Media platform Plex today announced that it is raising prices for the Plex Pass subscription service, marking the first price increase that Plex has introduced in a decade.
Starting on April 29, the Plex Pass will cost $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, with a lifetime purchase option available for $249.99. Right now, the lifetime Plex Pass costs $120, while the monthly option is $4.99 and the annual option is $39.99.
Plex says that it needs to raise prices to keep up with rising costs, and that the added funds will ensure that Plex is able to keep developing new features.
Along with increasing prices, Plex is no longer going to offer remote playback for personal media as a free service. Plex users who want to be able to stream content that's not on the same local network as the server will have two options.
A Plex Pass will allow server owners to provide remote media streaming to friends and family members without an additional charge, so only the server owner needs the Plex Pass, not the users streaming the content. Alternatively, if the server owner does not have a Plex Pass, remote streaming will still be available if the person accessing the server has a Plex Pass or a new Remote Watch Pass.
Plex is introducing a new Remote Watch Pass subscription option aimed at those who want to stream media without hosting a server. It allows individual users to remotely stream media from any personal media server they have access to, even if the owner of that server does not have a Plex Pass.
The Remote Watch Pass is priced at $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year, and it will be available starting on April 29.
Plex users who have a Plex Pass already will continue to be able to use remote playback from any Plex Media Server after the changes are implemented, as will users who have access to their servers. Plex Pass lifetime subscribers will see no change, but monthly and yearly subscribers will see prices go up in April.
As remote streaming is becoming a paid feature on Plex, Plex is removing the one-time activation fee that removes playback limitations in the Plex iOS and Android apps, and there will no longer be a one-minute playback limitation.
The changes to personal media streaming do not impact viewing on the same local network. Free, ad-supported streaming of movies, shows, and live TV on Plex will also remain free.
