Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, YouTube Premium, and every other major service compared. Prices are up. Way up. Here's the full breakdown.
Track Your Subscriptions Free →Streaming was supposed to be cheaper than cable. In 2016, a household covering the major services spent about $25/month. In 2026, that same coverage costs roughly $87/month. That's a 248% increase in a decade, far outpacing inflation.
The spring of 2026 brought another wave of price hikes. Netflix raised its Standard ad-free plan to $19.99/month in March. YouTube Premium jumped to $15.99 for individuals and $26.99 for families in April. Spotify increased its individual plan to $12.99 and family to $21.99 in May. These increases follow similar hikes from Disney+, Max, and Hulu in late 2025.
The era of cheap streaming is over. Every major platform has either raised prices, introduced ad-supported tiers at the old price, or both. The question for consumers is no longer "which service should I choose?" but "how many can I afford?"
Here's what every major video streaming service costs in the US as of May 2026:
| Service | Ad-Supported | Standard (Ad-Free) | Premium (4K) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | $8.99/mo | $19.99/mo | $26.99/mo |
| Disney+ | $9.99/mo | $15.99/mo | $22.99/mo |
| Hulu | $9.99/mo | $18.99/mo | — |
| Max | $10.99/mo | $16.99/mo | $21.99/mo |
| Apple TV+ | — | $9.99/mo | — |
| Amazon Prime Video | Included with Prime ($14.99/mo) | +$4.99/mo (Ultra) | Included in Ultra |
| Peacock | $7.99/mo (Select) / $10.99 (Premium) | $16.99/mo (Premium Plus) | — |
| Paramount+ | $7.99/mo (Essential) | $12.99/mo | — |
The ad-free gap is widening. Netflix's ad-supported tier costs $8.99 while the ad-free Standard costs $19.99. That's an $11/month difference, or $132/year, for roughly 4 minutes of ads per hour. For most households watching under 3 hours per day, the ad tier is the rational choice.
| Service | Individual | Family | Student |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | $12.99/mo | $21.99/mo (6 members) | $5.99/mo |
| Apple Music | $11.99/mo | $17.99/mo (6 members) | $5.99/mo |
| YouTube Music | $11.99/mo | $18.99/mo (6 members) | $5.99/mo |
| Amazon Music Unlimited | $11.99/mo | $16.99/mo (6 members) | $5.99/mo |
| Tidal | $10.99/mo | $16.99/mo (6 members) | $5.99/mo |
Music streaming prices remained stable for years but started climbing in 2024-2026. Spotify's individual plan went from $9.99 in 2023 to $12.99 in 2026, a 30% increase in three years. The family plan went from $15.99 to $21.99, a 37.5% increase. Despite these hikes, Spotify added 293 million paying subscribers and reported record revenue of €4.5 billion in Q1 2026.
YouTube Premium became significantly more expensive in 2026, and the increase hit hard because so many people use YouTube daily.
Individual: $15.99/mo ↑ from $13.99
Family: $26.99/mo ↑ from $22.99
Student: $8.99/mo
Premium Lite: $8.99/mo (ads removed, no background play or YouTube Music)
The value case for YouTube Premium is strongest if you use it as both your video platform and your music service. YouTube Music is included in the full plan, which means you can cancel a separate Spotify or Apple Music subscription and effectively get ad-free YouTube for a few dollars more than music alone. If you watch 2+ hours daily on mobile, background play alone justifies the cost.
Here's how much the most popular services have increased since 2020:
| Service | 2020 Price | 2026 Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix Standard | $13.99/mo | $19.99/mo | +43% |
| Disney+ (Ad-Free) | $6.99/mo | $15.99/mo | +129% |
| Hulu (Ad-Free) | $11.99/mo | $18.99/mo | +58% |
| Max (HBO) | $14.99/mo | $16.99/mo | +13% |
| Spotify Individual | $9.99/mo | $12.99/mo | +30% |
| YouTube Premium | $11.99/mo | $15.99/mo | +33% |
| Apple TV+ | $4.99/mo | $9.99/mo | +100% |
| Amazon Prime | $12.99/mo | $14.99/mo | +15% |
Disney+ had the largest percentage increase at 129% for the ad-free tier, going from a $6.99 launch price to $15.99 in just six years. Apple TV+ doubled from $4.99 to $9.99. Netflix had the largest absolute dollar increase at $6/month for Standard.
A typical American household in 2026 subscribes to 3-5 video services, 1-2 music services, and a handful of other digital subscriptions. Here's what that looks like:
| Category | Services | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video Streaming | Netflix + Disney+ + Hulu + Max | $71.96 | $863.52 |
| Music | Spotify Family | $21.99 | $263.88 |
| Video+Music Bundle | YouTube Premium Family | $26.99 | $323.88 |
| Shopping/Shipping | Amazon Prime + Costco | $22.41 | $269.00 |
| Cloud/Storage | iCloud+ + Google One | $12.98 | $155.76 |
| Typical Total | $156.33 | $1,876.04 |
Add AI tools (ChatGPT Plus at $20/month), gaming (Xbox Game Pass at $20.99/month), or news subscriptions, and a typical household can easily exceed $2,400/year in digital subscriptions. That's more than many people spend on electricity.
Prices are up across the board, but you have more strategies available than ever:
1. Switch to ad-supported tiers. The savings are substantial in 2026. Netflix saves you $11/month ($132/year). Disney+ saves $6/month. Hulu saves $9/month. If you watch under 2 hours per day, the 4 minutes of ads per hour is a fair trade.
2. Use family plans aggressively. Spotify Family at $21.99 for 6 members means $3.67 per person. YouTube Premium Family at $26.99 for 6 is $4.50 per person. Apple Music Family at $17.99 for 6 is $3.00 per person.
3. Rotate services monthly. Instead of keeping Netflix, Disney+, and Max active all year, subscribe to one per month. Watch what you want, then switch. Three services at $16/month each, one at a time, costs $16/month instead of $48/month. Annual savings: $384.
4. Choose annual billing for keepers. Services you maintain year-round typically offer 15-20% discounts for annual billing. Disney+ Premium is $159.90/year vs $191.88 monthly (save $31.98). Amazon Prime is $139/year vs $179.88 monthly (save $40.88).
5. Cancel what you don't use. The 90-day rule: if you haven't opened a streaming app in 90 days, cancel it. You can always resubscribe when there's a show you want to watch. C+R Research found that Americans spend an average of $32/month on subscriptions they've forgotten about.
Bundles can reduce per-service costs, but only if you'd actually use all the services included:
| Bundle | Includes | Price | Savings vs Separate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disney+ / Hulu Duo Basic | Disney+ with Ads + Hulu with Ads | $12.99/mo | ~$7/mo saved |
| Disney+ / Hulu / Max Bundle | All three with Ads | $16.99/mo | ~$14/mo saved |
| Amazon Prime | Prime Video + Music + Shipping | $14.99/mo | Multi-service value |
| YouTube Premium | Ad-free YouTube + YouTube Music | $15.99/mo | Replaces separate music sub |
The Disney+/Hulu/Max bundle at $16.99/month is arguably the best value in streaming. You get three major services for less than Netflix Standard alone. The trade-off is ads, but at that price difference, most households come out ahead.
The average American household spends $273 per month on all subscriptions combined, with streaming services accounting for roughly $55-90 of that total. A typical household with Netflix, one music service, and one or two additional video services pays $45-65/month on streaming alone, or $540-780/year.
Netflix Premium (4K) at $26.99/month is the most expensive single streaming video service in 2026. YouTube Premium Family at $26.99/month matches it, but covers 6 people. Among music services, Spotify Family at $21.99/month is the most expensive.
Streaming prices have increased dramatically. Netflix Standard went from $13.99 in 2020 to $19.99 in 2026, a 43% increase. Disney+ went from $6.99 at launch to $11.99 (with ads) or $18.99 (ad-free). A household covering the same services as 2020 now pays roughly 248% more for video streaming alone, according to Reviews.org data.
In 2026, ad-supported plans offer significant savings. Netflix Standard with Ads costs $8.99 vs $19.99 ad-free, saving $132/year for roughly 4 minutes of ads per hour. For households watching under 3 hours per day, ad tiers are the rational default choice.
Five strategies: 1) Switch to ad-supported tiers (save $60-144/year per service). 2) Use family plans and split with household members (save 50-60%). 3) Rotate services: subscribe to one per month instead of all simultaneously. 4) Choose annual billing for services you keep year-round (save 15-20%). 5) Cancel services you haven't used in 90 days and re-subscribe only when there's content you want to watch.