The ultra-competitive subscription streaming market has gained traction over pay-TV by providing a content-rich alternative at a far lower cost to viewers.
But streaming prices have been rising sharply, a marked contrast to the days when Disney+ had no ads and cost just seven bucks a month. A recent report by research firm Antenna found that prices for both ad-free services and those with ads have risen on average more than 20% since 2023.
Apple TV+, whose monthly price has doubled since it launched in 2019, might have been tacitly acknowledging the trend when it made the service free for the first weekend in January in a global promotion.
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The surge in streaming has tracked inflation across the broader economy, which has seen the cost of groceries, gas and many other items climb at rates not seen in decades. It can be difficult to keep track of the going rates for the different streaming services – and doing so is even more complex now that most are offering both ad-free and ad-supported tiers. Netflix’s Standard (ad-free) tier just jumped to $17.99 a month from $15.49, becoming the priciest major outlet, followed by Max‘s ad-free level at $16.99, followed by Disney+ at $15.99. (Netflix and Max also offer ultra-premium plans north of $20.) Most services have yearly subscription prices versus month-to-month, which can shave a few dollars off the price for those willing to commit for a longer period up front. Then there are bundles like one combining Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, or add-on options like Apple’s recently launched offering with Prime Video.
Internet-based packages like YouTube TV initially also promised a cable-like experience at a much lower cost. But YouTube just hiked its basic plan by $10, bringing its base-level subscription to $82.99. January’s bump followed an $8 increase in March 2023. The new price for YouTube TV monthly now matches that of Disney’s Hulu + Live TV package.
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For a rundown of the various subscription rates across the major streaming players, including prices for tiers with and without ads, read on.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ now costs $9.99 per month, after a step-up from $6.99 monthly in October 2023. The streamer’s monthly subscription price has doubled since it first hit the market on November 1, 2019, at $4.99. That was at the low end of the streaming spectrum at the time, and reflected the service’s lack of library programming and status as a tech pure-play disconnected from any traditional network or movie studio.
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The streamer offered a week of free watching Jan. 4-5 ahead of the year so that viewers could check out its catalog, which contains shows like the Adam Scott-starring Severance, Season 2 of which arrived Jan. 17.
The streamer then, in spring following the Severance finale and conclusion in March, offered new and returning subscribers a $2.99 per month deal for the first 3 months of a subscription, followed by $9.99 per month.
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Disney+
With ads, a subscription to Disney+ costs $9.99 monthly. The no-ad tier costs $15.99 per month, or $159.99 annually. It costs $6.99 to add another member to Disney+ who is not within the same household, and it costs $9.99 for an additional Disney+ premium member.
Disney+/Hulu Bundles
- Disney+ and Hulu have a Basic Bundle for $10.00 per month with ads for both streamers.
- Hulu and Disney+ have a Duo Premium Bundle costing $19.99 monthly with no ads on either platform.
- The Trio Basic bundle subscription, which includes Disney+ with ads, Hulu with ads and ESPN+ with ads costs $16.99 per month.
- The Legacy Bundle includes Disney+ without ads), Hulu with ads and ESPN+ with ads for $21.99 per month.
- The Trio Premium subscription — which includes Disney+ with no ads, Hulu with no ads and ESPN+ with ads — costs $26.99 per month.
- In July 2024, Disney+, Hulu and Max rolled out their bundle deal, which costs $16.99 per month with ads and $29.99 without.
- Hulu without ads + Live TV, Disney+ with no ads and ESPN+ with ads costs $95.99 per month. Live TV is like a cable add-on to streaming, and it comes in handy for watching sporting events.
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Hulu
On its own, Hulu with ads costs $9.99 monthly or $99.99 per year. Ad-free Hulu costs $18.99 per month.
Hulu also has live TV plans that accompany the bundles with Disney+ mentioned above. For $82.99 a month, Hulu + Live TV includes the Trio Basic bundle at no extra cost.
As of the new year, Disney has elected to combine Hulu + Live TV with Fubo, becoming the majority owner of the resulting merged company. This deal will settle all litigation between Fubo, Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery over the Venu Sports streaming joint venture, which was set for a hearing in New York the day the deal was made.
Max – extra for sports, 3 – Ultra 4K
Warner Bros. Discovery’s merged streaming service with HBO Max dropped HBO from its name in 2023. With ads, the streaming service costs $9.99 monthly, or $99.99 yearly.
The ad-free tier of Max costs $16.99 per month. The more premium subscriptions were raised over the summer by $1 over previous levels. There is a yearly ad-free plan, which increased by $20 to $169.99 per , and the monthly “ultimate” ad-free plan, which includes extra logins in a household and select titles in 4K UHD with HDR10 or Dolby Vision, increased by $1 to $20.99 per month. The yearly “ultimate” ad-free plan went up by $10 to $209.99.
In April 2025, Warner Bros. introduced a $7.99 per month “extra member add-on” profile for each account with its flagship streamer Max to curb password sharing.
Netflix – U.S. plans
Netflix set the tone for many of the streamers as one of the first in the game when it added streaming in 2007 as an add-on to its DVD-by-mail business. The standard plan without ads costs more than double what it did in 2011, with the company openly nudging customers toward the cheaper plan with ads by keeping those prices to less than half of the ad-free level.
- Standard with Ads: $7.99
- Standard: $17.99
- Premium: $24.99
The streamer is known for tentpoles like Squid Game, Stranger Things, Emily in Paris, Bridgerton, Outer Banks, Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, Arrested Development, and more. It has recently added a lot of live sports and events, including WWE Raw and NFL games.
Paramount+
Paramount+ has two main plans from which to choose. The Paramount+ Essential plan, which includes commercial interruptions, costs $7.99 per month and $59.99 per year. The latest price hike took place in August 2024.
Paramount+ with Showtime costs $12.99 per month and $119.99 per year.
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Peacock
Times have changed in the four-plus years since Peacock launched with an initial focus on its free, ad-supported basic tier. That plan was phased out by Year 2 and NBCUniversal went all-in on subscriptions. The Peacock Premium plan costs $7.99 per month, or $79.99 per year plus tax.
A small amount of programming on the streamer contains ads. The price went up $2 in April 2024.
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Peacock’s Premium Plus tier costs an extra $6 a month or $60 per year ($13.99 and $139.99) and is largely ad-free, though live sports and other programming does have ads. It also offers downloads as well as geo-targeted local station streaming.
Prime Video
Prime Video’s subscription price is $8.99 per month without an Amazon Prime membership. Being a Prime member costs $14.99 monthly, or $139 annually, though the benefits go far beyond video and encompass free shipping, Whole Foods discounts and other perks. Students pay $7.49 monthly for Amazon Prime, or $69 yearly.
Comcast’s StreamSaver Bundle
In May 2024, Comcast launched a bundle that offers Xfinity broadband customers Apple TV+, Netflix’s ad-based tier and Peacock for $15 a month.
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Add-On Channels
Within the siloed streamers offering various content — sometimes exclusive and sometimes not — various platforms have made it possible to add channels from other streamers for an additional price. Roku, Apple TV and YouTube have channel stores, and cable operator Spectrum plans to integrate streaming services into its offerings. Other examples can be found below.
Apple has recently struck a deal with Prime Video in the U.S. and other territories. Amazon launched Apple TV+ as a premium add-on to Prime Video, charging $9.99 per month in addition to a Prime Video subscription for the streamer’s other content. After launching in October within the U.S., the add-on rolled out on Prime Video in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.
The add-on subscription will cost $11.40 per month in the UK and $12.99 in Australia and Canada. With the subscription, Amazon customers will have access to all of Apple’s scripted content, as well as Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball games.
Paramount+ is also an add-on with Prime Video.
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