Plex Storage Calculator
Enter your media library, movies, TV shows, music, and instantly see how much storage you need, including RAID overhead and a growth buffer. No guessing.
Quality
What quality will most of your media be?
Your Library
Add your media collection below.
Growth Projection
Libraries always grow. Plan ahead.
Concurrent Streams
How many people watch at once?
Single HDD is sufficient for your streaming needs
RAID / Redundancy
RAID reduces usable space. Select your setup.
Your Results
Current Library
9.4 TB
raw size today
Projected (2yr)
14.7 TB
at 25% annual growth
Recommended Capacity
19.1 TB
with buffer + RAID
System Recommendation
Setup Type
DAS or 2-Bay NAS
Drive Configuration
2× 16 TB drives (32 TB raw)
Suggested minimum: 20 TB drive ($250–$320)
Storage Breakdown
How the Calculator Works
The calculator multiplies your item counts by average file sizes for your chosen quality tier, 1080p (~10 GB/movie), 4K HDR (~60 GB/movie), or 4K REMUX (~80 GB/movie). TV shows use per-episode sizes multiplied by seasons and episodes per season.
Your selected growth buffer (we recommend 50%) is then applied, followed by RAID efficiency to determine how much raw capacity you need to provision. The result is the minimum drive size you should purchase, we recommend rounding up to the next available size.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much storage for 500 movies on Plex?
~5 TB for 1080p, ~30 TB for 4K. Add 50% for growth.
How big is a 4K movie file?
40–80 GB compressed, 60–100 GB for REMUX (Blu-ray quality).
Does RAID reduce usable storage?
Yes, RAID 1 = 50%, RAID 5 (4-drive) = 75%. The calculator handles this.
How fast do Plex libraries grow?
Most users 2–3x their initial estimate within two years. Always buffer.