Plex alternative

A Plex alternative for family photos.

Plex is a media server for movies, shows and music. If what you need is a home for the photos and videos your family takes, with no account and nothing leaving the house, Filamama does that one job.

Why look beyond Plex for photos

  • An account to startPlex's first run asks you to sign in or create a plex.tv account [3]. Filamama has no account with anyone.
  • Paid tiersPlex is free on the home network; streaming video from outside needs a Remote Watch Pass or a Plex Pass [2]. Filamama has no paid tier.
  • Photos are a side appPlex is built around movies, shows and music; its Plex Photos app is in beta [4]. Filamama is built for your photos and home videos.

Filamama fits if

  • You want a home media server for the family's photos and videos, installed natively on a Mac mini or a Linux box.
  • Your Android phones should back themselves up: Piktures checks for duplicates before any bytes move and resumes at the exact byte.
  • Nothing should leave the house: no account, no outbound calls, home network only, over HTTPS on port 5400 with a certificate each paired phone pins.
  • You'll reach it from outside through Tailscale, not an open port.

Stay with Plex if

  • You stream movies, TV shows or music to your devices [2]. Filamama does none of that.
  • You use Plex Pass features: hardware transcoding, live TV and DVR, or downloads to watch offline [4].
  • You share libraries with friends and family outside your home [4]. Filamama doesn't share yet.
  • You want to stream away from home without setting up a private network: Plex does it with a Remote Watch Pass or a Plex Pass [2].

Run both

Most people don't need to choose. Keep Plex for films and series, and run Filamama next to it on the same machine for the family's photos and home videos. Content provenance, with content type tags, AI prompt capture and C2PA, is in development: read about provenance. For Jellyfin and Emby too, see Filamama vs Plex, Jellyfin and Emby. Coming from a photo server? Read the Immich alternative page.

Install Filamama Full comparison Help center

Questions.

Is Filamama a Plex replacement?

Only for photos and home videos. Filamama doesn't organise movies, TV shows or music, and has no live TV or DVR. If you use Plex for films and series, keep it, and run Filamama next to it for the family's photos.

Do I need an account to use Filamama?

No. There is no account with us and the server makes no outbound calls. Plex's first run asks you to sign in or create a plex.tv account.

Does Filamama back up my phone?

Yes, Android today: the Piktures app backs up photos and videos to Filamama, checks for duplicates before sending and resumes an interrupted upload at the exact byte. The iPhone app is planned.

Is there a paid tier?

No. Filamama is free, with no subscription. Plex is free on the home network; remote video streaming needs a Remote Watch Pass or a Plex Pass.

Can I reach Filamama away from home?

Not out of the box, by design: it serves your home network only. Put Tailscale in front of it to reach it from your own devices. Read the remote access guide.

Small numbers point to the sources below. Filamama's side comes from its own specification and code (source 1). Plex facts checked on 17 and 31 October 2026.

Sources

  1. Filamama: its own specification and source code (SPEC.md, README, the server and Piktures code).
  2. Plex plans: free on the home network; Remote Watch Pass or Plex Pass for remote video www.plex.tv/plans
  3. Plex quick-start guide: first run asks you to sign in or create a plex.tv account support.plex.tv/articles/200264746-quick-start-step-by-step-guides
  4. Plex plans and FAQ: hardware transcoding, live TV and DVR, downloads in Plex Pass; Plex Photos app in beta; remote photo streaming needs no pass www.plex.tv/plans