Plex has announced which will increase the price of your subscriptions and make your main free function into payment service: remote reproduction of personal content.
The changes will take effect on April 29, marking the end of an era for millions of users who used the platform to access their multimedia libraries from anywhere without having to pay for it.
Why is it important. This decision directly affects millions of users who have built domestic ecosystems based on the premise of being able to access their personal content from any location. The changes represent a total turn in the business model of Plex.
The figures. Price increase is considerable:
- Monthly subscription: from $ 4.99 to $ 6.99 (+40%).
- Annual subscription: from $ 39.99 at $ 69.99 (+75%).
- Vitalicia subscription: from $ 119.99 to $ 249.99 (+108%).
It is easy to read between the lines what Plex intends with these different increases: to promote the monthly to increase their monthly recurring income … and dissuade the life, or at least monetize it much more aggressive.
There are alternatives. For those who see a reason here to migrate from Plex:
- Jellyfinopen and free source, without payment or telemetry functions.
- Embyversatile without too much complexity, with a free version robust.
- Kodiveteran customization.
- Stremiofocused on streaming from different sources.
The current situation. Until now, Plex allowed its users to configure a domestic server and remotely access its content for free. This model has been the basis of the growth of the platform for more than a decade, which has become tremendously popular.
The change. As of April 29, you will have two options if you want to continue accessing your remote content:
- That the server owner has a plex pass. In this case, all users who give access can continue to see content remotely.
- Hire the new “Remote Watch Pass” for $ 1.99 per month or 19.99 a year, which allows remotely accessing servers whose owners do not have plex pass.
Between the lines. Plex justifies these changes alleging “growing costs” and the need to continue developing new functions. However, the decision comes at a time when they want to position themselves as a legitimate competitor in the saturated streaming market.
The company has been incorporating new social and discovery functions during the last year, in addition to launching A store to rent movies and series. These movements are subtle signs of a strategy to become a complete streaming platform, beyond its original function as a personal media manager.
- As compensation, Plex will eliminate the limitation of one minute reproduction in its mobile applications and it will no longer be necessary to pay a unique activation fee to eliminate this restriction.
And now what? If you are a plex user, you have until April 29 to buy a life subscription at the current price of $ 119.99, before it doubles. The current monthly and annual subscribers will see their rates increase, while those who already have a life subscription will not be affected.
Content streaming in the same local network will remain free, as well as access to content with advertising offered by the platform.
In Xataka | Plex: 21 tricks (and some extra) to get the whole game
Outstanding image | Plex, Xataka with Mockuuuups Studio
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings