I am a plex server owner and i think the plex passport price increase is fair

For well over 10 years now I have owned and maintained one Plex Server. I first got started with Plex when I realized that consuming most of the media content I wanted meant to register for 10 different streaming services – and even then I still would not have access to everything. It’s a game I refuse to play, so creating my own server with just the things I want and nothing else was the most obvious solution.

Since then, Plex has become a massive part of my life. In fact, I recently wrote an article about My most life -changing technology librarAnd Plex is there. The server has been fun to make and maintain, and it has been an absolute pleasure to share the media with friends and family.

On March 19, Plex announced some significant changes to the service, which included a hefty price increase for the subscription product Plex Pass. It also introduced a new limitation of how people can externally stream content from private servers like mine. These changes will take effect later this month. Considering the extent of these changes – and the fact that Plex Pass would suddenly start costing a lot more money – many people were quite upset.

However, I was not. While Plex could have rolled out these changes differently to soften the battle, I think the changes are justified for several reasons.

Before I get into why I think Plex’s changes are acceptable, I should summarize them quickly for anyone reading this who doesn’t already know about them.

The most important change is the Plex Pass price increase. Plex Pass is a subscription service that provides server owners and their users certain benefits and features that non-paying users do not receive. For example, when new TV media is uploaded to a private server, the Plex Pass Pass allows a scan of all episodes that determines where the title intro is and when the final credits start. Then it provides buttons during playback so you can skip them. This is just one example; There are so many more Plex Passport features.

Here’s what changes for Plex Pass Prices:

• Monthly: Increased by $ 2.00 each month, from $ 4.99 to $ 6.99; approximately an increase of 40%
• Annual: Increased by $ 30.00 each year, from $ 39.99 to $ 69.99; approximately an increase of 75%
• Lifetime: Increased by $ 130.00, from $ 119.99 to $ 249.99; approximately an increase of 108%

On top of these price increases, Plex also changes how remote flows work. External streaming is when someone – either the server owner or an authorized user – gets access to a Plex server outside the server’s home network. At the moment this is a free service; Anyone with permission can access media from any private server for free. As of April 29, 2025, this will not be the case. Instead, the server’s owner must be a Plex Pass subscriber. If they are, all external streaming (either of them or any other authorized user) will be free.

Plex also introduces a second subscription service called Remote Watch Pass. This service is special for authorized users Power content remotely from private plex servers that are not Owned by Plex Pass subscribers. If you are a user of a server and its owner (or cannot) subscribe to Plex Pass, this new subscription will lets you stream content from that server or others. However, the features that come with the Plex Pass will be missing. Since it lacks the benefits, it is less expensive to $ 1.99 per month or $ 19.99 each year (there is no lifetime subscription option).

Finally, with the introduction of Remote Watch Pass, Plex does the one -off fees to get full operation of their apps. Today, if you want to use a Plex app to stream content from a server, you have to pay a small one-time fee (usually around $ 5.00) to unlock the app. This will not be the case anymore, which is fantastic news.

Ultimately, my biggest problem with these changes is that they happen at once. None of these announcements on their own are particularly bad (and one is flat), but the Plex’s decision to dump them all at the same time as they seem overwhelming. However, when you break them down, I think they are doing well – even the huge price increases.

To start, this is the first time Plex has increased Plex Pass prices in over 10 years. The last time this happened was September 29, 2014 (I remember getting the e -post). Although price increases are always annoying, what other product/service has not increased in price in a decade? I understand that these are fierce price increases, especially the 108% increase for life membership. However, Plex could also have reached the price by slowly raising it with a few years, like many other companies. Simply put, you cannot serve a service that has grown as much as Plex has done for a decade without raising prices, and I think it is quite surprising that we only now see this happening.

In addition, over the past ten years, Plex has made the Plex pass significantly better by offering many new features. The said ability to skip title sequences and end credits, for example, was not around in 2014. Automatic subtitle synchronization, DVR of Live -TV, and access to the fantastic Plexamp app also did not exist in 2014.

Even if you do not agree with any of it, Plex has given us a very solid window to avoid paying more for the lifetime pass. The company announced the price change on March 19, and you have until April 29 before it comes into force. If you hate the idea of ​​the increase so much, Plex has given you a wide open window so as not to feel the crunch.

Continuing I also do well with the policy changes that force someone – whether the server or the user – has a paid subscription for remote flow. When it comes to external streaming video content from a Plex server, it does not always mean a direct connection between the user and the server. Much of the time Plex’s own servers are involved in any way, either for indirect connections (involving Plex’s servers that handle some of the streaming load) or special Plex Pass features. The Plex-owned servers must be maintained, and the company’s user base has increased exponentially over the last decade. It is not unreasonable for a company to need to charge more to keep up with growth. Understandably, long -time Plex users who have been used to this feature are free for over 15 years, all reason to be upset about it, but they must also understand that it is just the nature of keeping a business fluid.

Finally, let’s not forget that Plex also changes something that everyone can get behind: Removing the one -off charge fee for their apps. I have seen a lot of setbacks against the Plex passing price increases and changes in remote flow, but I have hardly seen any chatter about Plex to remove this fee, which seems unfair. You can be angry with the things you consider bad, but you can’t reject the good things.

Ultimately, everything comes to a lot to change in 10 years, and Plex needs to change with it. In my opinion, it is actually a testimony to Plex’s commitment to society as it has endured as long as it has made from making these changes. Now Plex, of course, has a new problem: follow -up.

Plex, as a company, has sometimes failed me in the past. Something recently, Plex spontaneously began to send users e -mail messages about what other users have looked at a particular server. This sounds innocent but getting an email showing you your uncle spends a lot of time watching and watching again Showgirls is probably not an e -mail you will receive. Plex also recently began to sunset the wonderful watch together the featureSomething that is disappointing. What I say here is that I do not want you to think that Plex has never had any mistakes because it has certainly done it.

However, Plex also has continuously improved the product. The plex experience I like today is much, much better than the plex experience I had when I first signed up. There are several features, it is more stable, it has better support, and there are even new ways to consume media with the introduction of Plex’s free ad-supported streaming TV (fast) channels. Plex has also repeatedly confirmed that it would never, never remove the possibility of people owning private servers and sharing these servers with others – and it still delivers the promise, even though it made a few changes.

What is all being said, which increases prices to where it is now, puts even more pressure on the company to continue with these obligations. The entry barrier for new Plex servers just went up, and the newer users will balance if they feel they do not get what they paid for. I paid less than $ 100 for my lifetime plex pass many years ago, and I can say with absolute certainty that it was worth every penny. However, a person who pays $ 250 for it fit in 2025 is a tougher customer to please, and Plex needs to increase that challenge.

Plex Pass must also be better continuous. Similarly, prices should not increase in long after this – perhaps asking for another 10 years is a bit much, but five years seem reasonable. Plex must also continuously remember that there are free options (with Cell Being an example), so the pressure is now on to justify the new asking prices at the risk of people jumping ships.

For me, I’m a promise. Unless Plex does something absolute Bonkers, like lifting my Plex pass, removing the opportunity to stream from my server externally, or find out sneaking ways to extract money from my users, I will stick to it.