4 reasons why this self-hosted app is a must-have for Plex and Jellyfin users

As a Plex enthusiast, I've got most of my friends plugged into my server of ripped DVDs and Blurays. But anytime I have to add someone new, there's one big issue. If you've ever tried setting up Plex or Jellyfin for your friends or family, you've probably faced the same problem too. Yes, I'm talking about how painful it is to explain how to configure everything to non-technical users. As easy as Plex can be, it is still not exactly plug and play. Whether it's confusion about apps, login credentials, or understanding what a media server even is, onboarding users who just want to watch my copy of Final Destination often ends up being a support nightmare. I don't mind it, but I'd like something simpler.

That's where Wizarr comes in. This open-source, self-hosted web app acts as a user management tool for media servers. And that's not just Plex. It works with all popular software, like Jellyfin, Emby and even AudioBookshelf, among others. It lets you create invite links, control access, and simplifies the entire onboarding process by walking users through a list of set-up instructions. All you have to do is send a single link and Wizarr will handle the rest. It's quickly become a must-have for me, and here are a few reasons why every Plex or Jellyfin user will want it too.

4 Seamless user invite management

Send secure, tailored invites in seconds

Wizarr makes it ridiculously easy to onboard new users to your media server. Instead of manually creating accounts, or sending email links or generating invitation tokens, you can just send them a custom Wizarr invite link. Once the user clicks the link, they are guided through a simple onboarding setup process. There's no fiddling with server addresses or client-side settings. The invite flow also supports optional passphrases, expiration dates, and user limits, so you stay fully in control of your library without constant micromanagement. Whether you're running Plex for your movie collection or Jellyfin for your documentary library, Wizarr takes care of the rest. Having used Plex for over 7 years now, this is the easiest process I've come across yet to add users to my library.

One dashboard to rule them all

At XDA, we’re all big fans of dashboards, and dashboards that make self-hosting even simpler are easy recommendations. If you’re running more than one media server, Wizarr has your back. It supports managing multiple servers for Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, and more from a single dashboard. In fact, it supports multiple user accounts too. You can easily switch between servers, manage settings, and add or revoke users without jumping between interfaces.

It even keeps track of which users are tied to which services. Whether you’re juggling test or dev workflows, running separate servers for different types of content like I do, or even operating multiple NAS boxes for music, movies, and television (again, something I do), Wizarr dramatically simplifies the entire experience.

2 Built-in expiration and auto-cleanup

No more cluttered user lists

It's easy to end up with a crowded user list over time. Friends who haven't used your server in a while, test accounts, or users who were given temporary access. Wizarr lets you set automatic expiration dates for users or configure invite links to be valid for one-time use only. It even supports background cleanup jobs, ensuring that inactive or expired users get pruned out. By effectively automating maintenance, Wizarr helps you create a more secure server environment, which is a win in my books.

Guide users with markdown-powered setup flows

Sometimes just getting to the media player is the hardest part. Wizarr goes beyond simple invite generation by letting you customize onboarding steps for each media server using Markdown. Through the build-in steps system, you can tailor what users see after accepting an invite. Prefer to get more hands-on? You can use markdown files for endless customization. Want to give users a step-by-step for installing Plex on Android TV? A reminder on how to enable remote access in Jellyfin or Emby? Or links to specific libraries or how to force original quality content, it's all possible with Markdown-powered pages that walk through the set up.

Better still, Wizarr allows this for all the supported services like Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, Audiobookshelf and even Romm.

A self-hosted tool that actually makes server admin so much easier

Wizarr isn't trying to be yet another bloated admin panel. The app focuses on solving one clear problem and that's to make it easier to share your media library. Wizarr does that with speed, simplicity and flexibility. Because it's fully self-hosted, you're in charge of your data of course. The ease of installation via Docker is worth noting too. Just point it to your media servers, give it an authentication token, and you're done.