This isn't new, but it recently came to my attention that while you need a Plex Pass subscription to use the platform's remote streaming option, any friends or family you share remote access with can access your TV shows, movies, and other self-hosted media entirely for free.

This includes streaming from Android, iOS, Plex for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Roku, Smart TVs, the desktop web app, and more. Of course, for this to work, the host server account needs to be a Plex Pass subscriber, which costs $7/month, $70/year, or $250/lifetime.

It's important to note that some older Plex apps can circumvent this restriction, particularly on smart TVs, but eventually all versions of the self-hosted media platform will be updated to include this requirement (the Roku Plex app was updated in early 2026, for example). Plex initially made this announcement back in November 2025.

I was under the impression that a Plex Pass was required for the host and that all users you share your media library with also need a Remote Watch Pass ($2/month or $20/year), but recently when sharing my treasure trove of TV shows and movies with a friend who planned to stream from their iPad, I realized that isn't the case.

This is a key reason why many people have moved to Jellyfin

Remote streaming is entirely free with the open source app

While Plex is the most polished and streamlined self-hosted media app out there, the additional cost of a Plex Pass, which also adds other more advanced features like hardware transcoding, the ability to automatically skip content intro and credits, and live TV tuner compatibility, has resulted in many shifting over to Jellyfin.

Jellyfin isn't quite up to par with Plex in terms of polish and reliability, depending on the platform you're using (there are a lot of great third-party Jellyfin clients, including Reefy for the Apple TV 4K). However, with the help of a few plugins and a bit of extra work, you can get the open source platform pretty close.

Still, I'm personally pretty locked into Plex because it's the self-hosted media tool I find the easiest to use, and I'm at a point in my life where if an app is working for me, I typically stick with it. With all of that in mind, if you're on the fence about purchasing a Plex Pass — and I don't blame you, given how expensive it is — the fact that anyone you share your server with can access it remotely for free adds a bit more value to the subscription.