Cheapest Streaming Services Ranked (2026)
Every major US on-demand streaming service ranked cheapest to most expensive by standard monthly price, as of .
On-demand streaming services
Sorted by cheapest available plan, with ties going to the cheaper ad-free plan. Prices are for the US market, monthly billing, as of . Annual plans cost less. See each service page for full pricing history. Peacock also offers a Select (with ads, limited content) plan at $8.99/mo, excluded from this comparison because it does not include the full content library. ESPN also sells its Unlimited plan at $31.99/mo, which falls outside the tier columns above.
Live TV streaming services
Live TV streaming services replace cable, not on-demand apps like Netflix. Their live channels carry ads on every plan and they are priced like a cable package, so they are ranked separately from the on-demand services above. Prices are base-plan monthly rates as of .
Disclosure: if you sign up through a link on this page, this site may earn a commission. That never affects the prices we track or how services are ranked.
| # | Service | Base Plan | Other plansTiers | Sign up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philo | Bundle+ $33.00/mo | Visit | |
| 2 | Sling TV | Sling Select $19.99/mo, Sling Essentials $19.99/mo, Sling Blue $45.99/mo | Visit | |
| 3 | YouTube TV | Base Plan with 4K Plus $92.98/mo, +12 more tiers | Visit | |
| 4 | fuboTV | Sports + News $64.99/mo, Elite $98.99/mo, +3 more tiers | Visit | |
| 5 | DIRECTV STREAM | +9 more tiers | Visit | |
| 6 | Hulu + Live TV | Live TV (only) $98.99/mo, No Ads $109.99/mo | Visit |
Ranked by each service's base plan. Prices are before optional add-ons, local taxes, and any mandatory regional fees. Some services also sell lower-cost limited plans that do not include the full package, so they do not set the ranking: Sling TV: Sling Select at $19.99/mo, Sling Essentials at $19.99/mo; fuboTV: Sports + News at $64.99/mo; Hulu + Live TV: Live TV (only) at $98.99/mo.
* fuboTV: Prices shown exclude Fubo's regional sports fee, a mandatory monthly surcharge added at checkout in areas where the channel lineup includes regional sports networks. It varies by location from $3.99 to $16.99 per month.
Live TV streaming vs. cable
Cutting the cord still pays: here is how the cheapest live TV base plan stacks up against the average US cable TV bill.
Average US cable TV bill of $147/month from the Average Cable TV Bill Report 2025 – CableTV.com.
How often do streaming services raise prices?
The 15 services tracked here (on-demand and live TV) have recorded 83 separate price increases since 2014, typically one every 21 months per service, and 10 of them raised at least one plan's price in the last 12 months. For this year's changes in chronological order, see Streaming Price Increases in 2026, or the Streaming Price Index for how far prices have moved against inflation.
| # | Service | Increases | Tracked SinceSince | Avg. Time BetweenEvery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hulu + Live TV | 2017 | ||
| 2 | Disney+ | 2019 | ||
| 3 | fuboTV | 2017 | ||
| 4 | ESPN | 2018 | ||
| 5 | DIRECTV STREAM | 2016 | ||
| 6 | Peacock | 2020 | ||
| 7 | Apple TV | 2019 | ||
| 8 | Netflix | 2010 | ||
| 9 | Paramount+ | 2021 | ||
| 10 | YouTube TV | 2017 | ||
| 11 | Philo | 2017 | ||
| 12 | Sling TV | 2015 | ||
| 13 | Hulu | 2010 | ||
| 14 | HBO Max | 2015 | ||
| 15 | Prime Video | 2016 |
An increase is a distinct date on which a service raised the price of any standalone plan; a same-day increase across multiple tiers counts once, and add-on fees are excluded. Average time between increases is measured from the start of each service's tracked history (usually its launch) to today.
Frequently asked questions about streaming service prices
What is the cheapest on-demand streaming service in 2026?
Prime Video, Paramount+ and Netflix are tied as the cheapest on-demand streaming services, each starting at $8.99/month for their ad-supported plan as of October 2026.
Which on-demand streaming service has the best value?
"Best value" depends on what you watch. For the lowest price, Prime Video, Paramount+ and Netflix all start at $8.99/month. If you want no ads, Prime Video offers the lowest ad-free price at $13.98/month.
Which on-demand streaming service is the most expensive?
Netflix is the most expensive on-demand streaming service across the plan tiers compared above, with its Premium plan at $26.99/month as of October 2026. ESPN's Unlimited plan costs more, at $31.99/month, but it sits outside those tier columns. Live TV streaming services are ranked separately above, with base plans from $25.00 to $99.99/month.
Do all on-demand streaming services offer an ad-supported plan?
Most do. Prime Video, Paramount+, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock and ESPN all offer ad-supported tiers. Apple TV does not.
Is live TV streaming cheaper than cable?
Usually, yes. The cheapest live TV streaming service, Philo, costs $25.00/month, compared with an average US cable TV bill of about $147/month, a saving of roughly $122/month. Live TV streaming has no equipment rental or long-term contract, though prices have risen steadily and now approach traditional cable.
How often do streaming services raise prices?
Frequently. The 15 services tracked here have recorded 83 separate price increases since 2014, and 10 of them raised at least one plan's price in the last 12 months. Measured across each service's full history, the typical service raises prices about once every 21 months.
Which streaming service raises prices most often?
Hulu + Live TV raises prices most frequently, about once every 13 months (9 increases since 2017). Prime Video goes the longest between increases, with 2 since 2016, roughly one every 5.5 years.