Is Plex free? Yes - here's how to sign up for a free or paid account on the streaming and hosting platform

• Plex is an entertainment streaming service that hosts free TV and films and has media uploading and streaming capabilities.
• Plex is free, but the paid Plex Pass gets you advanced features like offline viewing, sharing controls, and discounts on other streaming services.

Plex is a server that allows you to host and stream digital content. The platform is particularly popular among media creators and digital media hoarders alike.

If you like Plex for its hosting abilities, you'll probably want to opt for its paid tier, which gives you more sovereignty over your server. However, casual media consumers can also get a lot of mileage out of Plex on its free tier alone.

Quick tip: You can start watching Plex as a guest - no account needed - or sign up for a free or paid tier at Plex.TV.

Here's what the differences are between the free and paid tiers and how to sign up.

What is in the free version of Plex

Plex also hosts a streaming service, including a partnership with Crackle, allowing you to watch ad-sponsored TV and movies. With a free Plex account, you'll have access to more than 100 free channels, which you can stream online at any time, and 20,000 on-demand TV and movie titles.

You can also connect your media to Plex and play it back for free on the Plex web platform. That includes photos and music, which Plex will automatically and intuitively sort and organize in a digital library collection upon upload. You can then access and share this media across devices.

For full access to mobile media playback, the Plex mobile app must be unlocked first with an in-app purchase. Mobile access also comes included with a Plex Pass subscription. Otherwise, you're limited to one-minute previews on mobile.

You can use your Facebook, Gmail, or Apple account to sign up for a free account if you'd rather not register directly with an email and password.

What to know about the premium tier Plex Pass

If you're running your own Plex server, rather than just invited to access another user's, the $4.99 a month Plex Pass might be the better option. With it, you can invite other Plex accounts to become a part of your Plex Home, allowing you to easily switch between accounts, as well as restrict what content you share from your server.

For a high-frequency media consumer, the Plex Pass also grants more flexibility than a free Plex account, including the ability to record and replay available live broadcasts with a compatible tuner and digital antenna. You also have offline access to media on your Plex server via Plex Pass for when you don't have internet access, like on a plane.

Quick tip: You can save money and go for a lifetime membership on the Plex platform at $119.99, or an annual membership for $39.99.

Once signed up and logged in, you can navigate to "Go Premium" under your account settings.

How Plex premium differs from free Plex accounts

If you're a media obsessive, Plex premium offers a toolbox of advanced features for growing and maintaining your media library.

• Media. You can sync your media - photos, and files - to a mobile device. There are also additional sharing controls, bandwidth, and per-stream caps, and video decoder and encoders for converting and streaming videos in HD and 4K to more devices more smoothly.
• TV & Movies. Skip intros to shows, watch movies in 4K on supported devices, and download titles to watch offline on the mobile app with the Plex Pass.
• Music. A Plex Pass will get you access to visualizers and loudness leveling for songs and podcasts, timed lyrics during audio play, and a discount on your Tidal subscription.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• The beginner's guide to streaming, including how it works, the pros and cons, and more

• What is a cloud application? Here's everything you need to know about the internet-based software

• What is a VPN? How a Virtual Private Network can help protect your privacy online

• What is Discord?: Everything you need to know about the popular group-chatting platform

• What is Google One? Everything you need to know about Google's paid storage service