles my media the best.