This was always going to be the fate of Plex. You can’t build a sustainable business off the back of most of your users viewing pirated content.

I say that without judgement, it’s just a reality. Open source was always going to be the path.

I'd argue that raising a bunch of venture capital is what stopped them from being able to be a sustainable business.

I paid for Plex for a long time but I no longer use it because I got fed up of fighting it. (I now use Jellyfin + Tailscale instead.) I think the problem with Plex is they aren't happy with what they are: a service for people viewing their own (yes, pirated) media library. They always wanted to be something more. Netflix envy.

But all anyone I know ever wanted Plex to do was handle their media library, perhaps offer a paid tunnelling system but otherwise get out of the way.

I’ve always figured recurring costs require recurring revenue.

That killer remote user connection brokering can’t be free, right?

Weirdest downvote I've seen. This isn't like, painfully obvious to everyone?

Maybe I'm old, but it feels like everyone has a little too much "business-brain."