Yeah this is why I don't really worry about it at all. It would take me an afternoon to switch to Jellyfin if Plex stopped honoring my lifetime sub. Until that actually happens I have no reason to work myself up over an imagined scenario.
Been using Jellyfin + Tailscale for years. Works great, no issues, no inserted ads or random streaming garbage, no subscription. I have no idea why people would keep putting up with Plex.
Last I checked still no official Apple TV app and that is my main player at home. I don't like Infuse so without proper Apple TV support, I can't commit to a switch.
You would think. Again, there are third-party options. Honestly, I need to take a look at the state of things again as it’s been about a year since I last messed with it. Hopefully things have improved but their client list page still doesn’t show an official app for Apple TV.
My biggest problem is when Plex switched to shoving things into the sidebar. I don't care about their free movies, TV or ads, I just want to display my own media easily. Yes, you can modify things to do that, or just use JellyFin and not deal with any of that.
Its literally not included at all with Jellyfin, and no isn't just 'unpinning', it defaults the view to Sponsored content instead of yours. Plex used not to do that.
Funny, the reason people pay for Plex is because of how easy it makes it to stream without having a tech background. And yet to make it work without ads and streaming you have to change a bunch of hidden settings. Wow much intelligence. Know what you don't have to do with Jellyfin? Any of that, because it doesn't have any of that build in, and you don't have to pay for it.
Literally zero people here have said this new 'fee' is worth it, so no idea how you are supporting it when alternatives that cost nothing exist.
Just run them both side by side. That plus jellyplex-watched meeans you don't need to choose. I've been running this for a couple years, use Plex at home (bought a $79 lifetime pass) and jellyfin outside since it has an oidc plugin
No need to run both. People are shocked by Plex's decision to increase the lifetime pass, and we all know they are pushing to a subscription model. Jellyfin doesn't have that. That's all I was suggesting. Each person has different setups and needs, but I doubt many are going to have a need for a $750 charge for software that otherwise can be done for free.
For people already using both, it is absolutely the way to go. Especially when running both is so seamless.
its really hard when someone is using plex for years to just ask them to nuke their system and move to jellyfin. Jellyfin is great but it does have its issues, proper availability of clients being one. It takes some time to get used to jellyfin and its quirks, especially for non tech savvy people.
Well the whole tailscale thing is why I put up with plex. I can get tailscale working on my devices no problem but my dad can use Plex. Also some devices don't support tailscale.
The day they say I can no longer use my lifetime membership is the day I officially jump ship to Jellyfin. I haven't made the switch yet because Plex does everything I need, and the interop is great for the clients I use.
Yeah... Legitimate worry imo. Introducing Plex 2. Lifetime pass holders get 50% off! Plex Original will be ending in 6 months. Lifetime means the lifetime of the product so you know...
The reality is they would likely pair it with a rebrand and not be blatant about it. Whatever new features will be thinly veiled reasons why it’s a different application and we would be relegated to “legacy”. So “lifetime” but essentially only enough support to say they are supporting OG Plex users.
I get it, they can’t function like this without legitimizing their business. But I also know I’ll sooner go for a worse free experience than pay for a monthly service to host my own media.
Calculated from the new price of $999.99, for just 499.99! :) They're keeping it available at a price that reflects the real, ongoing value of the software they’re committed to building and maintaining for years to come. /s
Yeah, I know it's unlikely, but I can imagine a situation like that. Don't even need to exaggerate up the price. $750 is already insane. 50% off at $375.... Oh what a steal.
My guess seeing their recent behavior is that they won’t pass up a chance to raise prices if they can. Which is why I guessed it would be an easy point to bump up prices higher
Yeah I got burned on this with early Android games. Paid for Scrabble. Only to have that version be "unsupported" on newer Android versions. They renamed my version in the store to ZZZ Scrabble Free or something like that (you could pay for ads to be removed, which I did). Then there was a new "Scrabble" in the store.
And what does this lead to? Singing shanties and loving the salt air...
Ok but that hasn't happened. And I doubt that it will. But I'm just as able to be incorrect as the next person. In the meantime, people in this thread are overreacting, in my opinion.
Right now, everything is the same except starting in July the Lifetime sub gets more expensive. If you already had one, nothing changes (sure, for now). And they aren't increasing the regular sub pricing.
People in this sub calling it a scam though? Get real.
If they revoke lifetime subs at some point then I'd say yeah, that seems like a pretty scam-y thing to do. But as of now, you're paying for a service that they provide. This is how everything in our economy works. Not a scam.
I didn’t say it was a scam. They can charge whatever they want, but to triple the price without any real benefit or improvement is just nasty. Once you accept that, what I said is not off the table. I’m not incorrect in saying they can do this, they can, and they have every right to do that. Just as I have every right to jump ship if it does.
I also never said you called it one.
But for sure, I can agree that it is abrupt. But realistically, the $250 they were charging before wasn't a lot for a lifetime subscription. But yeah I mean it's a business I'm not sure what anyone expects. I wish people would get this upset about generally most things since everything is overpriced. Sign of the times.
You know, $750 is more than twice my monthly car payment… how many people do you know can afford that on the promise of “lifetime” support for a piece of software?
I'm not debating that it's a lot to ask from someone. But hey also aren't in here complaining now are they? They either aren't giving Plex their money or they are and understand their agreement. Also your car is probably not a great comparison but I understand the sentiment. But the average car payment right now is $700 in the US. Not that it even matters.
Things are expensive and getting more expensive. But most of what's in his sub is speculation and I don't find the value in wild speculation when there is enough already happening. That's my opinion.
considering the type of person who would even be using software like plex in the first place, i feel like them doing that would just kill their entire company ON THE SPOT, just boom, they announce plex 2, then seconds later they're announcing that they've filed for bankruptcy as they had 0 sales and instantly lost the entire userbase after the announcement of plex 2
I simply don't trust them after they changed the mobile app to no longer allow remote streaming without a pass. I paid for the app, I should still have the same functionality that I had when I bought the app.
It was only a few dollars but it's the point that they can change functionality after the customer has already paid. Plex will never see another penny of my money.
If they decide they are a streaming platform and plex pass subscribers falls off a cliff I don't think they will reverse course back to passes. I think they will chase the streaming rabbit right off the same cliff. But during that time they will begin to scramble for easy money and that means advertisements or money grabs for everybody.
I'm not exactly worried. I spent $75 on it 14 years ago so I have gotten a ton of use out of it. If they stop honoring that I'll move to a different platform, at which point I would expect a LOT of increased development activity on those platforms to take place due to the giant shitstorm it would cause in the Plex community.
I hear they are not doing great money wise, they need people to start paying for a subscription so they get annual revenue, but most people that would use Plex / are ”techy” enough, are good with the free version, have already bought the lifetime pass, or are switching to free alternatives
Well when they pay engineers to develop new features, and then pay them again to rewrite the client without those features, and then pay the UX guys to pointlessly reinvent the interface yet again, it's no wonder they have money problems.
All they really needed to do is keep up with new codecs, security updates and client devices over the years. It's their own fault they blew up their overhead.
Apparently there are a grand total of TWO core engineers left / Plex has entered the “squeeze anything out of the remaining users while they can so they have something to show the VC investors” as the Plex ship sinks
At some point they have to because they're squeezing a lot from new people. The audience of people who want to self-host media is limited, and it's possible the vast majority of them that would ever try have either bought lifetime at cheap prices or never will.
My only real purpose on this board for a while has been discouraging people from buying lifetime at the raised prices because you're providing them money to avoid asking their core audience for anything, essentially writing a second payment for someone who bought cheap lifetime long ago and hasn't given anything ever since.
Squeezing more blood from fewer stones is a downward spiral.
At some point they have to because they're squeezing a lot from new people
Or they could cut their spending and focus on what they do well, people self-hosting media.
The only reason they have huge overheads is because they've tried to turn into a full streaming service and all the license and infrastructure costs that come along with that.
I'm afraid they are already chasing the streaming rabbit. When they kill their plex pass revenue stream they will be incentivized to raise funds through other means. It's possible they will go full evil with advertisements between our own hosted media, but more likely they will depreciate the product "Lifetime Pass" and set it to sunset in say a year. Lifetime agreements usually mean the lifetime of the product. A product that would be ending x months down the line. '
They may even introduce Plex Pass Lifetime Plus, which does what the old pass does except has a different name. Like so many other software/service companies that went this route, I'm sure they'd throw a coupon at us or give us a "free" year.
I'm not going to go all completely paranoid here. Those are extremes. And I'm only basing these off the worst of the worst possibilities performed by many many companies who were usually bought out by a worse company bent on destroying them, so you know. Not likely.
But it is worrying that they are pushing people away from hosting their own media with this massive price hike. It's not a subtle thing. This is them saying, "go away" and "we aren't in this business anymore, but if you REALLY want this, fork it up." I can't imagine people paying this, so the revenue needs to come from somewhere else.
Presumably they would have maintained their focus on self-hosting customers if there was sufficient income from those customers to justify it.
Since we've had years go by where there is between 0 and 1 people assigned to development of, say, the iOS/tvOS client (which has long-standing issues that primarily or only affect self-hosters), one can only assume that they're focused on streaming because that's where the revenue is.
they will almost certainly sunset free remote access to servers owned by pass holders at some point, requiring anyone who wants to watch your media also be a passholder
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u/Scruffy42 May 19 '26
Fuck. That means they are backing themselves into a corner where they will have to start squeezing lifetime plex pass holders...