Wholphin is the Jellyfin app people switch to when the official Android TV client starts to feel slow. Should you, or is Moonfin the better upgrade? And what if you are on Apple TV, where Wholphin does not exist? Here is the short version, then the detail.
- Wholphin is the best fit for one person who watches Jellyfin on an Android TV or Fire TV and wants a quick, uncluttered app.
- The official Jellyfin app is the safe default and gets new server features first.
- Moonfin is the most capable free Jellyfin client and the one to pick if you also watch on a phone, iPhone or Apple TV.
- Media Center is for households: everyone gets an email invitation and their own profiles, kids see only what you approve, and Plex and Jellyfin play in the same app on Android TV and Apple TV.
We make Media Center, so weigh our part of this page with that in mind. Every fact about the other apps comes from their own README files and store listings, checked in October 2026.
Wholphin, Jellyfin and Moonfin compared
| App | TV platforms | Apple TV / iPhone | Phone app | Plays Plex | Open source | Family controls | Best at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wholphin | Android TV, Google TV, Fire TV | No | No | No (Plex-inspired design only) | Yes (GPL-2.0) | Profile switches can require a PIN | A fast, remote-first TV app with a Plex-style home screen |
| Jellyfin for Android TV (official) | Android TV, Google TV, Fire TV | No | Separate official phone app | No | Yes (GPL 2.0) | Jellyfin server users; limits set on the server | Tracking the server most closely; made by the Jellyfin project |
| Moonfin | Android TV, Google TV, Fire TV and many more | Yes — iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac | Yes | No | Yes (GPL-2.0) | Kids Mode locked with a PIN | The longest feature list, offline downloads, one app everywhere |
| Media Center | Android TV, Google TV, Android phones and tablets | Yes — iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | Yes | Yes — Plex and Jellyfin at once | No | Household and kids profiles run from a web dashboard; optional PIN | Households: email invitations, QR sign-in, both servers in one app |
Wholphin, the official app and Moonfin are free. Every app here needs a Jellyfin server you already run; none of them includes movies or shows of its own.
Wholphin vs the official Jellyfin app
Wholphin is a free, open-source (GPL-2.0) client for Android TV and Fire TV. Its developer wrote the interface from scratch instead of forking the official app, and modeled it on Plex for people moving from Plex to Jellyfin. You get a customizable home screen, a navigation drawer, D-pad seeking, a choice of ExoPlayer or MPV for playback, subtitle search and download, and an optional PIN on profile switches. It supports Jellyfin 10.10 and 10.11 servers and installs from Google Play or the Amazon Appstore.
The official Jellyfin for Android TV app is maintained by the Jellyfin project. It is plainer, but it supports Jellyfin's Quick Connect sign-in — a short code on the TV that you approve from a device that is already signed in — and it is the first client to pick up new server features.
The verdict: if the official app feels sluggish or dated on your TV, install Wholphin alongside it. It costs nothing, and you will know within an evening which one you prefer.
Wholphin vs Moonfin
The two are often compared, but they are built for different people. Wholphin stays focused on the TV. Moonfin is one GPL-2.0 codebase that runs on Android phones, Android TV, Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Windows and Linux. Its README lists offline downloads, a Kids Mode that locks the way out with a PIN, Quick Connect, Seerr requests, and a library that merges several servers.
The verdict: one person on one TV will probably prefer Wholphin's speed. Pick Moonfin if you want downloads, kids controls built into the app, or the same client on every screen you own.
Is Wholphin on Apple TV, Firestick or Roku?
- Fire TV and Firestick: yes. Wholphin supports Fire TV OS 6 and later and is listed on the Amazon Appstore. Its README also documents sideloading with the Downloader app.
- Apple TV: no. There is no Wholphin for tvOS, iPhone or iPad. On Apple TV, look at Swiftfin, Moonfin, Infuse or Media Center — our Apple TV Jellyfin client comparison covers each one.
- Roku: no. Neither Wholphin nor Moonfin lists Roku as a platform.
- Android phones: no. Wholphin is TV-only. Moonfin, the official Jellyfin phone app and Media Center all have phone versions.
When the whole household watches: Media Center
Wholphin, Moonfin and the official app are each excellent at putting your Jellyfin account on a TV. The trouble starts when other people use the server too. Then you are creating Jellyfin users, typing passwords with a remote, and fielding phone calls when the TV in your parents' house signs itself out.
Media Center is built for that household:
- Invite by email. You connect your server once in a web dashboard and invite each person. Nobody gets your Jellyfin password or needs a Jellyfin account of their own.
- Sign in with a QR code. On Android TV and Apple TV, they scan the code on screen with their phone. No typing a server address with a remote.
- Profiles for everyone, and real kids profiles. Each person keeps their own Continue Watching and My List. Kids profiles show only titles with the content ratings you allow, and any profile can have a PIN.
- Plex and Jellyfin in one app. Connect both and choose which server serves movies and which serves series.
- Android TV and Apple TV. One Google Play download covers Android TV, Google TV, phones and tablets; one App Store download covers Apple TV, iPhone and iPad.
- Your video stays yours. Streams go straight from your server over HTTPS, never through our servers.
To be clear about the trade-offs: Media Center is not open source, has no offline downloads, and needs your server to have an HTTPS address with a real certificate (our Jellyfin HTTPS guide takes about fifteen minutes). If you watch alone, Wholphin or Moonfin may be all you need.
Set up Media Center for your household →The Free plan covers one household. Your household then installs the app.
