Get the Most Out of Your Streaming Subscriptions Tips for Sharing Accounts and Saving Money

11 tips to save on the cost of your subscriptions

Amazon Prime customers will have to pay an extra 2.99 per month if they want to stream without adverts from 5 February.

Amazon announced its plans last year, following in the footsteps of Netflix and Disney.

With a new year having just begun, now could be the perfect opportunity to go through your subscriptions to see if you're making the most of them, or if any could be cut.

Here, Which? rounds up the latest price changes on subscriptions and offers tips to save money on your favourite services.

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Which subscriptions have gone up?

Netflix

Netflix increased the price of its premium and basic plans in October 2023. This means the Basic plan (which is not available to new customers) costs 7.99 a month a 1 increase. Its premium plan is 2 more than before, at 17.99 a month.

The cost of both standard plans remains the same, with standard with adverts costing 4.99 a month and standard without adverts costing 10.99 a month.

Netflix previously increased prices in May 2022 and began to crack down on sharing passwords. However, you can pay 4.99 a month extra on a Standard and Premium plan to add a user from outside your household.

Amazon Prime

Currently, the subscription, which includes added benefits such as free one-day delivery, costs 8.99 a month or 95 a year. From 5 February 2024, films and TV shows will include adverts. A new ad-free option will be launched, costing an additional 2.99 a month.

Disney+

In November, existing subscribers automatically moved to its new 'premium' plan, which costs 10.99 a month or 109.99 a year.

If you want to pay less you can move to one of its two new cheaper plans, which are both limited to two devices at any one time. There's 'standard with ads', at 4.99 a month, or 'standard' at 7.99 a month or 79.90 a year.

Spotify

The price of its Premium, Duo and Family plans went up by 1 in August 2023. This means Premium now costs 10.99, Duo is 14.99 and Family is 17.99 a month.

The student package remains unchanged at 5.99. It last raised prices in April 2021.

Pret a Manger

The coffee shop chain announced it would be upping the price of its coffee subscription by 5 in April 2023, to 30 a month. The relaunched offer, called Club Pret, gives subscribers 10% off freshly made food and snacks. You can currently get your first month with a 50% discount.

When the coffee subscription first launched in September 2020, it was priced at 20 a month.

Now

Sky's on-demand streaming service streamlined its plans which led to price cuts and the merging of some passes in June 2021. However, adverts appeared for customers using Entertainment and Cinema passes unless they paid for Boost.

Now increased the price of its monthly Boost to 6, and the price of its Sports Monthly membership to 34.99 in March 2023.

The entertainment package and cinema package both cost 9.99 a month, but there are often deals for limited periods. For example, new customers can currently get the cinema and entertainment package for 13.99 a month for six months, a monthly saving of 4.

Top tips to save on subscription costs

From sharing plans to joining a library, we've rounded up 11 ways to save money on the cost of subscriptions.

1) Share your subscriptions

Sharing your streaming subscriptions within your household is one of the quickest ways to save money. Most services have plans you can switch to that could help you save, without losing personalised features.

Spotify for example offers a Premium Duo plan for 14.99 a month, perfect for two people in the same household, saving 83.88 a year versus the price of two individual subscriptions.

For larger households, there is the Premium Family plan for 17.99 a month, which allows up to six users to get premium benefits, saving a whopping 575.40 a year over six individual subscriptions.

You can also share your Amazon Prime benefits with another person in your household, halving the cost of having two separate accounts.

2) Select the annual option

If you love a streaming site and know you won't want to cancel it, then you could save by buying the membership in one go, rather than paying monthly.

For example, Amazon Prime costs 8.99 a month or 95 for the year a saving of 12.88.

3) Rotate monthly subscriptions

Do you really need to pay for all the TV and film subscriptions you enjoy at the same time?

Netflix, Now, Amazon Prime and Disney+ will allow you to cancel monthly subscriptions at any point with no exit fee, so if you can plan what you want to watch you could alternate to save.

For example, if you subscribed to both Amazon Prime and Netflix (Standard) at a monthly rate, you would pay 239.76 a year in total.

However, if you alternated months you would pay just 119.88 a year (six months of Amazon at 8.99 and six months of Netflix at 10.99).

4) Do your research and compare prices

If you know you want to watch something specific, do your research to find out which platforms actually have it and shop around for the cheapest one to watch it on.

Free app JustWatch pinpoints where you can find television shows and films. It also compares the best price for streaming what you fancy watching.

For example, Line of Duty and Peaky Blinders are available on Netflix and BBC iPlayer. The cheapest Netflix subscription is 4.99 a month, but if you already have a TV licence, BBC iPlayer is free.

5) Downgrade your plan

You could save by switching to a cheaper plan.

For example, Netflix has three different plans for new customers: Standard with adverts (4.99), Standard (10.99) and Premium (17.99)

If you're willing to put up with adverts (which is a bit like watching live television), then you could save 72 a year compared to the Standard package.

Amazon Prime also offers a basic membership called Prime Video for 5.99 a month. It doesn't include other benefits such as free premium delivery, but it's worth it if you only want to stream shows. It would save you 36 a year.

6) Calculate if it's really worth the money

If you're only using your subscription a handful of times a month it's probably not worth it.

For example, the Pret coffee subscription costs 30 a month. This allows you to have five hot drinks a day (but you can only redeem one every 30 minutes).

A regular-sized latte in Pret cost 3.50, so if you get three a week it would cost 42 a month. That's a saving of 12.

However, if black filter coffee is your drink of choice, then it may be worth just buying them individually. A black coffee costs1.70and would cost 20.40 a month if you had three a week, so you would be 9.60 worse off if you had the Pret subscription.

7) Make the most of free trials

Some services will give you a free trial before you have to pay.

Music streaming services, Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited and YouTube Premium all currently give new users a one-month free trial.

This means you can listen to music for five months before paying a penny.

However, remember to note the date the trial ends or set an alert so you avoid accidentally paying for the next month. Or just cancel as soon as you sign up if the subscription allows.

If you've recently bought an Apple device, you should get three months of free Apple TV. You'll have 90 days to redeem the offer.

8) Cancel what you don't use

If you have multiple bank accounts and different bills going out from each of them, you could lose track of the subscriptions you are signed up for.

Snoop and Emma are two apps that can help you get an overview of all your accounts in one place.

Once you have an overview of your finances it should be easy to spot subscriptions you no longer need or want.

Some banking apps also have features that make it easier to stay on top of bills. Starling Bank for example offers Bills Manager which allows you to set aside money each month just for your bills so you ensure you don't fall short.

9) Use free alternatives

You can use All 4, ITVX and My 5 for free(as long as you are not using them to watch live television).

For free music, BBC Sounds allows you to listen to live radio and has loads of podcasts and playlists all completely free of charge, it even has a workout anthems playlist which is perfect for the gym.

If you fancy free e-books, magazines and newspapers, join your local library.

10) Check for bundles

Most mobile providers offer free extras with your contract which could give you access to your favourite streaming site for up to two years.

Some bank accounts with a monthly fee may also offer the choice of a subscription. For example, all Club Lloyds accounts come with the option to pick one lifestyle benefit a year and at the moment this includes a 12-month Disney+ subscription -you might even get paid to switch.

It's important to make sure any new phone contract or bank account is right for you before taking it out, and make sure you shop around for the best deal.

11) Use cashback offers

You can earn money back on monthly and annual payments if you choose to make them with a cashback credit card. Just remember to pay back what you owe each month to avoid cashback gains being wiped out by interest charges.

It's also worth checking your credit card or debit card provider's app to see if it offers any specific cashback deals on a service you want.

You might also be able to get cashback on purchases using sites such as Quidco or TopCashback.

Get help with the rising cost of living

We know households are struggling right now with the rising cost of living.

Which? is dedicated to offering tips and advice on how to cut the cost of your household bills, essentials and make the most of your money.

Have you successfully used our tips to help save or make money? We'd love to hear from you. Get in touch at [email protected].

*Pret a Manger prices are taken from its Putney branch on 14 September 2023.

This article was first published in March 2022 and has been updated several times since. The last update was on 4 January 2024.

10 Things You Can Do to Save Money on Streaming

The streaming service market is crowded. With multiple subscriptions to pay for and rising prices, it's becoming expensive to watch TV on cable or as a cord-cutter.

You can trim your monthly expenses without totally eliminating your streaming service budget.

Use these tips to save money while streaming the TV shows and films you want.

Nearly every major streaming service upped their monthly price within the past year, and Netflix and Disney Plus even added new cheaper, ad-supported plans to their offerings. The cost of watching TV is rising -- whether you have cable or stream exclusively. Paying for subscriptions to services like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus or YouTube TV can make it seem like you're spending as much as you were for cable alone, if not more.

Luckily, there are ways to reduce your streaming costs that don't involve making many sacrifices. Need to watch shows like Succession or Queen Charlotte? You can. Would you rather keep live TV? We've got your back. Continue reading for some suggestions on stretching your streaming budget.

Read more:Best Streaming Service Deals on Hulu, Disney Plus, Peacock and More

1. Figure out which services you can cancel

Here's a simple money-saving tip: Drop one of your streaming services. Just identify the one you're using the least and cut it loose. For example, if you signed up for Apple TV Plus last year but have already exhausted its handful of decent original shows, there's no point in keeping your subscription. It may save you only $7 monthly, but it's a start. And remember: You can always resubscribe when there's a new season of Severance.

2. Plan your binges

What's great about Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and the like is that you can cancel your subscription anytime and resume whenever it suits you -- like when a favorite show comes back. Many series go a year or more between seasons, so you can take that time off and pocket the savings. (That's one reason I don't recommend subscribing for a year at a time, even if there's a discount for doing so. You'll almost certainly save more if you subscribe on a monthly basis.)

For serious savings, work out a rotation schedule. Instead of subscribing to multiple services simultaneously, you could choose just one, catch up on all your favorite shows there, then cancel and move on to another service. For example: Netflix in July, Hulu in August, Disney Plus in September.

Need more help? Learn how to churn your subscriptions like a pro. And check out the apps that help you track your favorite shows.

3. Ditch live TV (or use an antenna)

YouTube TV costs a jaw-dropping $73 every month. Hulu Plus Live TV: $70. Even a "budget" service like Sling will set you back $40, minimum. If you're currently paying for a live-TV streaming service, it's time to give serious consideration to giving it up.

Think about it: How much live TV do you really watch? You can catch NFL games on Paramount Plus or Prime Video and if you're a news junkie, a free service can fill in the gaps. Plenty of services including Pluto, ABC News Live and CBSN stream live news for free. If nothing else, consider a cheaper alternative like Philo, which offers over 60 channels for a more palatable $25 a month.

Finally, consider deploying an antenna (remember those?) to pull down local TV stations. You won't be able to record -- not without additional hardware -- but at least the airwaves are free. Here are thebest indoor TV antennas for 2023 (starting at only $20!).

4. Take advantage of free trials

With the exception of Netflix, nearly every major streaming service offers a free trial, meaning if you plan your viewing wisely, you might be able to binge a series or two without paying a dime. Just make sure to mark your calendar with a cancellation reminder, or you'll start getting billed after your trial expires.

5. Choose basic, nonpremium subscriptions

Nobody likes watching commercials, but if it means saving money, maybe you take one for the wallet. Paramount Plus, for example, costs $10 monthly for ad-free viewing, but just $5 if you're willing to endure commercial breaks. And opting for Hulu's ad-supported tier would save you $7 every month. Use that commercial time like we did in the old days: Grab a snack, hit the bathroom, fold your laundry.

While you're weighing the commercial question, ask yourself if you really need the ultradeluxe streaming plan -- specifically Netflix Premium, which is the only way to get 4K streaming on that service. (It also allows for four simultaneous streams instead of just two.) You're paying an extra $4.50 monthly above its standard plan for that privilege, and here's a secret: 4K is utterly pointless if you watch mostly on a phone or tablet. And even on a big TV, standard-plan HD streaming looks amazing. But its ad-based plan only costs $7 a month, which is one dollar less than Disney Plus' ad-supported plan. Commercials may not be so bad after all.

Not convinced? Here's how to find out if it's really worth it to pay extra to nix commercials.

6. Share subscriptions with friends and family

Different streaming services have different policies when it comes to password-sharing -- but those policies can be vague and difficult to enforce. Maybe I pay for Disney Plus and Uncle Abe pays for HBO Max, and we share our respective accounts. That's a real-world way to save money, right? Yes, but you should definitely take note of how streaming services like Netflix are cracking down on password sharing.

7. Check out free streaming services

Ever seen The Lego Movie 2? The sequel to the charming animated flick is free to stream right now on Tubi. The riveting sci-fi thriller Ex Machina? Free to stream on Kanopy. Love The Rock? Watch the first season of Young Rock on Freevee.

The point is there are lots of free streaming services out there, and many of them are home to some pretty good TV and movies. Yes, you'll have to sit through commercials on most of them (library-supported Hoopla and Kanopy are the exceptions), but otherwise, there's zero cost. You can even get your fill of free livestreaming news.

Here's a roundup of the best free movie streaming services and a similar batch of the best free TV streaming services. You should also check out ReelGood's compendium of movies and TV shows on free services.

8. Get a cord-cutter credit card

Lots of credit cards give you cash back for various purchases, but a handful offer streaming-specific benefits as well. For example, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express delivers 6% cash back on most streaming services, including Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video. If you're paying, say, $40 monthly for various services, you'd save nearly $29 annually. That's not enough to recoup the $95 annual fee for the card, but the card's other cash-back perks might help with that.

Meanwhile, certain Chase cards offer rewards on select streaming providers, and among them are Hulu, Netflix and Sling. See if your current card has any streaming offers. If not, it might be worth switching to a card that does.

9. Put your money where your phone is

How about a free subscription to Netflix, Hulu or even Amazon? Various phone carriers dangle just such perks. If you're a T-Mobile subscriber, for example, and have the Magenta Max plan, you get a Netflix Standard subscription (good for two screens) at no extra charge. Cricket Wireless has an unlimited plan that gives you free access to ad-supported HBO Max, while Metro by T-Mobile's Unlimited plan nets you Amazon Prime (and Prime Video along with it). Verizon will give you the Disney Bundle with two of its Unlimited plans.

In a time when streaming services are upping their prices, it pays to take advantage of all these savings strategies to keep more money in your wallet.

10. Temporarily pause your subscriptions

Not ready to break up with your streaming service just yet? Several providers allow you to temporarily put your subscription on pause, giving your bank account a break. Hulu and Sling will not bill you for up to three months if you pause your account, with the option to select a specific date to reactivate your service. Fubo and YouTube TV are among the other services that allow you to pause your membership for a set length of time, whether it's a couple of weeks or months.

It is important to note that you will not have access to any of your services during a pause period, and that includes streaming services that may be bundled together such as Hulu and Disney Plus. Check your account page for specific details on how pausing affects your billing cycle and how long you're able to temporarily stop paying.