Plex Inc. is an American software and media streaming company. It runs its namesake ad-supported streaming television service and develops media server software that enables users to stream their personal media collections to their devices. Plex had 16 million streaming subscribers as of 2023. It is based in Campbell, California.
Plex began as a freeware hobby project in December 2007 when developer Elan Feingold created a media center application for his Mac by porting the media player XBMC (since renamed Kodi) to Mac OS X. Around the same time, Cayce Ullman and Scott Olechowski—software executives who had recently sold their previous company to Cisco—were also looking to port XBMC to Mac OS X, and noticed Feingold's progress in the XBMC online forums. They contacted him and offered support and funding, and they formed a three-person team in January 2008.
What is Plex?
Plex by Plex, Inc. is open-source Windows software in the servers & self-hosting category. It ranks 7th by popularity among servers & self-hosting in this catalogue. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux and macOS.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit Windows. The main installer is 187.5 MB. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.115.0, released on August 17, 2026. The version history goes back to September 14, 2021: 56 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 11 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 162,244 times. Wikipedia has an article about it in 10 of our languages. Similar programs include Universal Media Server, Caddy and Jellyfin Media Player.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 11 a year)
- Also runs on Linux and macOS
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Plex is an open-source servers & self-hosting tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Plex safe to download?
- The file is served by downloads.plex.tv, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
979971F001A45909AEEDA9BFA72125DC5EC8D3779250BC5A3DA4E9504513F193· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 56 versions ›56 versions over 5 years · about 11 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.115.0Latest | August 17, 2026 | 187.5 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.112.0 | December 1, 2025 | 188.6 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.110.0 | August 18, 2025 | 188.6 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.109.0 | May 14, 2025 | 188.5 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.92.1 | May 7, 2024 | 186.4 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.91.0 | April 17, 2024 | 186.4 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.88.1 | February 27, 2024 | 186.2 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.87.2 | February 16, 2024 | 186.1 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Plex.Plex -echoco install plex -yscoop install extras/plex-desktopPlex-1.115.0.426-4e960a1d-x86_64.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask plexflatpak install flathub tv.plex.PlexDesktopInformation
- Publisher
- Plex, Inc.
- Category
- Servers & self-hosting
- Licence
- Freemium AND GPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS
- Version
- 1.115.0
- Released
- August 17, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- September 14, 2021
- Versions listed
- 56
- Updates / year
- 11.4
- Chocolatey downloads
- 162,244
- Website
- plex.tv
- winget ID
- Plex.Plex
- Chocolatey package
- plex
- Scoop package
- extras/plex-desktop
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Plex
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Frequently asked questions
Is Plex free?
Yes. Plex is open-source software under the Freemium AND GPL-2.0 licence.
Is Plex safe to download?
The download comes from downloads.plex.tv, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Plex with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Plex be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Plex run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Plex?
The versions page lists all 56 versions with links to their official installer files, back to September 14, 2021.
What are alternatives to Plex?
Universal Media Server, Caddy, Jellyfin Media Player, Plezy and Papercut SMTP. The alternatives page compares them.
