Streaming services cost per year: what you actually pay
Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Max, and other streaming services charge monthly, but the annual cost adds up fast when you subscribe to multiple services. Here's what common streaming platforms cost per year.
Major streaming services annual cost
These are October 2026 list prices for standard tiers. Actual prices vary by plan (ad-supported vs ad-free, HD vs 4K, number of screens), promotional offers, and bundled discounts. This is not financial advice.
Netflix (Standard) — $15.99/mo
$191.88/year
Hulu (with ads) — $8.99/mo
$107.88/year
Disney+ — $9.99/mo
$119.88/year
Max (with ads) — $10.99/mo
$131.88/year
Apple TV+ — $9.99/mo
$119.88/year
Paramount+ — $7.99/mo
$95.88/year
Amazon Prime Video — $139.99/yr
$139.99/year
Peacock Premium — $7.99/mo
$95.88/year
The cost of multiple services
Most households subscribe to more than one streaming service. If you have Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Max (the first four in the list above), the combined annual cost is $551.52/year, which averages to $45.96/month.
That monthly average can feel manageable, but seeing the yearly total makes it clear how much streaming entertainment actually costs your household. Add your actual subscriptions in the free calculator to see your real yearly streaming cost.
Ad-supported vs ad-free tiers
Many services offer cheaper ad-supported tiers. For example, if Hulu with ads is $8.99/month ($107.88/year) and without ads is $18.99/month ($227.88/year), that's a $120/year difference for one service.
If you have multiple services on ad-free tiers and could tolerate ads, enter both the ad-free and ad-supported prices in the calculator to compare yearly costs. The one-time Annual Bills Plan (30-day refund) shows ways to save and a 5-year outlook for switching one or more services.
Annual prepay discounts
Some streaming services offer annual prepay discounts if you pay upfront for the full year instead of month-to-month. Check each service's current pricing to see if they offer this option and whether the savings make sense for you.
Annual prepay locks you in: if you cancel mid-year, you typically don't get a refund for unused months. Only prepay for services you're confident you'll use the full year.
Bundles and family plans
Disney offers a bundle with Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ at a lower combined price than subscribing to each separately. Some cell carriers include streaming services in their phone plans (Apple Music, Netflix, or others).
Family plans let multiple people share one subscription. If you're paying for streaming services while your household members pay for their own, consolidating to shared plans can cut the total yearly cost.
Seasonal subscriptions
You don't have to subscribe year-round. Some households subscribe to services only when they have shows to watch, cancel when done, and resubscribe later. If you subscribe for only part of the year, multiply your monthly cost by the number of months you're actually subscribed to get your yearly total.
This works best for services with content drops (new seasons of shows) rather than services you use daily. Keep a list of what you subscribed to so you don't forget to cancel.
Hidden streaming costs
Beyond the obvious Netflix and Hulu subscriptions, check for streaming music (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music), cloud storage (iCloud, Google One, Dropbox), gaming subscriptions (Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online), fitness streaming (Peloton, Apple Fitness+), and news or niche content services.
Each one is a small monthly charge, but together they can exceed the cost of traditional cable. The free calculator on this site lets you list all of them and see the combined yearly total.
