LOS GATOS: Netflix has raised prices across all of its U.S. streaming plans, increasing the monthly cost of its ad-supported tier to $8.99 from $7.99, its standard ad-free plan to $19.99 from $17.99 and its premium plan to $26.99 from $24.99. The company has also raised the fee for adding members outside a household to $7.99 on ad-supported plans and $9.99 on ad-free plans. Existing members will receive notice before the higher charges reach their billing cycles.
The move adds to a series of changes that have steadily pushed more of Netflix’s service behind higher monthly costs. In 2023, the company eliminated its Basic ad-free plan, removing its cheapest ad-free option and leaving subscribers to choose between an ad-supported plan or pricier ad-free tiers. Netflix also tightened password-sharing rules by limiting accounts to one household and shifting people outside that home toward paid extra-member slots, turning wider account access into a recurring add-on charge.
Under Netflix’s current U.S. structure, the standard-with-ads plan and the standard ad-free plan both support viewing on two devices at a time and stream in 1080p, while the premium plan supports four simultaneous streams and offers 4K and HDR. Netflix also says live events are included in all plans, although some special programming can contain commercial breaks across every tier. As the company broadens live offerings and other formats, the pricing distinction between its plans has become a more visible part of the customer experience.
Plan changes widen costs
The latest increase follows an earlier U.S. price rise in January 2025, when Netflix raised monthly rates across its main tiers and increased charges tied to broader account use. Thursday’s changes push the standard ad-free tier to just below $20 a month and move premium to nearly $27, lifting the price for households that want higher resolution, more concurrent streams or access for users outside the home. The result is another upward step in the cost of maintaining a fuller Netflix setup in the United States.
Netflix entered 2026 with more than 325 million subscribers worldwide and reported $12.1 billion in revenue for the October to December quarter. Analysts have said the new U.S. pricing could lift average revenue per subscriber in the United States and Canada this year. The increase also arrives as Netflix continues expanding live programming, including weekly wrestling events and other special broadcasts, alongside its core lineup of films and television series, giving the company a broader menu of programming while charging more across every plan.
Subscribers face another increase
For U.S. customers, the updated structure now leaves three main monthly choices: $8.99 with ads, $19.99 for standard ad-free viewing and $26.99 for premium. Extra members outside a household remain an additional charge on top of those rates. Netflix says customers whose bills are changing will receive an email one month before the billing date on which the higher price takes effect, and it says new announced plan prices ultimately apply to everyone once the change reaches their account cycle.
The increase also keeps attention on how Netflix has added revenue through multiple customer-facing measures beyond the monthly subscription itself. Those measures include ending its cheapest ad-free tier, enforcing paid sharing rules, expanding its advertising-based option and charging more to add people who do not live in the primary household. Thursday’s move adds another increase to that progression and raises the price of every U.S. plan at once, leaving subscribers to decide whether to absorb the higher cost or scale back service features. – By Content Syndication Services.