Softwr

Entertainment · head to head

Plex vs Showtime

P

Plex

Entertainment

Cloud ERP for smart manufacturing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Showtime logo

Showtime

Entertainment

Signature entertainment and sports

From
$10.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Plex has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Plex plex restricts free remote streaming on certain platforms including Roku, with expansion to Android TV and Apple TV planned; Showtime showtime is now offered only as part of Paramount+'s Premium plan, per the App Store listing (Paramount+ by CBS Mobile)
  • They diverge on capability: Plex covers Financial management, Showtime covers Streaming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Plex and Showtime actually diverge.

Attributes where Plex and Showtime differ
AttributePlexShowtime
Starting priceFree$10.99/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsRoku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV, Xbox, PlayStation, iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, LinuxWeb, Ios, Android, Smart-tv
Founded20091983

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Entertainment).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Plex

  • Financial management
  • Manufacturing execution
  • Supply chain
  • Quality management
  • Analytics
  • IoT platforms
  • REST APIs
  • Webhooks

Only in Showtime

  • Streaming
  • Original series
  • Movies
  • Sports
  • Live events
  • Smart TVs
  • Streaming devices
  • Account security

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Plex

  • Industry 4.0not Showtime
  • Real-time monitoringnot Showtime
  • IoT integrationnot Showtime
  • Smart manufacturingnot Showtime

Showtime

  • Premium streamingnot Plex
  • Sports watchingnot Plex

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Plex

  • Plex restricts free remote streaming on certain platforms including Roku, with expansion to Android TV and Apple TV planned
  • Remote streaming quality degrades significantly if Plex cannot establish direct connection and falls back to relay mode
  • Upcoming sunsetting of plugins, Cloud Sync, and Watch Later features

Showtime

  • Showtime is now offered only as part of Paramount+'s Premium plan, per the App Store listing (Paramount+ by CBS Mobile)
  • Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current subscription period rather than immediately, with continued access through the paid period, per the App Store listing

Pricing, plan by plan

Plex

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Plex review.

Showtime

$10.99/month
  • Showtime Standalone$10.99/month
    • Original content
    • Ad-free

Which should you pick?

Choose Plex if

  • You need financial management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV, Xbox, PlayStation, iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want manufacturing execution.
Plex review

Choose Showtime if

  • You need streaming.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv.
  • You also want original series.
Showtime review

Questions people ask

Is Plex or Showtime better?
Neither clearly leads. Plex starts at Free and Showtime at $10.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Plex or Showtime?
Plex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Plex and $10.99/month for Showtime.
Does Plex or Showtime run on more platforms?
Plex runs on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV, Xbox, PlayStation, iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux. Showtime runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv.
Can I use Plex for free?
Yes. Plex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Showtime starts at $10.99/month.
What is Plex best used for?
Plex is most often used for industry 4.0, real-time monitoring, iot integration, smart manufacturing. Of those, industry 4.0 and real-time monitoring are not what Showtime is typically brought in for.
What can Plex do that Showtime cannot?
Plex covers Financial management, Manufacturing execution, Supply chain, Quality management. Showtime covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Sports. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Plex: Is Plex Media Server free?

Yes. Plex Media Server and the ad-supported streaming catalog are free. Plex Pass is an optional subscription at 6.99 USD per month or 69.99 USD per year that adds features like hardware transcoding and offline sync.

Source
Plex: Can I access Plex content offline?

Yes, but downloads have limitations. Downloaded content may have an expiration period and is specific to the device where downloaded. Downloads are not available on shared libraries in some cases.

Source
Plex: What devices does Plex support?

Plex apps are available on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV, Xbox, PlayStation, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, iOS, Android, and web browsers. Server software runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, NAS devices, and Docker.

Source
Plex: What is included in the free Plex catalog?

Plex's free ad-supported streaming catalog includes 14,000+ movies and shows from Lionsgate, MGM, Warner Bros, and Crackle Originals.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Plex

More on Showtime

Keep looking

Other head to heads