# Varys for Plex vs Extel Lock

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Extel Lock at none against Varys for Plex's 4. Extel Lock also leads on iOS requirement (13 vs 17.0). Varys for Plex's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Varys for Plex sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Extel Lock asks for nothing beyond the download.

Varys for Plex ships an update every 3 weeks, Extel Lock every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Varys for Plex | Extel Lock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/varys-for-plex/id1450380518/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 89.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tobias Fonfara](https://appshunter.io/developer/429395867) | [COMPTOIR FRANCAIS DE L'INTERPHONE](https://appshunter.io/developer/957992855) |

## What reviewers say

### Varys for Plex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/varys-for-plex/id1450380518)

Monitor your Plex Media Server's activity and health. View current streams, running conversions, and detailed media information. Manage users, libraries, and server updates with advanced features available in the Pro version.

**Highlights:** Monitor current streams and conversions, View detailed media information, Manage users and libraries, Server update monitoring, Real-time server resource monitoring (Pro), Cross-linking to IMDb, TMDb, TVDb, Apple Watch app

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee Tall | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coffee Grande | $2.99 | one-time |
| Varys Pro | $3.99 | one-time |
| Coffee Venti | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient monitoring
- 👍 Clean and intuitive UI
- 🔒 Remote access without VPN
- 💡 Tautulli integration
- 👍 Comprehensive server stats

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Restore purchase issue
- 🔒 Limited functionality without Plex Pass
- 🐛 Incorrect audio channel detection
- 🐛 Unreliable notifications

**Reported bugs**

- Restore purchase window keeps appearing
- Connectivity issues when not on local network
- Incorrect audio channel detection

**Requested features**

- GPU usage monitoring
- DVR recording status
- Ability to manage users and devices
- Ability to edit metadata
- Ability to rate watched content


### Extel Lock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/extel-lock/id6738235741)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Varys for Plex free?

Varys for Plex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Extel Lock free?

Extel Lock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Varys for Plex or Extel Lock have ads?

Neither Varys for Plex nor Extel Lock shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Varys for Plex or Extel Lock?

Varys for Plex ships an update every 3 weeks, and Extel Lock every 10 months. Most recently, Varys for Plex was updated on October 24, 2026 and Extel Lock on October 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*