Plex is a bit hard to explain these days. Even if you don’t know its roots as an outgrowth of a Mac port of the Xbox Media Center project, Plex is not your typical “streaming” service, given how most people use it. So as Plex announces its first price increase to its Plex Pass subscription in more than 10 years, it has its work cut out explaining why, what’s included, and what is changing.
Starting April 29, the cost of a Plex Pass rises from $4.99 to $6.99 monthly, from $39.99 to $69.99 annually, and a lifetime pass now costs $249.99, previously $119.99. In a blog post, Plex cites rising costs and its commitment to an independent service that supports “personal media.”
“We are all in on the continued success of Plex Pass and personal media,” the post states. “This price increase will ensure that we can keep investing dedicated resources in developing new features, while supporting and growing your favorites.” The post cites a roadmap that contains an integration with Common Sense Media, a new “bespoke server management app” for managing server users and “an open and documented API for server integrations,” including custom metadata agents.
Someone in a remote video stream must have a Pass
And then, after that note, Plex hits the big change: Streaming “personal media”—i.e. video files, not audio, photos, or offerings from Plex’s ad-supported movies and TV—from outside your own network will no longer be a free Plex feature, starting April 29. “Fully free” might be the better way to put it, because if a server owner has a Plex Pass subscription, their users can still access their server for free.
But if you’ve been hosting your own Plex server to maintain access to your stuff while you’re away or relying on the kindness of non-Pass-having friends with servers, either you or your server-owning friends will need a Plex Pass subscription by the end of April.
Alternatively, you, as a non-server-running Plex viewer, can get a cheaper Remote Watch Pass, $1.99 per month or $19.99 a year. That doesn’t include Plex Pass features like offline downloads, skipping a show intro or credits, or the like, but it does keep you connected to your “personal media” vendors.