Plex gets a price increase – and there's a big change to one key feature
For the first time in a decade, Plex is putting the price of its Plex Pass up and doubling the cost of a Lifetime Pass
📈 Plex is raising the price of its Plex Pass – it’s increasing by $2 a month and $30 a year
🚨 The Lifetime Pass will cost more than double, from $120 to $250, so you'll need to act before April 29 to avoid the rise – existing subscribers needn't worry
💰 Remote Access now comes at a cost. You’ll need a Plex Pass to watch or pay $2 a month for a Remote Watch Pass
🤷♂️ On the plus side, viewing content from the mobile app on a local network will be free
If you were debating whether to purchase a Plex Pass for a lifetime or even just paying a monthly subscription, you may want to act fast. From April 29, Plex is set to hike the price of its Plex Pass from $4.99 to $6.99 a month, while also increasing the cost of an annual pass from $39.99 a year to $69.99.
Lifetime Pass fence-sitters will likely be hit the hardest by the price increase, as the old $119.99 one-off charge is set to more than double to $249.99. However, those who have already invested in a Lifetime Pass won’t be affected by the rise.
Alongside the price increase, Plex will also begin gatekeeping a key service. Folks who want to stream content from their server outside their home network will need a Plex Pass, as will those who want to let others access it for free.
The change will even affect your own content library, as if you don't pay for a Plex Pass, your friends or family will need to stump up $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year to stream content remotely with a Remote Watch Pass.
On the plus side, Plex is making it free to stream stored content from its mobile app when accessed from your local network. You won't have to purchase a Pass or pay a one-time activation fee to remove the previous one-minute playback limitation on both iOS and Android.
The change isn't set to take effect until later this year when Plex hard launches its upcoming app revamp. If you already paid the mobile activation fee, you'll get an extended trial of the Remote Watch Pass for your troubles.
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.
