Is Netflix's Premium Plan Worth It?

Netflix has three plans to choose from: Basic, Standard, and Premium. It’s a little confusing, especially when compared against other streaming services like Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ that contain everything in a single membership.

With the Netflix Premium plan, you benefit from 4K content and the ability to watch on four screens simultaneously. But it also comes with a higher price tag. We’re going to discuss whether it’s worth the cost, and some things you need to consider before shelling out.

What Is Netflix Premium?
As mentioned, there are three separate Netflix plans. You select one when you first sign up for an account, though you can always change your existing Netflix streaming plan.
This is how the plans differ:
Basic Standard Premium Monthly cost $9.99 $15.49 $19.99 Screens you can watch on simultaneously 1 2 4 Stream quality (where available) SD HD 4K
Everything to watch on Netflix is available on all the plans, though Premium is the only plan that offers some of it in 4K.

So, there are three factors you need to consider when assessing the value of the Premium plan: cost, simultaneous watching, and stream quality. Let’s discuss some questions you must ask yourself to decide whether the Premium plan is worth it for you.
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How Many People Use Your Netflix Account?
Every Netflix account, regardless of which plan you’re on, can have up to five profiles. This allows everyone who uses the Netflix account to have their own dedicated area, with personalized recommendations, watch list, accessibility settings, and more.
It means that if your partner loves true-crime documentaries, they can watch them to their heart’s content on their profile without it impacting your recommendations or flooding your “Continue Watching” feed.

Technically, more than five people can use your Netflix account if you give them the login details, but they can’t all have their own profile.

This is not the same as how many devices you can stream Netflix on at one time—this is plan-dependent. On the Basic plan, you can only stream on one device at a time. This means that if you’re watching Netflix on your TV, your partner can’t log in to the account and watch on their phone, even if they select their profile.

The Premium plan bumps this up to four simultaneous devices. You can also download Netflix content for offline viewing on the same number of devices. If you live in a busy household or have a large family using the same Netflix account, this will be essential. But if you’re single or in a couple, you’ll be better served by the one or two simultaneous screens from the Basic or Standard plan respectively.

Will You Watch 4K Movies and Shows?
Netflix has a wealth of 4K content which streams at 3840 x 2160 pixels. This means the picture contains more data and therefore looks sharper and more detailed, especially on large screens.

Some Netflix content supports Dolby Vision and HDR10. These are color and dynamic range enhancements that offer more accurate picture display. Select shows and movies also support Dolby Atmos, which provides a 3D surround sound effect.

Not everything on Netflix is available in 4K. The exact amount will vary per region, but it’s roughly over 1,500 titles. That’s plenty to keep you busy, but does mean the majority of movies and shows aren’t 4K.

Generally, modern films, shows, and Netflix Originals stream in 4K, though it’s not guaranteed. The best way to check is to search “4K” on Netflix. Or, when you expand a show or movie’s information, look for the 4K/Ultra HD badge. If you’re on the Basic or Standard plan, or a device that isn’t 4K-compatible (more on that below), you won’t see this badge, though the content will still show via the search.

As such, consider the type of content you want to watch on Netflix to determine whether the Premium plan is worthwhile. If you’re only interested in binging old sitcoms and classic movies, these are unlikely to stream in 4K. But if you enjoy the latest blockbusters and Netflix’s original content, you’ll be able to watch a lot in 4K.

Do You Have a 4K Device?
If your screen doesn’t support 4K, you won’t be able to stream anything on Netflix in 4K. Look at the manufacturer’s guide for your TV or monitor to see if it does.
There are plenty of great 4K streaming devices, including the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Nvidia Shield, but your TV needs to support HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 to use such devices in 4K.
On a Windows computer, you must use Edge or the Windows 10 app. On Mac, you must use Safari 11 or later.

Image Credit: Tooykrub/Shutterstock

The size and quality of your screen will determine how good 4K content on Netflix looks. If the TV or monitor panel is cheap, you won’t see the full benefit. Equally, a larger 55-inch or 65-inch TV will better display the high-resolution output of 4K compared to a 40-inch TV.

Even if your TV does support 4K, you might find that it has an upscaling feature that makes HD Netflix content look good enough to not need the Premium package.
If you only ever watch Netflix on your mobile, tablet, or small screen, you don’t need the Premium tier. You won’t notice the difference.

Is Your Internet Strong Enough for 4K?
Netflix recommends you have a steady internet connection with speeds of 25Mbps or higher to stream 4K content. Simply put, 4K content contains more data than SD/HD, and therefore it requires a stronger internet connection.

The best way to check your connection speed is to visit Fast.com. This is an internet speed test run by Netflix and literally checks your download speed against its servers. As such, it should be indicative of the speeds you can expect when streaming Netflix shows and movies.
If you can’t reach a consistent 25Mbps, 4K content will constantly buffer or it’ll stream in a low resolution—at which point, there’s no reason to pay for a Premium membership for a 4K benefit you can’t use.
SD content requires a minimum 1Mbps connection, while HD requires 5Mbps, so consider the Basic or Standard plan if your connection isn’t up to snuff.

Should You Subscribe to Netflix’s Premium Plan?
These benefits all come with a costly price tag: $19.99/month. Even if you want 4K content and four simultaneous streaming devices, it’s up to you whether that’s an affordable cost. Disney+ costs $7.99/month, Amazon Prime Video costs $12.99/month, and Apple TV+ costs $4.99/month. All of these stream in 4K as standard, which makes Netflix’s price seem steep.

But if Netflix has the movies and shows that you want to watch, and you have a large family or circle of friends using one account, then the Premium account is a must. Just make sure you have a 4K-compatible device and decent internet connection.

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