Plex’s crackdown on free remote streaming access starts this week

Plex has previously highlighted its need to address “increasing costs”, including support for many different devices and codecs. It also said it needed money to implement new features, including an integration with Common Sense Media, a new “bespoke server management application” to manage server users, and “an open, documented API for server integrations,” including custom metadata agents,” according to a March blog post.

In January 2024, TechCrunch reported that Plex was close to profitability and raised $40 million in funding (Plex raised a $50 million growth round in 2021). Theoretically, the new remote access rules can also increase subscription revenue and help Plex backers get a return on their investment.

However, Plex’s evolution could isolate longtime users who have relied on Plex as a media server for years and those who aren’t interested in subscriptions, FAST channels (free ad-supported streaming TV), or movie rentals. However, it is unlikely that Plex will abandon its streaming business. In 2023, Scott Hancock, then Plex’s vice president of marketing, said that Plex had more people using its online streaming service than its media server features as of 2022. For people looking for software packages more directly focused on media hosting, Plex alternatives, like Jellyfin, look increasingly attractive.