A lifetime Plex Pass is a significant one-time expense, but if you calculate it as a subscription, it's about $2.50 per month, or $30 per year for premium features like hardware transcoding and unlimited remote access. Jellyfin is an open-source alternative to Plex and Kodi, a self-hosted home media server for movies and TV shows from your own video file library, without an account in someone else's cloud and without premium feature fees. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to set up Jellyfin on Saplo.
Why Jellyfin instead of Plex Pass
The Plex pricing model has a weakness that Jellyfin eliminates:
- Premium features (hardware transcoding, statistics, themes) are locked behind Plex Pass, a lifetime license is a one-time cost equivalent to about $30 per year when spread across the subscription.
- A Plex account is required even to watch your own library. Jellyfin works completely without a cloud account from the vendor.
Jellyfin on Saplo is the official Docker jellyfin/jellyfin image, with its own SQLite database in the application's data volume and no need for a separate MySQL or PostgreSQL database. The engine automatically downloads metadata, such as posters, descriptions, and cast, for movies and series in your library, and transcodes content on the fly if your device doesn't natively support the format. An important difference from Plex: Jellyfin does not offer file uploads via the browser itself; you upload your video library using the file manager built into the Saplo panel, to folders within the application directory, and Jellyfin automatically scans these folders to build your library.
Requirements
To set up Jellyfin on Saplo, you need:
- A Box with Docker running (the engine automatically enables it during installation from the catalog; container nesting is required, which Saplo provides by default).
- At least 2 GB of free RAM on the Box and 20 GB of disk space for the library and transcoding. This means the cheapest plan that can handle it is Box M for $69 per year. Video transcoding is CPU-intensive, and the recording library grows with use, so anticipate a greater demand for disk space than in a typical setup.
- A domain or *.saploapp.pl subdomain, included with every plan, for the server.
- You do NOT need a separate database; Jellyfin stores its own SQLite database in the data volume.
You can find a full description of the application and its place in the catalog on the Jellyfin on Saplo page.
Step-by-step installation
- In the Saplo panel, go to App Catalog and select Jellyfin.
- Choose a Box with at least 2 GB RAM and 20 GB of free disk space, and the domain or subdomain where the server will run.
- Confirm the installation. The engine deploys a container from the official jellyfin/jellyfin image and waits for the application to actually respond via HTTP on port 8096 before considering the installation complete.
- After the installation is complete, go to the application's file manager in the Saplo panel and upload your video library to folders, for example, movies and tvshows, in the application directory.
- Go to your domain address; the Jellyfin first-time configuration wizard will start.
First use
- In the first-time setup wizard, create an administrator account, login, and password for the Jellyfin panel.
- Add a library and point it to the folders where you previously uploaded files using the Saplo file manager. Jellyfin will scan them and automatically download posters, descriptions, and cast information.
- After scanning is complete, the library is ready for viewing via a browser, TV app, or phone.
- Jellyfin transcodes content in formats not natively supported by a given device on the fly, without any additional configuration from your side.
- You can add new files using the same file manager in the Saplo panel; Jellyfin will detect them during the next library scan.
Jellyfin on Saplo vs. Plex Pass
| Plex Pass (lifetime) | Jellyfin on Saplo | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | one-time premium license fee | cost of the Box only, no license fee |
| Annual cost | about $29 (approx. $2.50 per month) | $69 (Box M) |
| Manufacturer's cloud account | required even for local viewing | none, everything runs on your server |
| On-the-fly transcoding | limited in the basic version, full with Plex Pass | included, no additional fee |
| Library upload | via the Plex desktop app | via the file manager in the Saplo panel |
FAQ
Do I need to create a cloud account to watch my library? No, Jellyfin works entirely without an account with an external provider. You only log in to your own installation on your Box.
How do I upload movies and series to the library?
Through the file manager built into the Saplo panel, to folders in the application directory, for example, movies and tvshows. Jellyfin automatically scans these folders and builds the library with posters and descriptions.
Do I need to set up a separate database? No, Jellyfin keeps its own SQLite database in the application's data volume, without the need for a separate MySQL or Postgres database.
Which plan is enough to start with? Box M, with the minimum recipe requirements (2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk), is the cheapest plan that can run Jellyfin, at $69 per year. The library grows with use, so consider a larger plan if you're planning a big collection.
Does Jellyfin support transcoding for devices that don't play a given format? Yes, on-the-fly transcoding is built-in and CPU-intensive. It's a good idea to have some spare computing power on your Box when watching on several devices at once.
If, in addition to movies, you have a collection of audiobooks and podcasts, it's more convenient to keep it in a tool made for that purpose. See how to set up Audiobookshelf on Saplo, with listening position memory and a phone app.
If you're currently paying for Plex Pass just to watch your own library of movies and series, write to us and we'll help you set up Jellyfin.
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