How Much Does It Cost to Own Streaming Services?
Streaming services are often seen as cheaper alternatives to cable, but the total cost can grow quickly as more subscriptions are added. While each service may seem affordable on its own, owning multiple streaming platforms at the same time can add up over the course of a year. Below is a breakdown of real subscription prices from major streaming services, how they stack together, and how those costs compare to traditional cable.
What counts as a streaming service?
For this article, streaming services include:
On-demand video streaming platforms
Live TV streaming services
Paid subscription tiers (with or without ads)
Music streaming, gaming subscriptions, and pay-per-view rentals are not included here.
Current monthly prices for popular streaming services
The following prices reflect commonly advertised U.S. plans at the time of writing. Prices and plan structures can change.
Netflix
With ads: about $8/month
Standard (no ads): about $18/month
Premium: about $25/monthHulu
Ad-supported: about $12/month
Ad-free: about $18–$19/monthDisney+
With ads: about $10/month
No ads: about $16/monthAmazon Prime Video
Standalone: about $9/month
Included with Amazon Prime: about $15/monthMax (formerly HBO Max)
With ads: about $11/month
Ad-free or premium: about $18–$23/month
Real-world subscription cost examples
These examples show how real services stack together in common household setups.
One streaming service
Netflix (no ads): $18/month
$216 per year
Two streaming services
Netflix (no ads): $18
Disney+ (with ads): $10
Total: $28/month
Yearly cost: $336
Three streaming services
Netflix (with ads): $8
Hulu (ad-free): $19
Disney+ (with ads): $10
Total: $37/month
Yearly cost: $444
Live TV streaming services
Live TV streaming services typically cost more than on-demand platforms and are often used as cable replacements.
Examples commonly fall in the range of:
$70–$85 per month
When combined with other streaming subscriptions, total costs rise quickly.
Example setup
Live TV streaming service: $75
Two on-demand services: $30
Total: $105/month
Yearly cost: $1,260
Yearly cost perspective
Looking at streaming costs annually helps show how quickly subscriptions add up:
One service: $150–$250 per year
Two services: $300–$450 per year
Three services: $400–$600 per year
Live TV + streaming: $1,200+ per year
These totals assume subscriptions remain active year-round.
Is streaming actually cheaper than cable?
In many cases, streaming can be cheaper than traditional cable, but the answer depends on how streaming is used.
A typical cable TV bill in the U.S. often falls between $90 and $120 per month once equipment fees, broadcast fees, and taxes are included. This usually covers a large channel lineup but does not include internet service.
Streaming without live TV
2–3 on-demand services: $30–$50 per month
Yearly cost: $360–$600
In this setup, streaming is usually significantly cheaper than cable.
Streaming with live TV
Live TV streaming service: $70–$85 per month
One or two additional streaming services: $20–$35 per month
Total: $90–$120+ per month
At this point, streaming costs often match or exceed traditional cable pricing.
Where the cost difference usually comes from
Streaming tends to cost less when:
Live TV is not included
Only a few services are active at one time
Subscriptions are rotated instead of stacked year-round
Streaming and cable costs become similar when:
A live TV service is added
Multiple premium subscriptions are kept active
Services are rarely canceled
What this does not include
These numbers do not include:
Internet service costs
Streaming devices or smart TVs
Pay-per-view rentals
Music or gaming subscriptions
Those costs can further increase total entertainment spending.
If you’re trying to decide whether streaming actually saves money compared to cable, we break that comparison down in more detail here: Is streaming cheaper than cable?
The bottom line
Streaming services are affordable individually, but owning multiple subscriptions can add up quickly. Streaming is usually cheaper than cable when it replaces cable entirely. Once live TV and several premium services are added, the total monthly cost often approaches what cable costs, just spread across multiple subscriptions.