Is Netflix worth the subscription price?
Is Netflix worth the subscription price?
Thanks to its first-to-market advantage, Netflix is essentially a household utility for most families these days.
Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. So whether or not something is worth it to one person bears no true insight into whether or not it will be worth it to everyone else. Therefore, if you were coming to this article looking for a definitive answer as to whether or not paying Netflix’s seemingly ever-increasing subscription fees is worth it specifically for you, I’m sorry, but I cannot make that determination for you.
However, what I can do is tell you that, in my expert opinion, if there is any streaming service worth suffering through the never-ending hassle of rising costs, years-long content delays, and ever-present potential series cancellation, Netflix is it. As the industry’s longtime leader and trendsetter, as well as the largest and most profitable streaming service in the world, Netflix is as close to a must-have utility as you can find in the entertainment space.
Is Netflix worth the subscription price?
What’s the price of Netflix
Netflix currently offers three subscription options. Its Standard with Ads plan is $9 per month, while its commercial-free Standard and Premium packages cost $20 and $27, respectively. None of the streamer’s plans currently offer a free trial or discounted annual subscription; however, there is speculation that the free trial could be coming back in the relatively near future.
While $27 per month (or even $20) is a substantial price for any standalone streaming service, Netflix’s ad-supported option remains one of the cheapest major services on the market. Paramount+ starts at $9 per month, HBO Max begins at $10, and Disney+ charges $12 for its entry-level plan, although it throws in Hulu for just $1 more.
Netflix has also increasingly pushed new and returning customers toward its ad-supported tier. That allows the company to collect subscription revenue while also selling commercials against some of the most-watched programming in streaming. For customers who don’t mind ad breaks, the cheapest Netflix plan provides an enormous amount of content for less than $10 per month.
What streams on Netflix
Netflix’s original programming gets most of the attention, but its licensed library remains one of its most important advantages. At any given time, subscribers can find hundreds of familiar shows and movies, including long-running series such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “NCIS,” “Young Sheldon,” and “Suits.”
These are not always the titles that convince someone to subscribe, but they are frequently the shows that keep people subscribed. Netflix has become the streaming equivalent of turning on basic cable and finding something comfortable, familiar, and easy to watch.
Then there are the originals. Netflix releases so much programming that a significant percentage of it inevitably disappears without making an impact. However, that incredible volume also means the service produces major hits more regularly than any competitor. “Wednesday,” “Stranger Things” and “Squid Game” became culture-defining global phenomena, while dozens of other Netflix series and movies become unavoidable topics of conversation every year.
Three of my personal favorite shows on TV right now are Netflix originals, “The Diplomat,” “The Night Agent,” and “BEEF.” And I have really enjoyed recent Netflix original movies “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” “KPop Demon Hunters,” and “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” to name a few.
In addition to the series and movies, Netflix is also one of the preeminent streaming homes for quality true crime documentaries and reality shows, like “Love Is Blind” and “Selling Sunset.”
Not everything works, but Netflix takes more swings than anyone else. As a result, it also hits more singles, doubles, triples, and occasional home runs more often than its competition as well.
What’s live on Netflix
Piggybacking off of my somewhat-strained sports metaphor, Netflix is also becoming increasingly valuable as a home for live programming. WWE’s “Raw” streams every Monday, while the platform has carried major boxing and MMA cards. It has expanded its NFL package for the 2026 season and added select MLB events, including Opening Night, the Home Run Derby, and the upcoming Field of Dreams game.
The company has had less success translating traditional live entertainment formats to streaming. Its revival of “Star Search” failed to crack Netflix’s global Top 10 during its first week and ultimately did not become the communal viewing event that the service envisioned.
Sports are different. NFL games, WWE broadcasts, major baseball events, and high-profile fight nights give subscribers reasons to open Netflix at a specific time rather than waiting until they feel like watching something. That appointment viewing makes Netflix more valuable and more difficult to cancel, even when you have to wait four years between seasons of your favorite shows.
What’s missing from Netflix
Netflix does not have the same collection of recognizable entertainment franchises as Disney+, nor does it have Apple TV’s track record of reliable hits. Its licensed library can also be unpredictable, with shows and movies regularly moving between services as agreements expire. While it is advantageous for any content owner to sign and renew licensing deals with the world’s largest streamer, that doesn’t mean that your favorite titles will be available on Netflix in perpetuity, even if they are “Netflix Originals.”
You know that Star Wars and Marvel shows are always going to be on Disney+ and “Game of Thrones” and “The Sopranos” aren’t leaving HBO Max. But with Netflix, the nature of its library means that even if you start binging a show on Sunday, it might not be there to finish on Monday.
Despite its expansion into live events, Netflix is nowhere near a comprehensive sports streamer either. Its schedule consists primarily of selected games, weekly wrestling, and occasional special events rather than complete seasons from most major leagues. The streamer’s philosophy is to only pay for sports that it can “eventize,” things that feel special and draw extra audience attention, beyond just an average mid-season matchup.
There is also the familiar frustration surrounding Netflix originals. Shows can be canceled without satisfying conclusions, seasons routinely take multiple years to arrive, and the volume of releases can make finding something worthwhile feel overwhelming.
Is Netflix worth it?
Netflix is not perfect, and its most expensive plan will be difficult for many households to justify. However, its combination of popular library titles, original hits, international programming, movies, documentaries, reality shows, children’s content, and increasingly important live events gives it unmatched breadth.
More importantly, Netflix had years to become part of viewers’ daily routines before most of its competitors even existed. It was the first major streaming subscription that millions of people signed up for, and it remains the default app that many viewers open when they want to watch something but don’t have anything specific in mind.
That first-to-market advantage cannot be replicated. Netflix is no longer merely another service competing for a place in your monthly streaming rotation. For better or worse, it has become the entertainment equivalent of a household utility. You might complain whenever the bill increases, but actually living without it is another matter entirely.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”