【AI前沿】Plex's 200% Lifetime Pass price hike tries forcing users to another subscription

Self-hostingPlex’s 200% Lifetime Pass price hike tries forcing users to another subscriptionPlex says that it has considered getting rid of Lifetime Passes.Scharon Harding–May 19, 2026 3:52 pm|158A marketing image for Plex that emphasizes its streaming, rather than its media server, business.Credit:

      PlexA marketing image for Plex that emphasizes its streaming, rather than its media server, business.Credit:

      PlexText
    settingsStory textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth*StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers onlyLearn moreMinimize to navAs of July 1, at 12:01 am UTC—or June 30 at 8:01 pm ET—people seeking access to Plex’s media server features through a one-time purchase will have to pay $750. That’s three times the current price of $250.The new price will not affect current Lifetime Plex Pass holders.A Lifetime Plex Pass allows you to stream from your own Plex Media Server to a device connected to your own network, to stream from the server remotely, and to allow others to stream remotely from your server.When first launched in 2012, a Lifetime Plex Pass was $75. In 2014, Plex increased the price to $150 because “at 2.5x the price of a yearly, it was priced in an unsustainable way for us,” Plex said in ablog postat the time. Eventually, lifetime passes were available for $120 for years until March 2025, when the priceskyrocketed to $250. That brings us to today’s announcement.In an email andblog postto customers today, Plex said that it sold lifetime passes early in its existence “because we knew many of our customers would rather pay a higher, one-time fee for software that they can depend on every day.” However, as evidenced by several price hikes, Plex has struggled to reconcile lifetime passes with its own financial goals. The company’s message says:We’ve considered eliminating the Lifetime Plex Pass in the past, given that recurring subscriptions help us sustain long-term development, but we know it’s still a valuable option for many in our community. So instead of retiring it, we’re keeping it available at a price that reflects the real, ongoing value of the software we’re committed to building and maintaining for years to come.The 200 percent price hike and Plex’s admission that it has mulled killing Lifetime Passes illustrate Plex’s shifting priorities as itseeks profitability. Notably, Plex didn’t announce any pricing hikes for its monthly or annual subscription tiers.In its blog, Plex offered further reasoning for the upcoming price hike:Over the years, as our software and product has evolved, the breadth of features and benefits included with your Plex Pass has expanded. This increase ensures we can continue to invest resources into building and maintaining the Plex personal media software, while continuing to offer a Lifetime option.As noted in the announcement, Plex would rather people pay monthly or annually for its media server features than a one-time fee. With annual subscriptions currently $70, it would take 11 years for a $750 lifetime subscription to be a better value.Plex’s price hike is an extreme example of streaming service providers continuously increasing prices amid struggles to reach and maintain profitability while keeping prices stable and dealing with ongoing costs, like licensing fees for rental movies and app updates.Plex claims to be working on numerous new features for its platform, including: adding all server and library management features currently available on app.plex.tv to Plex’s mobile and, where applicable, TV apps; “boosting dialogue and normalizing loudness,” per today’s announcement; transcoding improvements; IPv6 support; and the abilities to group downloads by show, automatically download new episodes, and make and edit playlists in mobile apps. New features that Plex has added recently include the ability to create custom metadata agents and an open API for server integrations.Beyond new features, Plex has previously cited rising costs for the hike, including supporting various types of devices andcodecs.Plex moving beyond media servingPlex’s various forays into areas outside of its original media server business also contribute to its rising costs. In recent years, Plex has expanded from a media server company to a streaming service provider that hashundredsof free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels,rents out movies, and dabbles insocial features. It also made afailed venture into gaming.Legacy customers, however, have grown wary of Plex’s expanding interests and their potential impact on Plex’s media server users. While adding streaming and social features,Plex killed free remote streaming accessand itsWatch Together featureand issued acontroversial app redesign. Plex also has reason to put more focus on its streaming business since more people have been using Plex’s online streaming service than its media server capabilities since 2022, Scott Hancock, Plex’s then-VP of marketing,saidin 2023.The good news is th