Are the best shows on Netflix worth the money? There are myriad of streaming services to choose from, including Hulu Plus, Sony’s VUE via PS4, Amazon Prime, Sling TV and more. But none are so affordable and as high in quality as Netflix. Which begs the question of how much does Netflix cost after the free trial?
Below, I’ve broken down what Netflix costs per month, both for their streaming and DVD service. Or, if you just need a place to watch your favorite movies, you might be interested in our guide to teach you how to get 10 digital movies for just $10 from Vudu.
Read: Hulu Plus vs Netflix
Netflix Price Options
| Basic | Standard | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $7.99 | $9.99 | $11.99 |
| HD |  |  | |
| Ultra HD | | | |
| Screens at the Same Time | 1 | 2 | 4 |
In a very simply answer, Netflix costs $7.99 a month for their streaming service. That will grant you access to a single stream and SD, or standard definition content.
So with that in mind, it’s most certainly worth upgrading to the next tier, which costs $9.99 a month. With that you’ll gain access to not only HD content (1080p) but the ability to streaming from two different device simultaneously. So suffice to say, the $2 more a month, or $24 a year more, is worth it.
Now, if that tier isn’t enough to satiate your family’s lust for streaming content, then you’ll want to bump yourself into the next tier. There you’ll pay $11.99 a month. For that monthly fee, or $143.88 a year, you’ll be able to stream Netflix content to 4 devices at the same time. But that’s not all. You’ll also gain access to Netflix’s Ultra HD content. Now to be fair, there isn’t much Ultra HD (aka 4K content) available as of right now. So don’t base your investment on this price tier alone.
Read: Amazon Prime Streaming Review
Of course, one of the benefits to Netflix’s streaming service, is that you can instantly access a wide variety of content. However, in that same vein its a caveat, as you, generally speaking, won’t have access to the latest movies and TV shows, unless of course Netflix strikes a deal with that distributor or studio. Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes top tier movies and TV shows appear in Netflix’s catalogue of 1000s of movies and TV shows. But if you really want the premium stuff, you’ll want to look at their DVD service.
How Much Does Netflix DVD Cost Per Month
| Basic | Standard | Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $4.99 | $7.99 | $11.99 |
| Discs Per Month | 2 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Discs Out at a Time | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Netflix’s mail order disc service, available in Blu-ray or DVD, ranges in cost from $4.99 to $11.99 a month. All price tiers arrive via USPS to your mailbox, include shipping and you can cancel any time. There are no late fees, which means you can hold onto a disc forever or return it the next day, provided you have a subscription with Netflix. For $4.99 a month you’ll receive up to 2 discs per month with 1 disc out at a time. At $7.99, Netflix’s “Standard” plan, you can order as many discs as you want per month with 1-disc out at a time. The last tier, “Premier”, is very much like standard, though it costs $11.99/month and you can have 2-discs out at a time.
I should note, that if you have plans to “game the system” and watch discs as soon as they arrive and return them the next day, Netflix will take measures to “throttle” you, and reduce the turn around time. Which is to say, you won’t receive discs as quickly. Moreover, as time goes on, the availability of timely “new releases” will increase, as Netflix sends those to new users to keep them happy during their initial on boarding period.
As mentioned in my introduction, there are a number of other services to consider. Nothing will beat the quality of Netflix’s DVD/Blu-ray service, though that will change in the near future as 4k streaming becomes more widely available. Some of those services include Hulu Plus, Sony’s VUE, HBO Now, Amazon Prime and a few others.
