Pricing & Business Model

Norri uses a simple pricing model: the server is free, native apps are paid. This page explains why.

The Model

Native apps are available via subscription ($1.99/month, $19.99/year) or one-time lifetime purchase ($99.99). Prices shown in USD; local pricing varies by region and is handled by each app store.

Why Free Server?

We don’t believe in charging you to run software on your own hardware. The server runs on your NAS, your computer, your electricity bill. Paywalling features like hardware transcoding or remote access, things that use your resources, feels wrong.

Other media servers charge for:

• Hardware transcoding (uses your GPU)
• Remote streaming (uses your bandwidth)
• Multiple users (uses your CPU)
• Sync features (uses your storage)

These are all things running on equipment you own. We think that’s the wrong approach.

Why Paid Apps?

Native TV apps are different. They run on your Apple TV, Android TV, or Fire TV, but we build and maintain them. Quality apps that work properly with remote controls, have smooth animations, and integrate with platform features take serious effort.

The costs are real. Apple and Google take 15-30% of every sale. tvOS, Android TV, and Fire TV each need their own codebases. OS updates break things, new devices need support. And a TV app needs to feel as polished as anything else on your TV.

We want the Norri TV experience to feel native and responsive: smooth animations, intuitive remote navigation, and quick startup times.

Per-Ecosystem Pricing

You purchase once per ecosystem:

Apple ecosystem (via App Store)

• Covers iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac
• Family Sharing supported (up to 6 people)

Google ecosystem (via Play Store)

• Covers Android phone, tablet, Android TV

Fire TV (via Amazon Appstore)

• Separate purchase required
• Amazon uses different app store infrastructure

A household with both Apple TV and Android TV would need two purchases. This is a limitation of how app stores work. Apple and Google don’t share purchase information, so we can’t verify a Google Play purchase on an Apple device or vice versa.

The Web Client Alternative

If you don’t want to pay for native apps, the web client is fully featured and completely free. You can:

• Browse your entire library
• Play any media with full transcoding support
• Manage users, libraries, and settings
• Access remotely via browser
• Use on any device with a modern browser

The native apps are optional upgrades for the best TV experience, not requirements.

How We Compare

* Plex and Emby have free tiers but paywall significant features.

The bottom line

The server is free and will stay that way. No premium tiers, no artificial limits, no paywalled features. Everything the server can do, you can do. Your server works without us, you’ll never need a cloud account, and what you see in the pricing table above is what you pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Norri completely free?

Yes. The server and web client have all features with no limitations. Many users will never need native apps.

Why is Fire TV a separate purchase?

Amazon’s Appstore is separate from Google Play. This is a platform limitation, not our choice. If you already purchased on Google Play, you’d need a separate Amazon purchase for Fire TV.

What happens if I cancel my subscription?

You lose access to native apps. The server continues working, and you can use the web client on any device.

Do lifetime purchases really last forever?

Yes. A lifetime purchase gives you permanent access to that app on that ecosystem. No recurring fees, no expiration.

Why don’t you just make everything free like Jellyfin?

Jellyfin is a fantastic project with a dedicated volunteer community, and we have a lot of respect for what they’ve built. Our approach is different. We want to fund dedicated development for native TV apps, which requires sustainable revenue. Both models have their place; we’ve chosen the one that fits our goals.

Will you ever add premium server features?

No. We’ve committed to keeping all server features free. The line is clear: server = free, apps = paid.