GoKawiil~/guides/streaming-price-increases
By Rashid N · Updated 2026-09-10 · How we get these numbers
The same nine streaming subscriptions cost $702 more a year than in 2021
flagship tiers · US pricing · every change linked to its source
The same nine subscriptions — Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock, YouTube Premium, Spotify — cost $95.91 a month in 2021-03, and $154.41 a month today. That is +61% in 5 years, or $702 more per year for exactly the same nine services. Every figure is dated and linked to its source.
The same basket, then and now service / tier 2021-03 today change Netflix Standard $13.99 $19.99 +43% Disney+ Premium (ad-free) $7.99 $18.99 +138% Hulu No Ads $11.99 $18.99 +58% HBO Max Standard (ad-free) $14.99 $18.49 +23% Apple TV+ Apple TV+ $4.99 $14.99 +200% Paramount+ Premium $9.99 $13.99 +40% Peacock Premium Plus (ad-free) $9.99 $19.99 +100% YouTube Premium Individual $11.99 $15.99 +33% Spotify Premium Individual $9.99 $12.99 +30% Combined $95.91 $154.41 +61% Compared at a single date rather than at each service's launch, because those launches fall in different years and summing them would not describe a basket anyone could have bought. 2021-03 is the first month all 9 existed. Excluded from this basket: YouTube TV, Prime Video — a live-TV bundle and a membership add-on respectively, neither comparable to a standalone on-demand subscription. Both are still tracked and still counted in our increase log.
What the yearly figure looks like At 2021-03 prices these four cost $1,150.92 a year. Today the same nine cost $1,852.92 — a difference of $702 annually, for the same services and, in most cases, the same tier. Nothing was cancelled or downgraded to produce that number.
Quick answers How much has streaming gone up? A basket of 9 major services went from $95.91 to $154.41 a month between 2021-03 and today — an increase of 61%, or $702 a year. How much does streaming cost per year now? $1,852.92 a year for these 9 services at their current standard tiers, against $1,150.92 for the same nine in 2021-03. Which streaming service has raised its price the most? Netflix +43%; Disney+ +138%; Hulu +58%; HBO Max +23%; Apple TV+ +200%; Paramount+ +40%; Peacock +100%; YouTube Premium +33%; Spotify +30% — measured from 2021-03 to today on each service's flagship tier. Why do streaming services keep raising prices? We do not speculate on motive; we record what was charged and when. What the dated record shows is that increases have become regular rather than exceptional, and that several services have raised prices more than once in a single year.
CITE THIS: "A basket of 9 major streaming services rose from $95.91 to $154.41 a month between 2021-03 and September 2026, an increase of 61%." HonestlyRanked, sources cited per change, CC BY 4.0.
About this article Written by Rashid N. Rashid N is the editor of HonestlyRanked. He reviews every figure this site publishes against its source before it goes out, and has never accepted a free account, a review unit, or payment for placement. Rashid N is a pen name; see our methodology page. Every figure here is pulled directly from our tracking database at page-build time and re-checked daily — see methodology. We measure published pricing only; we do not test provider performance, support or uptime. Corrections: tell us.