Subscription Comparisons: Price & Plans Side by Side
29 head-to-head comparisons built from our service guides: current US prices, every plan, price history, trials, and cancellation friction for the services people most often weigh against each other.
US pricing and policies. Last reviewed August 26, 2026.
Streaming & memberships
12 comparisons
Netflix vs Disney+
On price alone Disney+ wins the ad-free fight and Netflix wins the ad-supported one. Netflix Standard with Ads is $8.99 against Disney+ Basic at $11.99, but Disney+ Premium (no ads) is $18.99 while Netflix Standard is $19.99 and Premium is $26.99. Disney+ also sells an annual Premium plan at $189.99, roughly two months free, and its bundles start at $16.99 with Hulu and Max included. Netflix has raised US prices four times since late 2022; Disney+ three times since 2023, so neither is a set-and-forget bill.
Netflix from $8.99/mo · Disney+ from $11.99/mo
See the comparisonNetflix vs Max (HBO Max)
Max is cheaper than Netflix at every ad-free tier: $18.49 versus $19.99 for the standard plan and $22.99 versus $26.99 for 4K. Netflix only wins with ads, $8.99 against $10.99. The bigger difference is release rhythm. HBO series drop weekly, which makes Max the textbook rotation service, while Netflix drops full seasons, which makes short binges cheap. Both raised prices in 2025, and Netflix again in March 2026.
Netflix from $8.99/mo · Max (HBO Max) from $10.99/mo
See the comparisonNetflix vs Hulu
Hulu and Netflix cost almost the same but behave very differently. Hulu is $11.99 with ads and $18.99 without; Netflix is $8.99 with ads, $19.99 for Standard and $26.99 for Premium. Hulu gives you a 30-day trial and lets you pause for up to 12 weeks without losing your watchlist, two things Netflix removed years ago. Hulu's Live TV plan at $89.99 is a different product entirely and the most common reason a Hulu bill surprises people.
Netflix from $8.99/mo · Hulu from $11.99/mo
See the comparisonNetflix vs Amazon Prime
If you already pay for Prime, Prime Video is a sunk cost and the only question is whether Netflix earns its extra $8.99 to $26.99 a month. If you do not, Prime Video standalone is $8.99, the same as Netflix with ads, and going ad-free costs $2.99 more, so $11.91 versus $19.99 for Netflix Standard. Amazon has held its $14.99 monthly and $139 annual Prime prices since 2022, though it added ads to Video in January 2024. Netflix has raised prices four times in the same period.
Netflix from $8.99/mo · Amazon Prime from $11.58/mo
See the comparisonNetflix vs Apple TV+ (Apple TV)
Apple TV+ is one ad-free plan at $12.99, cheaper than any ad-free Netflix tier, but with a far smaller catalogue built around a short list of prestige originals. Netflix runs from $8.99 with ads to $26.99 for Premium. Apple raised its price 30% in August 2025, its third increase since 2022, yet almost nobody needs to pay it: new Apple devices include three months, the 7-day trial still exists, and Apple One at $19.95 bundles TV+ with Music, Arcade and iCloud+ for the price of Netflix Standard.
Netflix from $8.99/mo · Apple TV+ (Apple TV) from $12.99/mo
See the comparisonDisney+ vs Hulu
Disney owns both, prices them identically at $11.99 with ads and $18.99 without, and would rather you bought the bundle. Paying for both separately with ads costs $23.98; the Disney+, Hulu and Max bundle is $16.99 with ads and $29.99 ad-free, so the standalone 'versus' only matters if you want exactly one. Hulu offers a 30-day trial and a 12-week pause; Disney+ offers an annual plan at $189.99 and tends to show a retention discount when you try to cancel.
Disney+ from $11.99/mo · Hulu from $11.99/mo
See the comparisonDisney+ vs Max (HBO Max)
These two are priced within a dollar of each other at every tier, $11.99 versus $10.99 with ads and $18.99 versus $18.49 without, so price will not decide it. Catalogue rhythm will. Disney+ is a keep-all-year service for families with a $189.99 annual plan; Max is a rotate-in service built around weekly HBO releases and a $22.99 4K tier. And if you want both with ads, Disney sells the Disney+, Hulu and Max bundle for $16.99, less than the two standalone plans combined at $22.98.
Disney+ from $11.99/mo · Max (HBO Max) from $10.99/mo
See the comparisonHulu vs Peacock
Peacock undercuts Hulu at list price, $7.99 for Select and $10.99 for Premium against Hulu's $11.99, and $16.99 ad-free against $18.99, but it is also the streamer that rose the most in 2025, with Premium up 38% in August. Peacock is really a promo product: its $1.99-a-month Black Friday deals have appeared every year, so paying list price usually means you subscribed at the wrong time. Hulu has the deeper library, a 30-day trial and a 12-week pause; Peacock has NBC sports, where even Premium Plus still shows ads.
Hulu from $11.99/mo · Peacock from $7.99/mo
See the comparisonMax (HBO Max) vs Paramount+
Paramount+ is the cheaper service at both tiers: Essential is $8.99 versus $10.99 for Max with ads, and Premium with Showtime is $13.99 versus $18.49 for ad-free Max. It also has a 7-day trial, annual plans around 35% cheaper than monthly, and near-constant promo codes. Max charges more but has the stronger prestige catalogue and a $22.99 4K tier. Both had 2025 price rises and both are best used in bursts rather than year-round.
Max (HBO Max) from $10.99/mo · Paramount+ from $8.99/mo
See the comparisonParamount+ vs Peacock
These are the two budget streamers, and the cheapest way in is Peacock Select at $7.99, a dollar under Paramount+ Essential. Ad-free flips it: Paramount+ Premium is $13.99 with Showtime included, while Peacock Premium Plus is $16.99 and still shows ads on live sports. Paramount+ has a 7-day trial; Peacock has none. Both lean on promotions: Paramount+ hands out codes all year and Peacock's $1.99 Black Friday deal is an annual event. Peacock's 2025 hike was the steeper of the two.
Paramount+ from $8.99/mo · Peacock from $7.99/mo
See the comparisonUber One vs DoorDash DashPass
Uber One and DashPass are priced to the cent to be interchangeable: $9.99 a month, about $96 a year, $4.99 for students. The choice comes down to which app you actually order from, and to two traps. Uber One requires cancelling at least 48 hours before renewal; DashPass requires 24. And a lot of people pay for DashPass their credit card already gives them free, Chase Sapphire cards in particular. Uber One's edge is that it also discounts rides by 5-6%.
Uber One from $7.99/mo · DoorDash DashPass from $8/mo
See the comparisonAmazon Prime vs Costco Membership
Prime costs $139 a year, or $179.88 if you pay monthly; Costco Gold Star is $65 and Executive is $130 with a 2% annual reward. They do different jobs, delivery and video versus bulk in-store shopping, so the real question is whether you need both. Costco's Executive tier only beats Gold Star once you spend more than $3,250 a year in the warehouse, the point where 2% covers the extra $65. Costco has the most generous refund policy in retail; Amazon is refund-friendly on unused renewals.
Amazon Prime from $11.58/mo · Costco Membership from $5.42/mo
See the comparisonMusic
4 comparisons
Spotify vs Apple Music
Apple Music is a dollar cheaper for individuals, $11.99 against $12.99, and two dollars cheaper for families, $19.99 against $21.99, with lossless audio included. Spotify's counter is flexibility: a Duo plan at $18.99 that Apple does not offer, and a free tier to fall back to when you cancel, whereas Apple Music simply ends. Spotify has raised US prices three times since 2023; Apple twice since 2022, most recently in July 2026.
Spotify from $12.99/mo · Apple Music from $11.99/mo
See the comparisonSpotify vs YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium costs a dollar more than Spotify, $13.99 versus $12.99, but it includes YouTube Music and removes ads from YouTube itself, so for anyone who watches YouTube daily it replaces two subscriptions. YouTube has not raised its US price since July 2023; Spotify has done it three times in that span. Two YouTube-specific rules: subscribe on the web, because the iOS app charges $18.99, and use the pause option (one to six months) instead of cancelling.
Spotify from $12.99/mo · YouTube Premium from $13.99/mo
See the comparisonApple Music vs YouTube Premium
Apple Music is two dollars cheaper for individuals ($11.99 versus $13.99), three dollars cheaper for families ($19.99 versus $22.99) and a dollar cheaper for students. What you get for YouTube's premium is ad-free YouTube and background play on top of YouTube Music, which is a genuinely different product. Apple's strengths are lossless audio and the Apple One bundle; YouTube's are price stability, no US rise since 2023, and a pause option that Apple does not have.
Apple Music from $11.99/mo · YouTube Premium from $13.99/mo
See the comparisonSpotify vs Amazon Music Unlimited
For anyone without Prime the two cost exactly the same, $12.99 a month, so the decision rests on Prime and on trajectory. Prime members get Amazon Music Unlimited for $11.99, or $119 a year on the annual plan Spotify does not offer, and Family ties at $21.99 with Amazon again adding a $219 annual option. Amazon has raised the price five times since May 2022, twice in thirteen months; Spotify has done it three times since 2023. Spotify keeps a free tier to fall back on, while Amazon drops Prime members to shuffle-only Music Prime.
Spotify from $12.99/mo · Amazon Music Unlimited from $6.99/mo
See the comparisonAI tools
2 comparisons
ChatGPT Plus vs Claude Pro
Both cost $20 a month, so the decision is about the tiers around that price. OpenAI sells a cheaper $8 Go plan below Plus and a $200-a-month Pro plan above it. Anthropic has no cheap tier but offers annual Pro billing at $200, which saves $40, plus Max plans at $100 and $200 a month. Neither offers a free trial; both keep your history when you drop to the free tier; and both charge more if you subscribe through the iOS or Android app.
ChatGPT Plus from $8/mo · Claude Pro from $16.67/mo
See the comparisonCursor Pro vs GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot is half the price of Cursor Pro, $10 versus $20 a month and $100 versus $192 a year, and it can be free: verified students, teachers and maintainers of popular open-source projects get it at no cost. Cursor is a full VS Code-based editor with agentic workflows, and its 14-day trial is shorter than Copilot's 30. Both have annual discounts, and both have a business tier, $40 per user for Cursor and $19 for Copilot.
Cursor Pro from $16/mo · GitHub Copilot from $8.33/mo
See the comparisonGaming
2 comparisons
Xbox Game Pass vs Nintendo Switch Online
These are not substitutes, but if you own both consoles they compete for the same budget, and the gap is enormous. Nintendo Switch Online is $19.99 a year, $34.99 for a family of up to eight, or $49.99 with the Expansion Pack, and it has never raised its US price since 2018. Game Pass Ultimate is $22.99 a month, $275.88 a year, after briefly costing $29.99 in late 2025; the $9.99 Essential tier alone costs six times NSO's base plan. Game Pass buys a rotating library; NSO mostly buys online play and retro catalogues.
Xbox Game Pass from $9.99/mo · Nintendo Switch Online from $1.67/mo
See the comparisonPlayStation Plus vs Nintendo Switch Online
PlayStation Plus starts at $79.99 a year for Essential and runs to $134.99 for Extra and $159.99 for Premium after the big September 2023 increase. Nintendo Switch Online's top tier, the Expansion Pack at $49.99, is still $30 cheaper than Sony's entry plan, and the base NSO membership is $19.99. Both are annual-first products, both are discounted every Black Friday, and Sony renews at full list price no matter what you paid at signup.
PlayStation Plus from $6.67/mo · Nintendo Switch Online from $1.67/mo
See the comparisonSoftware & fitness
7 comparisons
Canva Pro vs Figma Professional
Both list $18 a month on monthly billing, but the annual prices split: Canva Pro is $144 a year while Figma Professional is $15 per editor per month on annual billing, $180 a year. They solve different problems, marketing assets versus product design, and their free tiers are different too: Figma's Starter plan is usable indefinitely with three files, while Canva's free tier loses premium assets and Brand Kits. Figma's cost creeps through 'accidental' paid editor seats; Canva's stays flat and can be paused for three months.
Canva Pro from $12/mo · Figma Professional from $15/mo
See the comparisonAdobe Creative Cloud vs Canva Pro
A full year of Canva Pro, $144, costs less than three months of Adobe Creative Cloud Pro at $69.99 a month. Even Adobe's cheapest routes, the Photography Plan at $19.99 or a Single App at $22.99, cost more than Canva's $18 monthly rate. Adobe's June 2025 restructure doubled the Photography Plan and its default 'annual, paid monthly' contract charges an early-termination fee if you cancel after 14 days. Canva can be cancelled or paused any time and keeps your designs on the free tier.
Adobe Creative Cloud from $19.99/mo · Canva Pro from $12/mo
See the comparisonStrava vs Peloton
Strava's annual plan, $79.99, is half of Peloton App One's $159.99, and the gap widens against App+ at $289.99 or the $49.99-a-month All-Access plan for Peloton hardware. They are complementary rather than rival: Strava tracks and analyses what you did outside, Peloton sells the classes you do inside. Both offer 30-day trials. Strava keeps your entire history on the free tier if you cancel; Peloton lets you pause for up to three months instead.
Strava from $6.67/mo · Peloton from $13.33/mo
See the comparisonStrava vs WHOOP
WHOOP costs $199 to $359 a year and requires a 12-month commitment, and its sensor stops syncing entirely the day the membership ends. Strava is $79.99 a year with no commitment, and every activity you ever logged stays on the free tier if you cancel. Many WHOOP members also pay for Strava, which is the overlap to question: Strava's 24-hour cancellation notice and WHOOP's early-termination terms make the exit paths very different.
Strava from $6.67/mo · WHOOP from $16.58/mo
See the comparisonHeadspace vs Calm
Headspace is cheaper on every plan that matters: $69.99 a year against $79.99 for Calm, and $12.99 a month against $16.99. Calm raised both prices in February 2026; Headspace's have held since at least 2023. The family plans tie at $99.99 for six people. Both apps use the same trap, a short free trial that converts straight into the annual charge, and both keep your progress if you leave. Calm's edge is the 30-day web refund; Headspace's help centre describes a similar window, but its terms call purchases non-refundable.
Headspace from $5.83/mo · Calm from $6.67/mo
See the comparisonApple Fitness+ vs Peloton
Apple Fitness+ is the cheapest serious class library there is: $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year, unchanged since 2020, shared with up to six people at no extra cost. Peloton App One costs $15.99 a month or $159.99 a year, App+ $28.99 or $289.99, and the All-Access plan for Bike or Tread owners $49.99 a month. Peloton's price is buying the leaderboard, instructor-led equipment classes and the hardware experience; if you do not own the hardware, that premium is hard to justify.
Apple Fitness+ from $6.67/mo · Peloton from $13.33/mo
See the comparisonGoogle One vs Apple One
These bundles answer different questions. Google One is storage first: $1.99 buys 100 GB and $9.99 buys 2 TB, with AI tiers stacked above. Apple One is services first: $19.95 buys Music, TV, Arcade and only 50 GB of iCloud+, and the 2 TB you get from Google for $9.99 only arrives with Premier at $39.95. If storage is the job, Google is a fraction of the price; if you already pay for two Apple services, Apple One is the cheaper way to keep them. Google cut prices twice in 2026; Apple raised Family and Premier in July 2026.
Google One from $1.67/mo · Apple One from $19.95/mo
See the comparisonReading & news
2 comparisons
Audible vs Blinkist
Blinkist's annual plan, $99, undercuts Audible Premium Plus Annual at $149.50, but they sell different things: Audible gives you full audiobooks you own forever, while Blinkist gives you 15-minute summaries you rent. Monthly, Audible's new $8.99 Standard tier is cheaper than Blinkist's $15.99. Each has a trial trap. Audible's unused credits vanish when you cancel, so spend them first. Blinkist's 7-day trial defaults to the $99 annual charge unless cancelled a day early.
Audible from $8.99/mo · Blinkist from $8.25/mo
See the comparisonThe New York Times vs The Wall Street Journal
Both bill every four weeks, so the advertised price hides a thirteenth charge each year. At standard rates the Times' All Access plan at $25 per four weeks works out to $325 a year, while the Journal's $38.99 digital rate is about $507. Both sell aggressive introductory offers, $1 a week at the Times and $4 a month at the Journal, that jump to full price after the first year. The Journal is harder to leave: outside states with online-cancellation laws it usually requires a phone call.
The New York Times from $27.08/mo · The Wall Street Journal from $4/mo
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