Plex’s 200% Lifetime Pass price hike tries forcing users to another subscription

Starting July 1 at 12:01 a.m. UTC or June 30 at 8:01 p.m. ET, those wanting to access Plex’s media server features via a one-time purchase will need 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, stream remotely from the server, and allow others to stream remotely from your server.

When it launched in 2012, a Lifetime Plex Pass cost $75. In 2014, Plex increased the price to $150 because “at 2.5 times the annual price, the price was unsustainable for us,” Plex said in a blog post at the time. Eventually, lifetime passes were available for $120 for years until March 2025, when the price skyrocketed to $250. This brings us to today’s announcement.

In an email and blog post to customers today, Plex said it sold lifetime passes early in its existence “because we knew many of our customers would prefer to pay a higher one-time fee for software they can rely 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, as recurring subscriptions help us support long-term development, but we know it remains a valuable option for many members of our community. So instead of retiring it, we’re keeping it available at a price that reflects the true, ongoing value of the software we’re committed to creating and maintaining for years to come.

The 200% price hike and Plex’s admission that it was considering eliminating Lifetime Passes illustrate Plex’s changing priorities in its quest for profitability. Notably, Plex has not announced any price increases for its monthly or annual subscription tiers.

In its blog, Plex offered additional arguments to justify the upcoming price hike:

Over the years, as our software and products have evolved, the scope of features and benefits included with your Plex Pass has expanded. This increase ensures that we can continue to invest resources into building and maintaining Plex personal media software, while continuing to offer a lifetime option.

As noted in the announcement, Plex prefers people to pay monthly or annually for its media server features rather than a one-time fee. With annual subscriptions currently at $70, it would take 11 years for a $750 lifetime subscription to be more beneficial.