Netflix increases prices again amid ongoing stream-flation trend

Netflix embraces the trend of rising streaming prices.

The streaming leader recently upped its costs for its three subscriptions, shortly after a previous price increase a year ago.

Netflix's standard no-ads plan now costs $19.99 monthly, rising from $17.99, while the premium 4K plan saw a $2 bump to $26.99 a month. The ad-supported option went up by a dollar to $8.99 each month.

Although Netflix users may grumble about the rising costs, many other major services have also been gradually increasing their prices.

Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, and Apple TV+ each bumped their prices last year after Netflix's January 2025 increase.

Disney has boosted the cost of its main streaming service every year for the past four years.

Hollywood is working to extract more revenue from every streaming client to boost or reach financial success. Nonetheless, indicators suggest that consumers are fed up with rising stream prices.

Free streaming platforms such as YouTube have gained traction in recent times, increasing their viewership share on US screens, as recorded by Nielsen.

Higher expenses might be pushing some people toward free streaming alternatives, spanning from the Roku Channel to Fox’s Tubi.

The positive news for Netflix is, it remains an appealing deal for viewers even after the latest price adjustments.

Netflix's ad option is less costly than similar choices from Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, and Peacock (it matches the rate of Paramount+ and Amazon's standalone Prime Video).

Additionally, Netflix offers a much larger selection than most competitors and is viewed more often than others.

This makes Netflix a top value in terms of hours watched, according to UBS analysts from the previous year.

Still, the new rise in prices won't silence the critics who claimed Netflix's unsuccessful attempt to acquire WBD indicated the platform was running low on opportunities for organic user expansion.