With so many streaming service options available, it is important to ensure you're getting the best one to suit your needs. Here is how to check if you’re actually getting value for money from your online streaming services.
Netflix has announced it will be increasing its subscription prices by 17%, another price hike for UK households on top of the already skyrocketing cost of living.Ìý
But with so many online streaming services on the market, would you be better off elsewhere? To find out, our experts have put together a handy guide to help you see if the service you’re using truly offers value for money. Here’s how Netflix’s mid-level subscription prices will stack up against rival services:
Netflix | £10.99 |
Amazon Prime Video | £7.99* |
Now TV | £9.99* |
Disney Plus | £7.99* |
Apple TV+ | £4.99* |
BritBox | £5.99 |
Notes: We’ve compared the monthly cost of Netflix’s Standard subscription plan with the following products: Amazon Prime Video (£7.99 per month if paid for monthly as part of Amazon Prime), Apple TV+ (£4.99 per month or one year free if you buy a qualifying Apple device), Disney Plus (£7.99 if paid for monthly), Now TV (Entertainment membership: £9.99 per month) and BritBox (Standard membership: £5.99 per month)
Subscriptions to streaming services in the UK have continued to rise in the past year, with Ofcom reporting that almost half of Brits (49%) now consider streaming services their main way of watching TV and film.
The experts at money.co.uk have crunched the numbers to work out the average cost per hour of content watched on each of the most popular streaming services.
We took the average amount of time per week spent on watching online streaming services, which **, and then crunched the numbers to calculate how much each streaming service costs to watch per hour of content.
So how does Netflix compare to its rivals using this measure?
Netflix: 34p an hour
Amazon Prime Video: 25p an hourÌý
Now TV: 31p an hourÌý
Disney Plus: 25p an hourÌý
Apple TV Plus: 15p an hourÌý
BritBox: 18p an hourÌý
It’s worth bearing in mind that each service offers something slightly different. For example, if you want to watch any Star Wars movies you’ll have to subscribe to Disney Plus, as they are the only streaming platform that offers this content.
Meanwhile, Now TV offers a range of different streaming packages called TV Passes. While the Kids TV Pass is the cheapest at £3.99 per month (after a seven-day free trial), the Entertainment Pass, which offers hundreds of box sets and thousands of movies, is £9.99 per month.Ìý
While Apple TV Plus offers the lowest cost per hour viewed, it has a very limited number of available TV shows and movies. As one of the newest players on the streaming market, Apple TV is looking to increase their original offering over time.
For a strong all-rounder, Netflix could still be a worthwhile pick with a basic package costing only £6.99 per month, although you’ll be limited to watching on one device in standard definition.Ìý
Price £10.99 a month, £6.99 for basic (new prices)Ìý
Catalogue size: Over 5,000 movies and more than 2,000 TV shows
Price: £7.99 a month
Catalogue size: Over 1,300 movies and more than 500 TV shows
Price: £7.99 a month with an Amazon Prime membership
Catalogue size: Thousands of movies and TV shows, with even more on the way, but many require extra money to watch
Price: £4.99 a month or free for three months with a new iPhone, iPad, Mac computer or Apple TV
Catalogue size: More than 60 TV shows and 25 movies, with more launching every month
Price: £9.99 a month, £9.99 for Now TV Sky Cinema
Catalogue size: More than 350 TV shows. Over 1,000 movies with Now TV Sky Cinema
Price: £5.99 a month
If you are looking to subscribe to a new streaming service, you may want to consider using a credit card to pay for your subscription. Take a look and compare credit cards to find the option that is best for your financial circumstances.
Find the best credit card for you, whether you're looking for 0% card for balance transfers or purchases or day to day spending and rewards