# Varys for Plex vs PSLab

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PSLab at none against Varys for Plex's 4. PSLab also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Varys for Plex ships an update every 3 weeks, PSLab fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Varys for Plex | PSLab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tobias Fonfara](https://appshunter.io/developer/429395867) | [FOSSASIA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1788752366) |

## 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


### PSLab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pslab/id6740454978)

**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 PSLab free?

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

### Do Varys for Plex or PSLab have ads?

Neither Varys for Plex nor PSLab shows ads.

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

Varys for Plex ships an update every 3 weeks, and PSLab fortnightly. Most recently, Varys for Plex was updated on October 16, 2026 and PSLab on October 1, 2026.

---

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