I’ve been using Plex for a month and find it pretty amazing (even if the UI kinda sucks, TheTVDB too), however when I want to use the app on my Android phone, I’m asked to buy the Plex Pass.
What makes mobile development make the app paid compared to all the others platforms ?
Part of the Google and Apple tax.
you can unlock the mobile apps for one time in-app payment.
the plex pass unlocks them for as long as the pass is active (but not after it expires).
do note, the mobile app unlock, and plex pass, are 2 different things.
Plex doesn’t have to pay anything to keep the app on the Play Store, it’s a one-time 20 bucks fee.
Even if they don’t want Google to tax the Plex Pass, why don’t they just upload the .apk somewhere else with no tax/fee ?
I suppose because there is value to the user in the mobile apps, that they can use without an ongoing plex pass, so they choose to put a one time fee in, to help with continued development costs.
It’s unlikely they are going to explain or attempt to justify it beyond that.
As they saying goes, it is what it is. :shrug:
keep in mind, that the non-mobile clients are all free
And it’s not like its a unique situation. There has to be 100’s of apps in general that are free to use on various OS or browser, but still paid for on mobile.
I think this is an outdated way of bringing cash to Plex, now that pretty much everyone have 1080p phones with beautiful colors.
In addition, as I said earlier, even tho the UI is globally very polished, the player itself feels very cheap.
(A more user friendly UI this would be a good start to fix this problem)
Mobile users generally aren’t as good with technology as the ones who use the PC version, they probably don’t understand whats mbps are, neither SRT subtitles.
About subtitles, we can’t even name them ! (Show names for audio tracks and subtitles)
Anyway, I think the Plex Pass features are cool, even if I probably won’t ever pay for it, but in my opinion making the mobile users pay no matter how they use the app is a bad idea.
See:
Are you proposing Plex should collect and sell your data to the highest bidder?
That’s how “free” usually works, doesn’t it?
“money (a premium) is charged for additional features”
Freemium is not the word you’re looking for, since the free version of Plex for Android doesn’t have any usable feature.
Are you telling me the Plex app for every other platform than mobile is collecting and selling our data to the highest bidder ? I should probably start looking for an alternative then… 
Let’s curb it down a notch.
You started with a serious question but now you’re getting seriously close to trolling.
To answer your question (as provocative as it might be phrased – but maybe that’s just me reading things into it):
You proposed that the business model of Plex which currently requires either a one-time activation or a Plex Pass membership to use the mobile clients is outdated.
My response referred to the overall business model:
Plex is a company and they try to earn money with their product. It’s up to them how the offer that (e.g. which parts to be free, which parts to require a payment). It’s up to us users to go with that model or to dislike it so much that we decide to leave the platform.
You being asked to pay for the use of the mobile client does not mean the money is solely allocated to the development of that client.
The same way, some of the apps being offered free of charge does not mean those are being paid for by selling your data.
They don’t seem to listen to their community, at least according to what I’m reading on this forum since a few weeks, and right now almost nobody can use Plex (even locally !) because of their servers being down.
Plex Pass is also far too expansive for what it offers in my opinion, something such as 2 bucks a month and 40 bucks for a lifetime license would be more suited.
I don’t care about the DVR and TV stuff, I don’t even think it even works outside of the US.
(a TON of stuff seems to be US only, such as their free movies thing, podcasts, etc.)
I just want a custom, clean and user-friendly media center.
If they fix their crappy player and some more things such as the subtitles, this would be the absolute perfect media center.
But right now, there’s absolutely no reason for me (and probably a ton of other people) to pay for the Plex Pass, I don’t think they’re focusing on the right things.
Well… that’s up to user perception and apparently my expectations / use cases don’t match yours. So we disagree on this.
As for stuff only working in the US – that’s not correct.
I just want a custom… media center
=Kodi
… and user-friendly media center
probably not Kodi.
I’m positive you’ll find what you’re looking for. No need to diminish other solutions.
If you’re too cheap to buy a Plex Pass, then pay the $7 to buy an activation license for your phone/tablet. I’ll bet you spend more than this amount drinking, partying, or buying your Starbucks coffee.
I bought a Plex Pass and am still happy with my decision. My kids can now use Plex on their portable devices for “free”, covered by my Plex Pass. One now has her own Plex account and spent the $5-$7 to get her portable devices activated. I’m getting plenty of value for what I paid, a one time purchase for Plex Pass and I’ve been using it for over a year (maybe 2 or 3, I can’t remember). Servers have only been down once, and since then Plex Media Server has been updated so it can work off-line. To me that’s “listening to their customers”. Roku units had trouble for a few months but now that’s ancient history. I had trouble with one of my three Roku units today, turns out it just needed a Roku software update because it had been unplugged for too long.
If you’re unhappy with the modest charge for Plex Pass, try writing your own app to replace Plex phone app, then you can give your work away for free! I won’t be holding my breath as I doubt you have the drive or skill to accomplish such a task, just lots of snark and attitude because someone isn’t willing to give you -all- of their work for free so your partying isn’t diminished or interrupted.
My kids are happy with Plex on their phone/tablets thanks to the Plex Pass I bought. I gave Roku units to all my kids, they’re happy with Plex, so am I. Value is even better now that Plex is offering Movies and TV from two different sources, paid for with commercials. I also setup LiveDVR which is making recording News every night and stripping commercials easy, painless, and automated. “WATCH TOGETHER” is a great response to Covid-19 isolation and Watch parties. Yeah I thought about this feature before it was announced, but didn’t say anything. Turns out, I didn’t have to, Plex was already on it.
And as near as I can tell, Plex privacy policy is also doing what I want, and I use https exclusively. I was given the option to turn most reporting off, and I have.
I don’t feel any need to complain. I’ve had a moment or two of frustration when things aren’t working right, but that passes quickly enough. Plex is responsive. Saying anything different is just ignorance, and/or a very unrealistic attitude.
Plex staff are obviously able to show more restraint than I have while responding to you.
Good luck writing your free Plex app so you can give it away to other ungrateful people who’ll complain that you wrote a piece of cr*p because it doesn’t work perfectly and operate -exactly- as they envisioned to take care of their every whim. And you can spend your midnight’s, and the rest of your life providing free updates, to make them happy with your app!
Well, just look at Jellyfin, it’s already really well made and will probably be a perfect replacement for Plex soon !
It just seems to me that Plex are wasting all their money, to add features (almost) nobody wants.
If I can, I will definitely help the development of Jellyfin because it’s open-source.
I’d be glad to spend a few midnights to improve this app. Something I can’t do with Plex at all.
I look forward to seeing all your copious software wisdom put to good use in the future. Do write back when you actually acquire an end user.
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