Guide · Raspberry Pi build

Pi-hole and Jellyfin on one Raspberry Pi 4: my setup guide

By Tiny · how I pick

Updated October 2026. Based on my own Pi 4 setup, the official Pi-hole and Jellyfin docs, and manufacturer specs.

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Yes, one Raspberry Pi 4 can run Pi-hole and Jellyfin at the same time. Mine does. Pi-hole blocks ads for every device on my Wi-Fi, and Jellyfin streams my movies and shows to the TV and our phones.

There's one rule that makes it work: let your devices play video files as they are. The Pi 4 is bad at converting video on the fly, and I'll show you how to avoid making it try.

Words you'll see in this guide

• Pi-hole: a network-wide ad blocker that runs on a small computer in your home.
• DNS: the internet's phone book. It turns website names into addresses your device can reach.
• DHCP reservation: a router setting that gives one device the same network address every time.
• SSH: a way to control another computer by typing commands from your own, over the network.
• Direct play: your TV or phone plays the video file as it is, with no converting needed.
• Transcoding: converting a video on the fly so it plays smoothly on a phone or TV that can't handle the original file.
• Port: a numbered door on a computer that one app listens on, so several apps can share one address.

See the full glossary

What you're building

• Pi-hole is a network-wide ad blocker. Your router sends every device's web lookups through the Pi, and Pi-hole drops the ones headed for ad and tracking servers. It works on phones, smart TVs, and anything else on your network, with no apps to install.
• Jellyfin is a free media server, like your own private Netflix. You point it at a drive full of videos and watch them in the Jellyfin app on your TV, phone, or browser. Plex does the same job. I use Jellyfin in these steps because it's completely free.

Pi-hole needs very little. Pi-hole's docs list 512 MB of RAM, so it shares the Pi with Jellyfin easily.

The parts list

These are the parts I recommend for this build. Each link goes to current Amazon listings.

Step 1: Install Raspberry Pi OS

1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager on your computer.
2. Choose Raspberry Pi 4, then Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit). A server doesn't need the desktop version.
3. Open the settings. Set a username and password, turn on SSH, and add your Wi-Fi if you can't use Ethernet.
4. Write the system to the microSD card.
5. Put the card in the Pi, connect Ethernet, and plug in the power.

Step 2: Give the Pi a fixed address

Every device on your network will look for Pi-hole at one address, so that address can't change.

1. Open your router's settings page. The DHCP options are often under "LAN" or "Connected devices."
2. Find the Raspberry Pi in the device list.
3. Create a DHCP reservation for it. Pi-hole's docs say a reservation is fine.
4. Write the address down, for example 192.168.1.50.

Step 3: Install Pi-hole

1. Log in to the Pi, with the keyboard or over SSH from your laptop.
2. Run Pi-hole's official installer:

   curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash

3. Accept the defaults as you go.
4. Save the admin password it shows at the end.
5. Open the dashboard in a browser at http://YOUR-PI-ADDRESS/admin.

   You should see: the Pi-hole login page.

Step 4: Point your router at Pi-hole

1. In your router's settings, find the DNS server setting. It's usually under DHCP or LAN.
2. Set it to the Pi's address.
3. Turn Wi-Fi off and on again on your phone, then open a few websites.

   You should see: the blocked count rising on the Pi-hole dashboard.

Some routers from internet providers don't let you change DNS. If yours doesn't, set DNS on each device instead, or let Pi-hole hand out addresses as your DHCP server.

Step 5: Install Jellyfin

Jellyfin's official install script supports Raspberry Pi OS. Check the Debian and Ubuntu steps in the Jellyfin docs first in case they've changed.

1. Download the script:

   curl -fsSL https://repo.jellyfin.org/install-debuntu.sh -o install-debuntu.sh

2. Run it:

   sudo bash install-debuntu.sh

3. Open http://YOUR-PI-ADDRESS:8096 in a browser and follow the setup screens.

   You should see: the Jellyfin welcome screen.

Jellyfin uses port 8096 and Pi-hole's dashboard uses port 80, so the two don't clash.

Step 6: Add your media drive

1. Plug the drive into a blue USB 3 port.
2. Mount it so it always shows up in the same place, for example /mnt/media, and make sure Jellyfin can read it.
3. In Jellyfin, add a library (Movies or Shows) that points at that folder.
4. Let it scan.

   You should see: your movie posters appear in the library.

The one rule: direct play, not transcoding

This is where most Pi media servers go wrong. If your TV or phone can play a file as it is, the Pi 4 barely notices. If Jellyfin has to convert the video on the fly, a Pi 4 struggles, and Jellyfin has deprecated its Raspberry Pi hardware acceleration (Jellyfin docs).

• Use the Jellyfin app on your TV or streaming stick instead of a web browser. Apps can play more formats directly.
• Stick to common formats. H.264 video in an MP4 or MKV file plays almost everywhere.
• In the app's playback settings, set quality to maximum or "original" so it doesn't request a lower-quality copy.
• Don't expect several people watching different 4K movies at once. That's a mini PC job. See the best home media server guide and Intel Quick Sync explained.

Keep it cool and backed up

• A case with a fan or a big aluminum body stops the Pi from slowing itself down when it gets hot.
• Keep a copy of anything irreplaceable somewhere other than that one USB drive. Is RAID a backup? covers the basics.
• Want to watch away from home? Read accessing your home server remotely before you open any ports on your router.

Is a Pi 4 enough, or should you get a mini PC?

For Pi-hole plus a media server that one or two people use with direct play, a Pi 4 is enough and uses very little power. If you want lots of transcoding, several streams at once, or a pile of extra apps, a small Intel mini PC handles it far more easily. Compare them in Raspberry Pi vs mini PC, or plug your numbers into the power cost calculator.

Quick answers

Can a Raspberry Pi 4 run Pi-hole and Jellyfin at the same time?

Yes. Pi-hole needs very little memory, so a Pi 4 with 4 GB of RAM runs both comfortably, as long as your devices play media directly instead of making the Pi transcode.

Does Jellyfin transcode well on a Raspberry Pi 4?

No. Jellyfin has deprecated its Raspberry Pi hardware acceleration, and the processor is slow at converting video. Use apps and file formats that direct play.

Do I need a keyboard and mouse for a Raspberry Pi server?

Only for setup, and not even then if you turn on SSH in Raspberry Pi Imager. A wireless combo or a keyboard with a touchpad makes first-time setup easier.

Do Pi-hole and Jellyfin conflict on the same Pi?

No. Pi-hole's dashboard uses port 80 and Jellyfin uses port 8096, so they run side by side.

Your next step: work out how big your media drive needs to be with the media storage calculator.

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