Plex adds $250 five-year pass as lifetime access jumps to $750
Plex’s new long-term plan replaces what recently bought lifetime access, underscoring its shift toward subscriptions and streaming revenue.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Plex has introduced a five-year Plex Pass priced at $250, the same amount that bought lifetime access to the service until this week. The change matters for longtime media server users because Plex has also raised the price of its Lifetime Plex Pass to $750.
The new five-year option was first spotted by The Desk. Plex announced in May that lifetime access would become more expensive, and the company said in an updated blog post this week that the new price “reflects the real, ongoing value of the software and our commitment to building, improving, and supporting Plex for years to come.”
Plex began selling lifetime access to its media server software in 2012 for $75, according to Ars Technica. The company later raised that price to $120 in 2014, saying the increase would make the product more sustainable. From March 2025 until this week, the Lifetime Plex Pass cost $250.
The pricing change gives Plex a much different offer at that same $250 level. Customers who recently could pay that amount once for lifetime access now receive a five-year term instead, while lifetime access remains available at three times that price.
Plex has said recurring subscriptions help support long-term development. In May, the company said it had previously considered ending the Lifetime Plex Pass because recurring payments provide a steadier way to fund ongoing work.
The company has not announced profitability, according to Ars Technica. CB Insights lists Plex as having raised $87.6 million across nine funding rounds, a financial backdrop that helps explain the push toward higher long-term pricing and more predictable subscription revenue.
Plex is no longer only a home media server business. The company now offers licensed movie rentals and runs hundreds of free, ad-supported streaming TV channels, according to Ars Technica. It has also added social features in recent years and has looked for ways to monetize user data, Plex CEO Keith Valory told TechCrunch in 2024.
Advertising has become a major part of Plex’s growth. TechCrunch reported that ad revenue has been a significant driver for the company, and Plex said in 2023 that more people had used its online streaming service since 2022 than its media server features.
The company has also tested areas outside its core product. Plex entered gaming, then later removed that offering, according to the company’s own blog.
Investors have described Plex’s ambitions in broader terms than personal media management. Jason Chapnik, CEO of Intercap, one of Plex’s lead investors, told TechCrunch in 2021 that Plex was positioned to become “the cable company of the future” as streaming services multiplied.
The new pricing fits that wider shift. Plex is keeping lifetime access on the menu, but at a price that makes shorter-term subscriptions more prominent for customers who use its media server tools.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.