What do Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and other streaming services cost now?

Key Takeaways

Keeping up with all the latest shows is challenging due to the high number of streaming services available.
Rises in pricing for streaming services have made it difficult for many to subscribe to multiple platforms.
Each streaming service offers unique content and highlights, so it’s essential to choose wisely to get the most value.

“What do you mean you haven’t watched it? It’s like the best show out right now!” If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of remarks like that, it’s because you haven’t watched a specific show that is at the top of the zeitgeist right now (at least according to your friend.) This is totally understandable, as there are so many different shows to watch seeing as content comes out fast and furiously each and every day. Whether you’ve missed the first two seasons of The Bear, the newest episode of of House of the Dragon, all seasons of Stranger Things, or the first two seasons of Reacher, you’re not alone. There are plenty of people that aren’t subscribed to different streaming services for one reason or another.

One of those main reasons is because it’s hard to be subscribed to all of them and keep up with each when you have other things going on. Not many people have the time to be able to watch everything they want to. But another factor might also be the rising cost of all the streaming services. Each streaming service has seen major pricing hikes in recent months, and it can be quite a lot for your wallet. Couple that with the people who also pay for cable, and it’s an even bigger chunk of change.

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If you’re struggling trying to keep up with every show that you want to watch, even if it is just to be able to share in conversations with, you likely need to understand which streaming services will give you the most use. Here is a breakdown of the pricing for all the streaming services, which have seen hikes recently, and what is available on each.

Max

Ad-free costs more

BoliviaInteligente / Unsplash / Pocket-lint

Max

Subscription with ads: $9.99 per month or $100 annually
Premium Subscription: starts at $16.99 or $150 annually
Simultaneous streams: 2
# of profiles: 5
Originals: yes
Live TV: yes, just live sporting events
Free trial: No
Ad plans: $9.99 per month or $100 annually

Originally known as HBO Max but now dubbed Max by Warner Bros. Discovery, this streaming service houses the DC Extended Universe, HBO’s massive catalog, and live sports through Turner Sports. In addition, the service includes content from other networks like Food Network, HGTV, TBS, TNT, and more. Of course, there is also a vast library of films as well as plenty of content for children.

Max recently increased its prices in 2024, raising plans of ad-free subscriptions up from $15.99 to $16.99 per month. The Ultimate ad-free plan, which includes 4K content, also rose from $19.99 to $20.99 per month. This price hike will be included in the next billing cycle following July 4, 2024. The yearly plans also went up in price, as the ad-free plan was $149.99 and is now $169.99 and the Ultimate ad-free plan rose from $199.99 to $200.99.

With ad-free plans, you are able to stream on two devices at once and have up to 30 downloads to watch on the go as well as watch in Full HD 1080p. The Ultimate ad-free plan lets you stream on four devices at once and lets you download up to 100 pieces of content to watch on the go while giving you content in 4K UHD, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and HDR 10 on select titles.

The subscription with ads, which remains $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, lets you watch on two devices at once and offers Full HD 1080p resolution but doesn’t include any downloads.

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Peacock

A minimal increase also went into effect

Peacock

Subscription with ads: $5.99
Premium Subscription: $11.99
Simultaneous streams: 3
# of profiles: 6
Originals: Yes
Live TV: Yes
Free trial: No

The streamer with all of your favorite NBC hit series and shows like Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, and The Office also features your reality TV fix with Bravo shows and live sports. Peacock is also the streaming home for the 2024 Paris Olympics as well as Sunday Night Football. It also has series like Top Chef, Summer House, the Real Housewives franchises and more. There are also originals like Love Island USA, Apples Never Fall, The Traitors, and Ted, as well as a huge collection of movies available to stream. Peacock also frequently gets movies that were recently in theaters, such as Monkey Man, Lisa Frankenstein, Night Swim, and Migration.

In April, it was announced that the ad-supported Premium plans were increased by $2, from $5.99 to $7.99 per month. The Premium Plus plan, which does not have ads, also jumped in price from $11.99 to $13.99 per month. The annual plans also raised in price to $79.99 per year for Premium and $139.99 for Premium Plus. New customers will see these price hikes starting July 18, 2024 while current subscribers will see their prices change on August 17, 2024.

If you sign up right now, you’ll be able to enjoy two months at $5.99 per month or $11.99 per month before having to jump to the new prices. The Premium plan includes live sporting events, Peacock’s library of shows, movies, and originals, and over 50 always-on channels. The Premium Plus plan will get you everything in Premium plus no ads, the ability to download and watch titles on the go, and your local NBC channel live all the time.

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Prime Video

Those ads popped up this year

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Amazon Prime Video

Simultaneous streams: 3
# of profiles: 6
Originals: Yes
Live TV: Limited (some add-on channels offer live TV)
Price: $8.99 per month by itself or $14.99 per month as a part of Prime
Free trial: 30 days (to Amazon Prime)
Ad plans: No

Prime Video has been the home of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Invincible, The Boys, and more. Currently,you can purchase a Prime Video ad-supported standalone subscription for $8.99 per month. However, the larger Amazon Prime service, which includes free 2-day shipping, costs $14.99 per month, or $139 per year. Students are eligible to get an Amazon Prime Student subscription for only $7.99 per month or $69 per year.

If you’d rather an ad-free experience, an Amazon Prime subscription will cost you $17.98 per month for the bundled service, or $11.98 per month for just video access. Whichever subscription you choose gives you the ability to stream from three devices at once and make up to six accounts. The content is the same, no matter which subscription you have.

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Hulu

Bundles aplenty

Hulu

Subscription with ads: $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually
Premium Subscription: $14.99 per month (will increase to $17.99 starting 12 Oct.)
Simultaneous streams: 2
# of profiles: 7
Originals: Yes
Live TV: Yes

Hulu is known for its ability to help users cut the cord on cable by offering Hulu + Live TV as well as bundles with Hulu and Disney+. In October 2023, Hulu raised its prices for subscriptions to the streaming service, raising the monthly ad-free plan to $17.99 rather than $14.99. The Hulu with ads subscription plan stayed the same at $7.99 per month. You also get a free month if you choose that plan.

There are many bundles you can choose from with Hulu to save. You can opt for the Hulu + Live TV bundle, which gives you three free days and then charges you $79.99 per month for Hulu with ads, 95 channels of live TV, Disney+ with ads, and ESPN+ with ads. If you don’t want the Live TV aspect of the bundle, you can get Hulu and Disney+ for $9.99 per month for the ad-supported versions of those, the trio of Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ for $14.99 per month for ad-supported or a premium version without ads of those three for $24.99.

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You can have seven profiles under a Hulu account and can stream from two devices at once. Subscribers can enjoy access to Hulu Originals or FX Originals like The Bear, Under the Bridge, Love Island, Only Murders in the Building, The Handmaid’s Tale, and others. Hulu has a particularly large selection of horror films in its catalog as well as plenty of Fox’s broadcast content like the 911 franchise, New Girl, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, and other favorites.

Disney+

Hand in hand with Hulu

Disney+

Subscription with ads: $7.99
Premium Subscription: $13.99
Simultaneous streams: 4
# of profiles: 7
Originals: Yes
Live TV: No

Disney+ has extensively expanded its library over the past few years to include a variety of shows and films ranging from ones you’d expect to be on a Disney platform and others that you won’t (looking at you, Saw franchise.) The last Disney+ price hike came at the same time as Hulu’s latest in October 2023. That’s because the price hikes were to the individual packages, as the companies are aiming to have you bundle their services. Disney+’s Basic subscription stayed the same at $7.99 per month while the ad-free Disney+ Premium package rose from $10.99 per month to $13.99. The annual price also rose to $139.99.

Both subscription plans allow you to stream on four devices at once. The basic package includes ad-supported programming, supports up to 5.1 audio, and delivers video in up to 4K UHD and HDR. The premium subscription includes ad-free programming, up to Dolby Atmos sound and 4K UHD and HDR content, as well as the ability to download up to 10 shows to watch on the go.

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Disney+ has Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which has been one of the biggest movies of the 2023, as well as the massive catalog of Disney and Pixar films and series. It also has the Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universes and plenty of child-friendly programming like Bluey.

Apple TV+

Two price hikes within a year

Apple TV+

Price: $9.99 per month
Free trial: 7 day free trial and 3 months free if you buy an Apple device
Simultaneous streams: 6
# of profiles: 6
Originals: Yes
Live TV:: Limited (There are live sports and some add-on channels offer live TV)
Ads: No
Ad plans: No

Apple TV+ has become the Emmy- and Oscar-award winning platform of note, much to Netflix’s chagrin. But the price hikes were met with the chagrin of consumers, as the streamer increased payments two times in a year span. The price went from $4.99 per month to $6.99 in October 2022 and then from $6.99 to $9.99 monthly in October 2023. Apple TV+ is still the only subscription service to not offer an ad-supported plan, so there’s just one price for a subscription plan.

There are multiple ways to get a subscription plan with Apple, and you can get free trials of the platform multiple ways before committing to it. But once you are paying for the subscription, it is $9.99 per month. You can enjoy up to six simultaneous streams at once and there are up to six profiles available per subscription.

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Apple TV+ is the home of acclaimed series like Ted Lasso, Severance, Hijack, The Morning Show, and Shrinking. These are all Apple TV+ Originals, which encompass movies and TV series, along with See, Foundation, Platonic, The Dynasty, Constellation, Ghosted, and more. Coda is an Apple TV+ Original film and won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Apple TV+ also offers live sports such as Friday Night Baseball and you can subscribe to the MLS package to watch all the soccer you want for an additional fee.

Paramount+

Two plans to pick from

Paramount+

Subscription with ads: $5.99
Premium Subscription: $11.99
Simultaneous streams: 3
# of profiles: 6
Originals: Yes
Live TV: Yes, but limited number of channels

Paramount+ offers you channels from the previous Viacom group, which includes Comedy Central, CBS, MTV, and more. The most recent price hike for this streaming service was announced in February 2023, as it increased both of its subscription prices. The first jump went from $9.99 per month for the Paramount+ with Showtime subscription from $11.99 per month. The base Paramount+ essential plan went from $4.99 to $5.99 per month.

The newest pricing went into effect on July 27, 2023. It did away with the four subscription packages that it previously offered, as it bundled Showtime with its more premium package. The previous option either gave ad-supported programming, ad-free programming, ad-supported programming with Showtime, or ad-free programming with Showtime for four different price points. With the Essential plan, you get ad-supported programming but aren’t able to download shows to devices. The Paramount+ with Showtime gives you Showtime, your local live CBS station, no ads, and the ability to download shows.

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Paramount+ is the home of the NFL on CBS, which is available on both subscription plans. You’ll also get Big Ten football on CBS and other CBS hits like Survivor, Fire Country, NCIS, and more. Paramount+ Originals include Evil, Mayor of Kingstown, Criminal Minds: Evolution, Knuckles, 1883, and Halo. There is also a large library of on-demand series and movies.

Netflix

Many plans to choose from

Netflix/Pocket-Lint

Netflix

Subscription with ads: $6.99
Premium Subscription: $15.49 or $22.99 options
Simultaneous streams: 2-4
# of profiles: 5
Originals: Yes
Live TV: No
Free trial: No

Netflix is seen as the head honcho of the streaming services by some, as it helped revolutionize the idea of a strictly paid digital service for watching content. Netflix hasn’t raised its prices much over the past few years since it unveiled the $6.99 per month subscription with ads. But many expect a price hike to come in 2024, based on the company’s decision to no longer share subscriber data.

Netflix’s subscription options vary drastically in price and the company is one of few that doesn’t allow yearly subscription packages. You can choose a $6.99 per month standard with ads subscription, a standard subscription which costs $15.99 per month, and a premium subscription which will cost you $22.99 per month. You’re also able to add extra users for $7.99 each per month.

Netflix is the home of original shows like Bridgerton, The Night Agent, Never Have I Ever, Sweet Tooth, Baby Reindeer, and more. There are also hit movies that come straight to Netflix each month, such as Hit Man, Unfrosted, Damsel, Atlas, Rebel Moon, and more.