Plex Will Start Cracking Down on Free Remote Streaming Access This Week | WIREDSkip to main contentHand-Picked Black Friday DealsShop NowMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSBLACK FRIDAYMenuAccountAccountNewslettersBest Black Friday DealsBest Buy Black Friday DealsiPad Black Friday DealsBest Outdoor DealsHuckberry’s Black Friday DealsDeals DeliveredSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoMerchSearchSearchSign InSign InScharon Harding, Ars TechnicaGearNov 27, 2025 6:00 AMPlex Will Start Cracking Down on Free Remote Streaming Access This WeekLook out, Roku owners. You’re up first.Plex app displayed on a tv screen and a remote control are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on September 30, 2024.Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty ImagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyPlex is starting to enforce its new rules, which prevent users from remotely accessing a personal media server without a subscription fee.Previously, people outside of a server owner’s network could access the owner’s media library through Plex for free. Under the new rules announced in March, a server owner needs to have a Plex Pass subscription, which starts at $7 per month, to grant users remote access to their server. Alternatively, someone can remotely access another person’s Plex server by buying their own Plex Pass or a Remote Watch Pass, which is a subscription with fewer features than a Plex Pass and that Plex started selling in April for a $2 per month starting price.Plex’s new rules took effect on April 29. According to a recent Plex forums post by a Plex employee that How-To Geek spotted today, the changes are rolling out this week, with a subscription being required for people using Plex’s Roku OS app for remote access. The Plex employee added:This requirement change for remote streaming will come to all other Plex TV apps (Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, etc.) and any third-party clients using the API to offer remote streaming in 2026.Plex started as a Mac port of the Xbox Media Center project in 2009 before evolving into a media server company and, more recently, a streaming service provider. Its new remote access rules will be a test for the company, which has been challenging long-time users with numerous changes over the past year, including a Plex Pass price hike, a foray into renting out officially licensed movies, and the introduction of social features and a mobile app redesign.Plex has previously emphasized its need to keep up with “rising costs,” which include providing support for many devices and codecs. It has also said it needs money to implement new features, including an integration with Common Sense Media, a new “bespoke server management app” for managing server users, and “an open and documented API for server integrations,” including custom metadata agents,” per a March blog post.In January 2024, TechCrunch reported that Plex was nearing profitability and raised $40 million in funding (Plex raised a $50 million growth equity round in 2021). Theoretically, the new remote access rules can also increase subscription revenue and help Plex’s backers see returns on their investments.However, Plex’s evolution could isolate long-time users who have relied on Plex as a media server for years and those who aren’t interested in subscriptions, FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels, or renting movies. Plex is unlikely to give up on its streaming business, though. In 2023, Scott Hancock, Plex’s then-VP of marketing, said that Plex had more people using its online streaming service than using its media server features since 2022. For people seeking software packages more squarely focused on media hosting, Plex alternatives, like Jellyfin, increasingly look attractive.This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.CommentsBack to topTriangleYou Might Also Like …In your inbox: Will Knight's AI Lab explores advances in AIThe first radio signal from Comet 3I/Atlas ends the debateBig Story: How Gen Z toppled Nepal’s leaderIf the US has to build data centers, here’s where they should goEvent: Join some of the most influential voices in tech and beyondScharon Harding is Ars Technica’s senior products expert and writes news, reviews, and features on consumer technology, including laptops, PC peripherals, and lifestyle gadgets. She’s based in Brooklyn, New York. ... 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Plex is implementing a significant shift in its remote access policies, starting with Roku users this week. The company’s move, announced in March, requires users to have a Plex Pass subscription to remotely access their media servers. Previously, accessing a server outside of its network was free. Plex is introducing a tiered approach: a standard $7 monthly subscription for remote access, or a lower $2 monthly “Remote Watch Pass” with reduced features. This change comes as Plex navigates ongoing challenges, including price hikes for Plex Passes, a foray into renting out licensed movies, and evolving social features.

The shift is being framed by Plex as necessary to cover rising operational costs, encompassing support for numerous devices and codecs, as well as funding the development of new features like integration with Common Sense Media and a bespoke server management app. The company's strategy acknowledges the evolving landscape of media streaming. In 2023, Scott Hancock, Plex’s then-VP of marketing, noted that more people were using Plex’s online streaming service than its media server features, a trend that appears to be driving this policy change. This move also aims to bolster returns for Plex’s investors, who provided a $40 million growth equity round in 2021 and a further $50 million in 2021.

However, this change also presents potential challenges for long-time Plex users who rely on it as a media server and those uninterested in subscribing to streaming services or renting movies. Plex’s continued focus on its streaming business, with its online service surpassing media server usage in 2022, suggests that the company is prioritizing its streaming ambitions. The emergence of alternatives like Jellyfin, which offers a free and open-source media server solution, adds further pressure. Plex’s move represents a critical test, as it gauges user response to its strategic evolution and influences future development.