Updated February 2026 · 8 min read
Netflix has raised prices 7 times since 2014, and 2025’s increase pushed the Premium plan to $24.99/month — nearly $300 per year. If you’re wondering whether it’s time to downgrade, rotate, or cancel entirely, here’s everything you need to know.
Note: Netflix eliminated the Basic plan ($11.99/mo, no ads) in 2024. If you were on Basic, you were auto-migrated to Standard with Ads or Standard.
That’s a 100% price increase on Standard in 11 years ($8.99 → $17.99). Premium doubled too ($11.99 → $24.99). Meanwhile, Netflix’s content budget has shrunk from its peak, and the library is smaller than it was in 2018.
Required for anyone outside your household
Only plan with 4K/HDR — you're paying $84/yr extra for resolution
No downloads, limited catalog, 4-5 min of ads per hour
Extra members must verify location monthly
Ask yourself these three questions:
Netflix saves your profile and viewing history for 10 months. You can resubscribe anytime and pick up where you left off — no commitment, no penalty.
For the full step-by-step with screenshots, see our complete Netflix cancellation guide.
✅ 50,000+ titles, no account needed
⚠️ Ads, no originals
✅ Live TV channels + on-demand
⚠️ Ads, older content
✅ Huge library, included with Prime
⚠️ Interface is messy
✅ Best original quality, 4K included
⚠️ Small library
✅ HBO originals, Warner Bros movies
⚠️ Price creeping up
✅ Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, kids content
⚠️ Limited adult content
Instead of paying for Netflix year-round ($216-300/yr), subscribe in 2-3 month bursts when new shows drop:
At 3 months of Netflix per year, you’d spend $54-75 instead of $216-300. Read our full guide on streaming rotation.
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Netflix Standard with Ads costs $7.99/month, Standard costs $17.99/month, and Premium costs $24.99/month. The Basic plan was eliminated in 2024.
Netflix has raised US prices 7 times since 2014. The Standard plan went from $8.99 in 2014 to $17.99 in 2025 — a 100% increase in 11 years.
The Premium plan ($24.99/mo, $300/yr) is only worth it if you need 4 simultaneous streams and 4K quality. Most households are better off with Standard ($17.99) — you get 2 streams and 1080p, saving $84/year.
Go to netflix.com → Account → Cancel Membership. You keep access until the end of your billing period. Netflix saves your profile for 10 months in case you want to come back.
For price: Tubi and Pluto TV are free. Amazon Prime Video ($8.99/mo) has a huge library. For quality originals: Apple TV+ ($9.99/mo) or Max ($9.99/mo with ads). For sports: YouTube TV ($72.99/mo) or ESPN+ via Disney Bundle.
Netflix at $18-25/month isn’t outrageous for heavy viewers, but it’s become a luxury streaming service. If you’re paying for Premium and barely watching, that’s $300/year you could redirect. At minimum, audit whether you’re on the right plan — downgrading from Premium to Standard saves $84/year with almost no difference in experience for most people.
And Netflix is probably just one of many subscriptions quietly draining your account. The average person has 12 active subscriptions — most don’t realize it until they scan their bank statement.
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