# Emby 20 Hacker News commenters recommended Emby and 15 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 13 months. **Verdict:** Media server people recommend for a solid, stable server and polished apps that work well. Common caveat: SQLite locking blocks running multiple instances on one config. ## Why people recommend it - Stable server and clients (3 comments): "from the start the stability has been vastly superior and now the UI is much better too" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48195068)) "Their server is solid, the web client is solid, and their android clients are solid." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49037186)) "it's been solid for several years now" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48194206)) - Polished apps that work well (4 comments): "Emby just works, it's players are great, and issues actually get fixed." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49031521)) "Transcoding is a dream and the Emby apps are flawless" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50189593)) "It seems a bit more polished, and works very well." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46515017)) - Used for years with little hassle (3 comments): "it's been working just fine with less hassle" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45784370)) "I use Emby now, and have been for years." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47709726)) "I've been using it for years." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48694429)) - Plays on many devices (2 comments): "I have an Emby media server on the network, and I use the emby app on the chromecast to play content." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47533731)) "Stream it with Plex/Emby to any device anywhere, yours or friends'" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48702115)) ## What people warn about - SQLite locking blocks multiple instances (4 comments): "I was annoyed that I couldn't use it across multiple in Docker Swarm due to locking of SQLite." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45784778)) "SQLite locking not allowing me to run multiple instances pointing to the same config instance" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45785817)) "I was annoyed that I couldn't use it across multiple in Docker Swarm due to locking of SQLite" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45786237)) - Slow startup and stuttering playback (3 comments): "Emby performing poorly when shuffling a playlist of different shows" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47202942)) "Slow transcoding startup times (or janky offline pre-probing)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46460674)) "Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby just stutter." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48089316)) - Database and architecture criticized (2 comments): "Most of the issues with the database are old sins from Emby." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45801810)) "throwing off the janky architecture of Emby" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48990753)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Jellyfin](https://hackerapproved.com/p/jellyfin.md): 385 recommend - [Plex](https://hackerapproved.com/p/plex.md): 219 recommend - [Audiobookshelf](https://hackerapproved.com/p/audiobookshelf.md): 17 recommend - [Plex Media Server](https://hackerapproved.com/p/plex-media-server.md): 15 recommend ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://emby.media/) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Emby", https://hackerapproved.com/p/emby/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).