How Much Do Netflix Subscription Tiers Cost in 2022?
In the United States, the cheapest way to subscribe to Netflix is by way of the Basic tier for $9.99 a month. This is the price you tend to see advertised most. The Basic tier includes a single screen, a single device you can download to, and access to Netflix’s full catalog. Unlike the entry tier of many other streaming services, Netflix’s Basic tier doesn’t include HD or 4K streaming. The next step up is the Standard plan, which will run your $15.49 a month. This plans ups your screens and download devices to 2 each, while this package allows you to stream in up to 1080p. The full Netflix library is also included in Standard, as it is in all of the Netflix plans. The most expensive Netflix plan is the Premium plan for $19.99 a month. This ups your screens and download devices to 4 each, while it’ll also let you stream content in up to 4K with HDR. This plan also has the same, standard Netflix library with no additional content as compared to the lower tiers. Netflix doesn’t have an annual plan, and Netflix is pretty clear that multiple screens on an account are for people you live with and not your friends or family, becoming increasingly strict about account sharing. There also aren’t any premium add-ons, outside of DVD service, that you can add to your Netflix subscription, like HBO or Showtime. Netflix also doesn’t offer a free trial, not in the U.S. in 2022 at least. There also isn’t currently an ad-supported plan, but this is likely coming soon, so if you want, you’ll likely soon be able to watch Netflix at a relatively low quality, with ads, for free.
How Do Netflix Subscription Prices Compare?
Netflix is definitely on the more expensive end of the streaming service spectrum. A site like Hulu already has an ad-supported plan, but there are also bundles with other services, premium add-ons you can add, and you get the highest quality streams with all packages, while packages are still cheaper. Netflix has fewer features, and it’s more expensive. However, Netflix does still have the largest catalog around, though it’s much less robust than it was years ago. The biggest draw Netflix has to justify its prices is its original content, which is second to none. Though, the expensive production cost of many originals is also why Netflix continuously raises its prices. Generally speaking, if you’re looking for the best deal on a streaming service, Netflix probably isn’t it, but chances are you don’t want to be left out of the conversation with all your friends about the latest original show, so Netflix remains a must-have in the streaming world, even if people now have the tendency to start and stop a subscription as new episodes of an original are released.
Will Netflix Keep Getting More Expensive?
Short answer? Yeah. It will. The problem is that Netflix got in early before streaming exploded in popularity, and when it did explode, Netflix got huge, which was great and terrible for the company. The problem is that as streaming becomes a success, media companies charge more for their content to appear on Netflix, and many see Netflix’s success and decide to start their own streaming services, taking their content with them. Ironically, streaming is an industry where the more successful it is and the more people that want these services, the worse the services actually are. Inevitably, we’re headed towards a world that looks exactly like the cable world streaming gave everyone an escape from. Original content is sort of a wrench in this equation, proving that if you can create really high-quality exclusive content for your site that that can be a major draw, but nobody really does this outside of Netflix. And why’s that? Well, generating a ton of high-quality content with big-name actors is really, really expensive. It’s also a fairly massive gamble, because sometimes you get Squid Game, and sometimes a new show or movie just totally flops and nobody watches it. Then, people quickly demand more of a show, which costs even more money, making it a fairly vicious cycle. This is why lately Netflix has been downsizing and cutting costs. Ultimately, the business model at play here doesn’t really scale into the long term, and in 2022, we’re starting to see the cracks. Undoubtedly, Netflix will continue to raise prices and lose stuff from its catalog, while focusing on original content, so don’t expect much to change.
