I used Plex for nearly a decade, and the service is obvious starting point if you’re setting up a local media library. While the free tier has an exhaustive feature-set in its own right, you’ll need to use Plex Pass to unlock the best utility, including hardware-assisted transcoding, ability to download content on mobile devices, advanced controls, and skip intros — what I use the most.
Plex Pass costs $4.99 a month, $39.99 annually, and is available as a lifetime sub that’ll set you back $119.99. These prices have been unchanged for the better part of a decade, but Plex is now starting to raise prices across the board. Starting April 29, the monthly plan will cost $6.99, yearly plan is going up to $69.99, and the lifetime option will cost $249.99.
In addition to the price hike, Plex is moving the oft-used remote streaming option behind Plex Pass, so you will need to subscribe to a paid plan if you share your Plex library with your friends or family. The good news is that the older pricing is still available, so if you use the service and want to subscribe to the lifetime plan at $119.99, now is the best time to do it.
I bought Plex Pass a half-decade ago while it was under $100, and it has easily paid for itself in that time. While I don’t use the transcoding option, all the other value additions with Plex Pass make it an easy recommendation, and given that sharing your library requires the paid sub, I’d suggest getting in on the old pricing before April 29.
On that note, Plex clarified in a blog post that if you’re sharing your library, only you’ll need Plex Pass; those you share it with will be able to access it on the free tier. That’s the right move, so if you’ve relied on this feature in the past, you may want to consider getting Plex Pass right now.
Plex continues to be the best local media server, and with a massive price hike on the horizon, now is the best time to subscribe to Plex Pass if you use the service regularly.
