Everything Plex charges for, free.
Plex puts 28 of its 32 features behind a Plex Pass or Remote Watch Pass. On Kinonode the only thing you ever pay for is watching away from home, and one $5 plan covers everyone you share with. Kinonode is new, so here's exactly where each feature stands today.
| Feature | Kinonode | Plex |
|---|---|---|
| Stream to any device on your home network | Free | Free |
| Stream from anywhere in the world | $5/month Remote plan$5/month on the server covers everyone you share with | Remote Watch Pass or Plex Pass |
| Personal media collections | Coming soon, free | Free |
| Add tags and edit metadata | Coming soon, free | Free |
| Voice control for playback | Coming soon, freeWith the phone and TV apps | Free |
| Skip intro and credits | Coming soon, free | Remote Watch Pass or Plex Pass |
| Autoplay with “are you still watching?” protection | Coming soon, free | Remote Watch Pass or Plex Pass |
| Rewind a little when resuming after a pause | Coming soon, free | Remote Watch Pass or Plex Pass |
| Download media to watch offline | Coming soon, freeWith the phone and tablet apps | Plex Pass |
| No ads in your library | FreeKinonode never shows ads or rented content | Plex Pass |
| Feature | Kinonode | Plex |
|---|---|---|
| Share libraries with other people | FreeBy username, email or invite link, library by library | Plex Pass |
| People you share with can stream remotely without paying | $5/month Remote planYour one Remote plan covers them | Plex Pass |
| Customize sharing restrictions | FreePer-library access, link expiry and use limits, approve each person | Plex Pass |
| Secure, encrypted remote connection | FreeEvery connection through Kinonode is encrypted, no router setup | Plex Pass |
| Play SDR and HDR in true color | FreeHDR plays untouched on screens that support it | Plex Pass |
| Hardware transcoding to stream to more devices at once | Coming soon, freeToday Kinonode plays the original file | Plex Pass |
| Optimize files for smooth, buffer-free streaming | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Artwork, summaries and cast details | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Video playlists | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Managed accounts for your household | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Parental controls | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Bandwidth and per-stream limits | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Server dashboard and activity monitor | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Multiple cuts of the same film | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Record live TV from an antenna (DVR) | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Feature | Kinonode | Plex |
|---|---|---|
| Trailers before your film | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Color themes | Coming soon, freeEvery theme free for everyone | Plex Pass |
| Shareable watchlist link | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Webhooks for automation | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Early access to new features | FreeEvery new feature ships to everyone | Plex Pass |
| Feature | Kinonode | Plex |
|---|---|---|
| Music libraries and a dedicated music player | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
| Advanced music player features | Coming soon, free | Plex Pass |
One plan, for the whole server.
With Plex, the server owner buys Plex Pass, or each person you share with buys their own Remote Watch Pass. With Kinonode, the owner pays once and everyone is covered.
| Kinonode | Plex | |
|---|---|---|
| Server, apps and every at-home feature | Free | Free for the basicsMost server features need Plex Pass |
| Watching away from home | $5/monthPaid by the owner, covers everyone you share with | $2.99/month per personRemote Watch Pass, or $29.99/year |
| Everything unlocked | $5/monthThere is nothing else to buy | $6.99/month Plex Passor $69.99/year, or $249.99 lifetime |
| Cloud-hosted server | From $8/monthComing soon. Priced by storage, up to 2 TB, remote streaming included. | Not offered |
Plex features are taken from plex.tv/plans in October 2026, leaving out Plex's partner promotions. Plex prices are as reported for June 2026 (Android Authority). Check plex.tv for current details. “Coming soon” features are planned and not yet available. Plex, Plex Pass and Plexamp are trademarks of Plex, Inc. Kinonode is not affiliated with Plex.
Bring your library over.
Point Kinonode at the folders Plex already uses and run both side by side while you decide.