When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Streaming subscription price increases continue to roll out across several top services, and Netflix is the latest to announce a change. The streaming giant just announced a price hike, bringing the cost of its Standard ad-free plan up to $18/month in the US.
The price change announced on January 21, 2025, impacts all Netflix plans. The new prices are listed on Netflix's sign-up website and will hit existing subscribers on their next billing cycle. The cheapest ad-supported tier now costs $8/month, and the Premium tier now costs $25/month.
This puts Netflix's ad-supported tier, previously one of the cheapest options in the streaming game, on par with base ad-supported Peacock and Paramount Plus plans, which are also $8/month. The Premium tier remains the most expensive streaming subscription out there, outside of specific live TV streaming services, which are cable alternatives that offer a large selection of live channels packaged together.
Fortunately, there are a few great Netflix alternatives, which we've broken down below, whether you're looking for something to replace Netflix's live sports options or you're keen for something that rivals the streamer's original series. We've also recommended the best overall Netflix alternative, which will give you ad-free access to two top streaming services for under $20. Many of the streaming services we've recommended have savings opportunities, which you can read about in our guide to the best streaming deals and bundles.
Disney Plus + Hulu bundle
The Disney Plus and Hulu bundle, formally known as the Disney Bundle Duo, is one of the best streaming deals out there. The two services have risen to the top of the streaming pack since their respective launches, and the ad-free bundle costs $20/month, only $2 more than Netflix's ad-free option.
Hulu alone is one of the best Netflix alternatives, bolstered by its substantial catalog of FOX and ABC series (Grey's Anatomy, 9-1-1) and original, Emmy Award-winning programming (Shōgun, The Bear). Disney Plus helps round out some of its family programming with the full collection of Pixar films and nearly every piece of Marvel and Star Wars content.
Disney Plus bundles are generally some of the hottest deals out there, and you can also add on a Max or ESPN Plus subscription with the Disney Plus Trio or Max bundle. It's worth noting that Disney properties, including the Hulu and Disney Plus bundles, saw a price hike in October 2024, so we're thinking that we won't need to worry about subscription increases for at least a little while.
If you're planning to get Disney+ and Hulu ad-free, you'll find some savings by bundling the two together for $20 a month.
ESPN Plus
Live events have become a recent and noteworthy part of Netflix's content slate, with sports front and center. The streaming service hosted the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match and both Christmas Day NFL games this past year (the latter of which featured a half-time show from Beyoncé) and has additional forays into WWE and the FIFA Women's World Cup planned.
Sports fans can find similar offerings in ESPN Plus, which carries select sporting events from the ESPN family of channels. The streaming service is not a direct live stream of the ESPN channel (you'll need a live TV streaming package for that), but it offers select live NFL games (like Monday Night Football), select NHL games, and lots of college football and basketball games. Plus, ESPN Plus is the live streaming home of UFC (subscriptions are necessary, as is an additional pay-per-view fee for the main card). You can even watch all of the Australian Open on the app right now.
Due to its variety of live sports content, we consider ESPN Plus one of the best sports streaming services. The streaming service has one $12 monthly plan, which also saw a recent price hike in October 2024.
ESPN Plus is designed for sports, giving subscribers access to live MLB, NHL, NFL, soccer, golf, and UFC fights. You can pay $12 monthly or go for an annual deal, which saves you about $20 a year. There's also a bundle with Hulu and Disney Plus, which offers an even better discount.
Peacock
Once upon a time, Hulu had most shows the morning after they aired on TV, and Netflix carried the full past seasons of pretty much all popular TV shows. Things started to spread out a bit more around 2019 and 2020, and one of the most notable US Netflix losses came when The Office left the service.
If you miss streaming Michael Scott and the folks at Dunder Mifflin (and other classic NBC sitcoms), Peacock might be the way to go. At $8/month, the streaming service has one of the cheapest ad-supported base plans out there. All subscriptions can access classic NBC shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation. The app also grants access to Bravo franchises like The Real Housewives and select live sports. Plus, the streamer usually exclusively gets recent Universal Pictures releases before they head to the others.
Upgrade to Peacock's Premium Plus tier for $14/month to unlock ad-free on-demand streaming. This option also allows you to live stream NBC. Peacock prices last increased in July 2024 ahead of the streaming service's Olympics coverage.
Peacock is a convenient streaming source for hit NBC TV shows, Universal movies, and select sports like Sunday Night Football. The service also carries its own slate of original programming.
Apple TV Plus
It's no secret that Netflix has good original shows and movies. This has been the case since the streaming service launched series like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards more than a decade ago. We even dubbed Netflix the best for originals in our 2025 guide to the best streaming services.
Apple TV Plus' best (accidentally) kept secret is its stellar original TV programming, which often flies under the radar despite generally positive reviews. Ted Lasso, For All Mankind, Shrinking, Bad Sisters, and Silo are just a few of the critically acclaimed and/or award-winning series to hit Apple over the past few years. The streaming service has carved out a particular niche in the sci-fi space, bringing both adaptations like Foundation and originals like Severance to the screen.
The Apple streaming service also rivals Netflix's ability to get big-name movie stars in its TV shows, with Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Reese Witherspoon, and Jennifer Anniston at the helm of some of their most popular productions. Subscriptions cost $10/month (after a seven-day free trial), and the last price hike came back in October 2023.
Apple TV Plus has a limited lineup, but it's less expensive than other ad-free services and offers a growing selection of critically acclaimed series you can't stream anywhere else.
Philo
At its start, a key part of Netflix's streaming service was about discovering new shows and movies, often just by scrolling and trying something out. For those who are tired of trying new on-demand streaming services and just want to go back to browsing the TV guide (without breaking the bank), it might be worth giving Philo a try.
For just $3 more than Netflix's most expensive tier, you can get Philo, one of the cheapest live TV streaming channel packages out there. The service offers 70+ live channels for just $28/month. The app is entertainment-focused and includes popular channels like AMC, the Paramount Network, MTV, Nickelodeon, and the Hallmark Channel. This means you can catch new episodes of Yellowstone and RuPaul's Drag Race, in addition to tons of popular movies. Plus, the app has an unlimited DVR and solid on-demand selection, so subscribers can watch content at a time that works for them.
Users can try the service out for free for seven days. There's just one paid Philo tier to choose from, and it also comes with a built-in AMC Plus subscription. This unlocks the on-demand selection that would normally come with the AMC Plus app, meaning that you can watch the full back-catalog of shows like Interview with the Vampire or Mad Men.
If you want your streaming service to cost less per month than a single trip for the family to Starbucks, Philo is made with you in mind. It features over 70 channels for just $28 a month, but it is missing popular sports and local networks.
