Best Linux Distro for Plex Server
If you’re building a Plex Media Server, the operating system you choose matters. The right Linux distro can improve performance, reduce maintenance headaches, support hardware transcoding, and keep your Plex setup stable and efficient. In this post, we’ll go through what to look for in a distro, examine top candidates in 2025, and help you pick the best Linux distribution for your Plex server.
What Makes a Great Linux Distro for Plex
Before listing distros, it’s important to understand what features and attributes matter. These criteria help decide which distro will serve you best.
Key Criteria
- Official Support: Plex supports Linux distros officially, and some distros get packages or updates more readily. According to Plex’s requirements, the server is compatible with Ubuntu 16.04 or newer, Debian 8 or newer, CentOS 7 or newer, Fedora 27+, SUSE 15+. Plex Support+1
- Stability vs. Cutting-Edge: For a server, you generally want something stable, with predictable updates — not a rolling-release that may sometimes break.
- Hardware / Driver Support: Ability to use hardware transcoding (Intel QuickSync, NVENC, VA-API, etc.), good driver support, and support for CPU or GPU offload matters.
- Resource Efficiency: If the server will run 24/7, possibly on a low-power or small machine (like a NAS or SBC), then minimal overhead, lightweight distro, small memory footprint, minimal GUI or no GUI helps.
- Ecosystem & Community: Good documentation, active community, easy install process, availability of packages / repos, support for Docker or containerization if you want to use Plex in containers.
Top Linux Distros for Plex Server in 2025
Here are the distros that tend to do best for Plex, listed roughly from most widely used to lightweight / specialized.
| Distro | Pros | Possible Cons | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Server (LTS) | Very well supported by Plex; large documentation; good driver / hardware support; lots of community guides. Many people use Ubuntu for Plex setups. Reddit+2Medium+2 | Has more packages installed by default; may include more overhead; updates may sometimes introduce breaking changes (though LTS versions mitigate this) | General purpose Plex server, mid-to-high power machine, possibly with hardware transcoding, GUI optional |
| Debian (Stable) | Very stable; good package base; fewer changes, lower risk of surprises; minimal overhead if you install only what you need | Slightly older packages; hardware drivers especially for newer hardware may lag behind Ubuntu or Fedora; less cutting edge | Servers where uptime / stability are top priority, older hardware, minimal GUI, ARM builds, etc. |
| Fedora / CentOS / Rocky / AlmaLinux / SUSE | Good enterprise / server support; newer kernel and drivers (especially with Fedora); good if you want features faster | Sometimes more frequent major changes; may require more frequent updates or dealing with package changes; might have to enable or tweak repos | For those who like newer hardware support, experimenting, or if you need newer drivers / kernel features |
| DietPi | Extremely lightweight, minimal overhead, optimized for SBCs (Raspberry Pi, etc.) and small servers. DietPi has “ready to install” software, minimal resource usage. DietPi+1 | Limited GUI (mostly headless); might require comfort with command line; hardware transcoding on Pi or very low power boards might still be limited; some features may need extra configuration | Low-power Plex server, single user or few streams, minimal investment, small SBC or old hardware |
| Other Lightweight Distros / Minimal Distros (e.g. minimal Debian derivates, possibly Arch derivatives if you are comfortable) | Very trimmed down, efficient; you can build exactly what you need; less “bloat” meaning more resources for Plex itself | More manual setup, more maintenance; more chance of running into driver or compatibility issues; rolling release means potential instability | Tinkerers, someone who wants maximum efficiency and has time to maintain the system |
Recommendations by Scenario
Depending on your hardware budget, how many concurrent streams / transcodes you expect, and whether you want to use hardware acceleration, here are tailored distro suggestions.
- Small SBC / Low Power Setup (e.g. Raspberry Pi, Odroid, etc.) → DietPi is likely your best choice. It uses minimal resources by default. If hardware transcoding isn’t required or limited, you may get by fine.
- Mid-range dedicated machine (Intel or AMD CPU, some GPU / iGPU available) → Ubuntu Server LTS or Debian stable. You get balance: stable OS, good driver/hardware support, and many community guides.
- Multiple users, high resolution / 4K streaming, hardware transcoding needed → Ubuntu (or Fedora) where you can more easily get driver and kernel versions that properly support your hardware. Possibly use a distro that receives updates more promptly.
- Enterprise style or NAS environments → If using something like TrueNAS Scale, Rocky or AlmaLinux, stable Red Hat clones, that match your hardware / infrastructure.
Tips for Optimizing Your Plex Linux Server
Choosing the distro is step one. To get the most out of it, do the following:
- Run headless or without GUI if you don’t need a desktop environment , GUI costs CPU/RAM.
- Enable hardware transcoding if your CPU/GPU supports it. Check for QuickSync, NVENC, VA-API drivers. On Ubuntu / Debian you may need to install extra drivers or packages.
- Use efficient file systems for media storage (e.g. ext4, XFS, etc.), ensure media drives are mounted with good options.
- Proper permissions: The
plexuser needs read/execute access to media and metadata folders. If running in Docker, ensure volumes are correctly mounted. - Keep system updated but test updates (especially kernel / GPU driver updates) in a safe manner.
- Network settings: Good local network speeds, if streaming within LAN; ensure port forwarding or remote access settings are optimized if you access Plex from outside.
- Backups: Always have backups of metadata, configs, media (if possible). If something goes wrong with distro upgrade or drive failure, you can restore.
Which Distro Is Best , My Conclusion
If I were building a Plex server today and had moderate hardware (say an Intel CPU with iGPU + a few hard drives, expecting 2-3 concurrent streams including some transcodes), I would pick Ubuntu Server LTS. It offers great balance: solid driver/hardware support, lots of documentation, good stability, and hardware acceleration options.
If it’s a smaller, more power-efficient build (say a Raspberry Pi or older hardware),best linux distro for plex server I would go with DietPi or a minimal Debian setup to reduce overhead, ensure that Plex gets most of the system’s available resources.
Some Distros to Possibly Avoid or Be Careful With
- Rolling release distros (like Arch) or bleeding-edge kernels/driver repos, unless you’re comfortable with fixing breakages.
- Distros with weak or community-only support for the drivers you need (e.g., hardware acceleration).
- Distritos that have heavy GUI or background processes enabled by default, which can eat up resources.
Supported Distros Summary (Plex Official)
Here’s what Plex officially supports (or has official releases for) on Linux best linux distro for plex server: CentOS 7+, Debian 8+, Fedora 27+, SUSE 15+, Ubuntu 16.04+. Plex Support+1 This gives you a solid baseline: any distro that’s one of those (or compatible with those) is a safe bet.
FAQs
FAQ 1: Can I run Plex on a Raspberry Pi?
Yes , many people do. For example, DietPi is very popular for Raspberry Pi. It is lightweight and optimized for ARM boards. Just note that hardware transcoding on Pi is limited; most streams may need to be direct-play, especially for higher resolution or newer video codecs. HiFiVision.com+2Reddit+2
FAQ 2: Does hardware transcoding require a special Linux distro?
No special distro per se, but you do need one that supports the necessary drivers / kernel features. Ubuntu / Debian make this easier (lots of community guides, driver packages). With some other distros you may need to enable specific repositories or compile drivers. If you want hardware transcoding, make sure your chosen distro supports your hardware (GPU / iGPU / etc.) and that you install the correct driver stack.
FAQ 3: How much RAM / CPU do I need for a Plex server under Linux?
Per Plex’s official recommendation, 4 GB of RAM is usually more than enough for typical builds. Plex Support+1 For CPU, a modern Intel or AMD processor is recommended, especially if you expect to transcode on the fly or serve multiple streams at once. If only streaming (direct play) and minimal transcoding, lower spec CPUs may work. Always factor in overhead for additional services (Docker, media scanning, etc.).
