Price shock at Plex: Lifetime Pass will soon cost three times as much
Plex is tripling the price of its Lifetime Pass from 250 to 749.99 dollars from July 2026 - and is thus attracting fierce criticism from the Community.
Plex users who previously opted for a one-off plan instead of ongoing fees will soon have to dig deeper into their pockets. The supplier is massively increasing the price for the so-called Lifetime Plex Pass from 1 July 2026. Instead of 219.99 francs as before, the lifetime licence will cost 749.99 dollars in future. The final price in Swiss francs is still unclear, but will also be at this level. This means that Plex is tripling the price in just over a year.
In March 2025, the company had already raised the cost of the Lifetime Pass from 119.99 to 219.99 francs. Now comes the next big jump. According to Plex, existing users will keep their current services and nothing will change for them - for the time being.
Plex would probably prefer monthly subscriptions
In a blog post, Plex explains the decision with the long-term costs of developing and operating the platform. The company writes that recurring subscriptions would better secure further development than one-off payments. According to Plex, the company had even considered cancelling the lifetime pass completely. Instead, the offer will remain - but at a price that should reflect the «ongoing value» of the software.
The monthly and annual plans will remain unchanged for the time being. The normal Plex Pass will continue to cost 7.99 francs per month or 79.99 francs per year. There is also the cheaper Remote Watch Pass for users who mainly want to access media libraries on the go - this costs 2.99 francs, or 29.99 francs if you pay annually.
The old price is still available until July
You can still purchase the Lifetime Pass at the previous price until 1 July 2026. The company points out on its website that the current price is only valid for a few more weeks. This raises the question of why Plex is actively advertising the old price. A change in the costs for existing users - at a later date - seems likely.
The sharp increase in price is already causing discussion in the Community. On platforms such as Reddit, users are advising users to switch to free platforms such as Jellyfin.
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
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