You can move from Plex to Jellyfin without moving your media files: add the existing folders as Jellyfin libraries and let Jellyfin scan them. Plex’s database is not a library you can simply import into Jellyfin. Treat files, metadata, users, settings, and watch history as separate migration tasks, and keep Plex available until you have checked that Jellyfin works for your household.
What moves—and what does not
Your video and music files can stay in their current locations if Jellyfin can access those folders. Jellyfin creates its own library database and scans the paths you configure; it does not directly adopt Plex’s database. Jellyfin’s migration documentation says its internal databases cannot be copied or adjusted easily.
- Media files: usually reusable in place; moving them is not required.
- Library records and settings: set these up in Jellyfin rather than copying Plex’s database.
- Watch history and users: optional, separate transfer using a third-party API tool; it is not a full Plex database import.
- Local metadata: supported NFO files can supply metadata to Jellyfin, subject to format and user-data limitations.
1. Inventory the setup and protect your data
Before installing or changing anything, write down the folders Plex uses, the library categories, household users, and any Docker mounts or network shares. Keep Plex running during setup, and preserve existing media and metadata files. Back up anything you cannot replace.
Jellyfin’s backup and restore guide covers Jellyfin’s database, metadata, subtitles, and trickplay data. That backup is for Jellyfin data, not Plex’s database. If you manually copy an existing Jellyfin data directory, stop the server first; a live database copy may be locked or unusable. Choose backup storage based on the amount of data you actually need to protect.
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2. Install Jellyfin and point libraries at the existing folders
- Set up Jellyfin and create the administrator account using the setup wizard. The Setup Wizard Walkthrough covers initial configuration.
- In the library setup, create separate libraries with the appropriate types, such as Movies, Shows, or Music. Jellyfin supports adding multiple paths to a library. Its Libraries documentation discourages the Mixed type because metadata results can be unreliable.
- For each library, add the folder that contains the corresponding media. You can leave files where they are; confirm that Jellyfin can read the folder before relying on its scan.
If Jellyfin runs in Docker, or you are moving it to another machine, check the paths from inside the Jellyfin environment—not just the host’s file browser. Container mounts must expose the intended folders, and the Jellyfin service user needs permission to read them. Jellyfin’s documented Linux-to-Docker migration scenario calls out matching container paths and UID/GID permissions; for a new setup, the practical requirement is that the configured paths resolve and are readable.
3. Scan files and check metadata matches
Once the paths are configured, let Jellyfin scan the libraries. It builds its own catalog and retrieves metadata using its configured providers. Do not expect Plex’s database or metadata cache to transfer automatically.
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Clear file and folder names make it easier to identify the right titles. For TV, use a consistent series, season, and episode organization, then consult Jellyfin’s TV naming guidance if episodes do not match as expected. Check incorrect matches in Jellyfin and use available metadata-provider IDs where appropriate.
If your folders already contain supported NFO files, Jellyfin can read them. Its local NFO metadata documentation explains the supported fields and formats. Local metadata takes priority over values from remote providers, so an NFO can preserve supported details while changing the server. NFO user-data import is limited to one configured user; it is not a general way to bring every Plex user’s state across.
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4. Decide whether to transfer watched status
If retaining watch history matters, do this after Jellyfin’s libraries exist and have been scanned. Jellyfin’s migration page links third-party scripts that use the Plex and Jellyfin APIs to transfer watched status and users. One linked project, migrate-plex-to-jellyfin, labels itself a work in progress.
The project documents the need for Plex and Jellyfin tokens, a dry-run option, and path translation when the base paths differ. Before running it, review its current instructions and scope:
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- Confirm that Plex and Jellyfin paths refer to the same media, including any required path translation.
- Check how Plex users map to Jellyfin users; do not assume every account or setting will transfer.
- Run the dry run and inspect the proposed changes before committing.
- Afterward, check a sample of transferred watch states in the correct Jellyfin accounts.
The documented scope supports watched-status migration; it does not establish a complete transfer of Plex settings, collections, playlists, ratings, or every metadata field. No general preservation rate or success rate is established in the cited documentation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. Test Jellyfin before retiring Plex
Use a practical check before switching everyone over. Sample content from each library, verify titles and artwork, play files on the devices your household uses, and check any watch-history transfer. This is a prudent validation step, not a vendor-published guarantee or success benchmark. Keep Plex and the original files unchanged until Jellyfin meets your needs.
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6. Configure network access only if you need it
Local library migration does not require remote access. If you want to reach Jellyfin from outside your home, configure that separately. Jellyfin’s setup walkthrough recommends disabling automatic port mapping via UPnP unless you specifically need it; do not enable port mapping simply to complete the migration.
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