Survey reveals Lifetime Plex Pass’ popularity, and I am as surprised as you are

Source: Android Authority

Overview

Plex is a central part of many home‑entertainment builds. The platform lets users stream content stored on a home server to multiple devices, and its ease of use and broad functionality are often cited as advantages. However, recent price hikes have raised concerns for cash‑strapped consumers.

From June 1, Plex will raise the price of its Remote Watch Pass, making it more expensive to watch Plex content outside the home network. This follows a series of increases to the Plex Pass in 2025. More notably, the Lifetime Plex Pass price jumps 300 % to $749.99 effective July 1.

Poll Results

To gauge how many readers pay for the service, we ran a poll. The poll was conducted before the Lifetime Pass increase was announced, but the results highlight the surprising popularity of this payment option.

• Total votes: just under 5,000
• 79.7 % (almost four in five respondents) pay for Plex and own a Lifetime Plex Pass.
• 6 % of voters pay for Plex through a subscription.
• 14 % use Plex but would “never pay” for the service.
• 1.5 % pay for the Remote Watch Pass.
• 4.4 % pay for the regular Plex Pass.

For most voters, it’s a Lifetime Plex Pass or nothing

The Lifetime Plex Pass increase is likely to reshape how customers pay for Plex. Subscription tiers now appear more attractive compared to the one‑time payment, which could alienate potential new users. Readers who commented on our price‑hike announcement article shared strong reactions:

jimmiller96:
I think this is the end of Plex. They have forgotten their customers who have been there from the beginning. New “features” and a new “ui” have actually made it more difficult to use. My wife actually prefers using Jellyfin now.
$259 was far too expensive. Obscene actually. Plex has lost their way. Thank heavens there are better options.

herranton:
Lol. I guess Jellyfin it is. This is how you kill your business. $250 was already unreasonable.
(see an open‑source alternative)

Mega DP:
So glad I got a lifetime pass for $75 on Black Friday back in like 2015 or 2016.

The roughly 80 % of respondents who already own a Lifetime Pass have avoided the price jump, but new users planning home‑server setups will need to factor the higher cost into their decisions.

Considering the recent price increase, will you purchase a Plex Lifetime Pass?

51 votes

If you are planning a home server or were close to integrating Plex, how does the Lifetime Pass price hike affect your decision? Will you still consider purchasing it, switch to a subscription, or explore alternatives? Share your thoughts in the comments.