In April, Plex will update the way its apps interact with its customers. The company has already dropped the watch with friends feature designed to allow multiple users to watch media from a server simultaneously. But the next step of changes will be a bit more substantial.
Plex Pass is getting more expensive and important
The cost of a Plex pass will go up for monthly, yearly, and lifetime members. Those who have lifetime membership already will keep their service with no interruption. But new customers to all of the tiers will pay a new price. The differences will go into effect on April 29, 2025. See the changes below.
Monthly: $6.99
Yearly: $69.99
Lifetime: $249.99
If you have Plex Pass and enjoy the perks you should really consider going ahead and upgrading to lifetime while it still only costs $119.99.
Rules for remote server access are changing
Plex has always allowed users the ability to watch media stored on a remote server. This has allowed users to view recordings and, TV shows and movies stored on their computers from outside of their homes as long as they are connected to the internet for free. This will change as of April 29. Access to the server will depend on whether one party or the other has a Plex Pass
Does that mean I can’t watch my friend’s movie collection anymore without paying?
No.
It all depends on how things are set up.
- If the person who runs the server you access is a Plex Pass member, then anyone can access the server upon invitation whether they have Plex Pass or not.
- If the person who runs the server does not have a Plex Pass then users who wish to access the server would need to have their own Plex Pass or a Remote Watch Pass.
So if you access a Plex server just check with the person who gave you access to it.
What is the difference between Plex Pass and a Remote Watch Pass?
There are price differences and feature differences. The Remote Watch Pass is purely so a way to access remote servers. It will cost $1.99/month or $19.99/year. The Plex Pass, has a different price structure that we laid out above. Plus Plex Pass Users get a number of other features that you can see here.
Plex provided an extensive list of FAQ to cover various scenarios regarding upgrading to Lifetime Plex Pass and other issues. You can find it all at the bottom of the article linked here.
