What’s Up With Jellyfin’s Client Apps?
Jellyfin’s client struggles stem from two major issues. One is that many of the project’s official apps wrap the server’s web interface into a device-specific shell. That limits flexibility when using Jellyfin across different screen sizes and prevents access to device-specific features. The second problem is that there’s a growing number of third-party Jellyfin apps built by developers outside the core server team. They seek to fill feature gaps left by the official app or to enable use on devices the official apps don’t support. The result is a fragmented user experience that’s hard to make sense of.
The thing is, the average user doesn’t care who makes their client app. They only want to connect to their media and have an easy time navigating and playing it. On that score, the Jellyfin ecosystem has plenty of client apps worth trying. Now, if you’re a Plex refugee, don’t expect to find the same level of functionality and polish from every Jellyfin app. What you can expect is near-endless choices, one or more of which should meet your needs.
Jellyfin’s Finest Client Apps
If you’re used to Plex, you’re accustomed to having a similar experience on any supported device. While that’s not always the case with Jellyfin, it does offer some extremely polished device-specific clients. They include:
Jellyfin Desktop
If you’re planning to use Jellyfin on a PC, Mac, or Linux computer, Jellyfin Desktop is the client to choose. It’s an official client that bundles direct-play support for the widest possible range of video and audio codecs. That’s important because it prevents transcoding, which reduces the load on your Jellyfin server. Also, it will look and act like the Jellyfin web interface and pick up any server-side branding changes you make.
Jellyfin for Android
Like Jellyfin Desktop, Jellyfin for Android is the official app for Android mobile devices. Like its desktop sibling, it offers excellent direct-play support and mirrors your server’s web interface, with some tweaks for small-screen use. Additionally, it’s supported natively by most available Jellyfin skins. So, using it can help you achieve a uniform Plex-like interface.
Jellyfin for Roku
The Jellyfin project does have a native app for Roku devices. And honestly, it’s very mature and gives you an interface that looks and feels like the Jellyfin web client, but adapted to the standard Roku interface. It should suit most Roku users perfectly.
If you’re interested in an alternative, there’s also JellyRock. It works similarly to the official client, and its main developer is the same person who originally built Jellyfin’s official Roku client. JellyRock features additional direct-play support, better HDR video support, and a few other quality-of-life features.
Swiftfin for iOS
Jellyfin does have an official iOS client. However, users almost universally prefer Swiftfin for its sleek, snappy, and responsive interface. Plus, it inherits UI settings from your Jellyfin server, so it offers a similar look and feel to the other official clients. The big drawback is that Swiftfin doesn’t work nearly as well on tvOS devices, so it’s hit-or-miss for Apple TV users. Unfortunately, that’s down to Apple’s slow and uneven support for its tvOS devices, and there’s little the Jellyfin app developers can do about that.
Wholphin for Android TV
Similarly, Jellyfin has an official Android TV client, but it isn’t the one users swear by. That title belongs to Wholphin. It offers, by far, the best Jellyfin experience on Android TV devices, including plentiful library display options, excellent direct-play support, and support for interface themes. It’s also under heavy development and keeps getting better constantly.
Fladder
Unusual name aside, Fladder is an excellent option for users who want maximum cross-platform interface uniformity. It’s a complete, standalone Jellyfin frontend you can access on almost any device. If you install it in Docker, you can use it as your default Jellyfin web frontend. Or you can use the app on Android mobile and TV, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Linux. There are some bugs the developers haven’t yet worked out, but few should be deal-breakers. And, like Wholphin, it’s under heavy and active development, so it keeps improving all the time.
Feishin
One of the apps that tends to keep Plex users from migrating to Jellyfin is Plexamp. Sadly, the Jellyfin ecosystem doesn’t yet have a full replacement for it, although Jellyamp is making steady progress. If you’re a music lover, though, and that’s your primary media server use case, consider Feishin. You can run it natively on PCs with almost any OS. Or, you can host it within Docker and use it from any device with a web browser. It’s another app undergoing continual development and making excellent strides. It’s already near feature parity with Plexamp, and may surpass it in the coming months.
Jellyfin Everywhere
As you can now see, there are high-quality Jellyfin client options for almost any kind of device. The only real exception is the PlayStation, since Sony refuses to allow an official Jellyfin client on their platform. You can even access Jellyfin via an official Xbox client. And while there are still some hang-ups around establishing a unified user experience with diverse Jellyfin clients, the situation isn’t as complex as it once was. So, if client availability was the last thing keeping you from leaving Plex, it might be time to re-evaluate your stance.
One of the great things about Jellyfin’s open-source nature is that new clients keep springing up all the time. If you have a favourite client or something you think makes a good Jellyfin daily driver, drop us a comment below.
By Radoslav Jokic
Updated on 21st June 2026