Plex is getting a steep price hike for remote streaming

By Pranob Mehrotra Published May 4, 2026

Plex is raising the price of its Remote Watch Pass by 50%, beginning June 1, 2026. Monthly subscriptions will jump from $1.99 to $2.99, and annual plans will rise from $19.99 to $29.99, according to subscriber emails first shared on the Plex subreddit.

The Remote Watch Pass lets users stream personal media libraries from a friend or family member’s Plex server when the server owner doesn’t have a Plex Pass subscription. In emails to subscribers, the streaming service framed the increase as the end of “introductory pricing,” indicating that the higher rate had always been the planned cost.

The price hike comes just days after Plex expanded the platforms that require a Remote Watch Pass. In an April 29 update to its support documentation, Plex confirmed that remote playback restrictions now apply to Amazon Fire TV, Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TVs, as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Those platforms join devices already covered by the requirement.

For households that share libraries with multiple remote viewers, the cost adds up quickly. Each non-subscriber needs their own Remote Watch Pass. The hike is pushing some users to reconsider their options. A Plex Pass, which lets a server owner share libraries with any number of remote users at no additional charge, runs $7/month, $70/year, or $250 for lifetime access. That lifetime tier looks more competitive against rising recurring fees.

The change is also likely to renew interest in Jellyfin, the open-source media server that has steadily attracted users frustrated with Plex’s monetization shifts. Jellyfin charges nothing for remote streaming and has no account requirements.

Plex has not said whether Plex Pass itself will see a similar price adjustment. The company has not publicly responded to media inquiries about the change beyond the subscriber emails, though it has updated the FAQ section on its Plans page to reflect the pricing changes.