Plex starts paywalling streaming of your own content to increase revenue

Plex has announced that it will begin requiring a Remote Watch Pass or Plex Pass to stream remotely or in its Roku app. The company said that the update will also bring improved changes to the navigation that were previously released to the preview build of the Roku app. Remote Watch Pass is a new tier that Plex introduced on its Roku app and plans to roll out more widely in 2026.

The new requirements for remote streaming are coming to the Roku app now, and 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 next year.

Under the changes, Plex is giving customers two options to stream from personal media libraries on a remote network. The first option is for server owners to get any Plex Pass subscription. This ensures that all users accessing the Plex Media Server can stream remotely without an additional charge. Even if you don't run your own server, a Plex Pass subscription will allow you to stream remotely from any server that you have access to, and it gives you access to additional functionality like Skip Intro and Skip Credits.

The second option is to get the brand-new subscription, Remote Watch Pass. This subscription lets individual users remotely stream media from any personal media server to which they have access. This option is good for those who don't run their own server and want to stream from a server that belongs to someone else who does not have a Plex Pass. It is also touted as a good alternative for server owners who don't need the full feature offering of a Plex Pass. It will have an introductory price of $1.99/month or $19.99/year.

If you don't have either of these subscriptions yet, you can get one now with a 40% discount as part of the company's Black Friday sale until December 1, 2025. Just use the code ANYPASS40 or click this link.

If you are not happy with the direction that Plex has decided to take, there are always alternatives such as Emby and Jellyfin. For a more exhaustive list, check out the Plex page on Alternative.to for other options.