Compare / Audiobookshelf vs Plex
Audiobookshelf vs Plex
Pick Audiobookshelf if the job is audiobooks and podcasts with progress sync (GPL-3.0). Pick Plex if the library is already in Plex and you accept a proprietary server. Movies stay on Jellyfin; music stays on Navidrome.
Facts checked 18 Oct 2026. License, language, and GitHub activity come from the catalog or the project's own repo. "Not in the catalog row" means the public catalog dump does not store that number.
Audiobookshelf in the catalog Plex in the catalogStart on Railway
How they compare
| Audiobookshelf | Plex | |
|---|---|---|
| License | GPL-3.0 (catalog) source | Proprietary — not open source source |
| Language | JavaScript (catalog) | Not listed as a public programming-language field |
| GitHub activity | 14,700 stars in the catalog source | No public product source repo |
| Self-host | One server + a media volume. Apps for progress. | Plex Media Server. Audiobooks are one library type among many. |
| Best for | Audiobooks and podcasts you already have. | A Plex library that already includes books. |
Self-hosting and resource needs
Audiobookshelf is GPL-3.0 (advplyr/audiobookshelf): audiobook and podcast server plus apps. Plex is proprietary. Neither is Audible's store. A music library is /stacks/navidrome-music. A movie library is /stacks/jellyfin-media.
FAQ
- Is Plex open source?
- No. Same fact as /compare/jellyfin-vs-plex.
- Jellyfin for books?
- Jellyfin is movies/shows. Audiobookshelf is the book/podcast job. You can run both.
- Navidrome?
- Navidrome is music with Subsonic clients — /compare/navidrome-vs-jellyfin.
- Do I get Audible catalogs?
- No. These play files you already have.
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