Is Netflix’s cheaper ad plan worth it? We break it all down

While it once scoffed at the possibility of offering an ad-supported tier, Netflix has since embraced the idea, with millions of users signing up to its “Standard with Ads” plan, sparking plenty of interest from Madison Avenue.

Since its arrival nearly three years ago, Netflix has added a variety of features to its ad-supported tier to set it apart from the streaming crowd — and for now, its price remains a fraction of Netflix’s most expensive 4K streaming plan.

So how much does Netflix cost with ads, what’s included and is anything left out? Here’s what you need to know.

How much does Netflix cost with ads?

Netflix Standard with Ads costs $7.99 per month, reflecting a $1 per month price increase imposed by Netflix in January 2025.

For some context, Paramount+ Essential also costs $7.99 per month, while Peacock Premium, which confusingly is ad-supported, costs $10.99 per month.

Meanwhile, HBO Max Basic with Ads costs $10.99 per month (the same as Peacock Premium) after a recent price increase.

Finally, the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu tiers cost $11.99 per month each following (yet another) recent price hike (they’re considerably cheaper if you bundle them),

So, for now, Netflix is ​​tied with Paramount+ for the cheapest ad-supported plan among the biggest streaming services.

(There’s also Peacock’s new Select tier, another ad-supported plan that costs $7.99 per month, but it only offers a “selection” of Peacock’s original content.)

How many streams do you get with the Netflix Standard with Ads plan?

At launch, Netflix’s ad-supported plan (originally called “Basic with Ads”) only offered a single stream.

But in 2023, Netflix increased the number of simultaneous streams available on the Standard with Ads plan to two.

Does Netflix with Ads offer 4K HDR video resolution?

No, but Netflix Standard with Ads’ video quality has improved since the tier’s initial launch.

While ad-supported Netflix once only offered 720p video quality, this has since been increased to 1080p, like Netflix’s ad-free Standard plan.

Currently, only Netflix’s most expensive plan – Premium ($24.99 per month) – offers 4K HDR streaming, with four simultaneous streams per household.

Netflix and most other streamers reserve their 4K HDR streams for ad-free subscribers, although this is not a universal policy; Paramount+, to begin with, do allow ad-supported subscribers to stream in 4K.

Does ad-supported Netflix offer downloads for offline viewing?

One of the best perks offered by big streamers is the ability to download videos for offline viewing, perfect for watching your favorite series during a long flight or when you don’t want to go over your ISP’s (or carrier’s) data cap.

Until recently, Netflix did not allow its ad-supported subscribers to download videos for offline viewing, a restriction shared by other major streamers.

But in November 2023, Netflix reversed course, becoming the first major streaming service to allow offline downloads for subscribers at its ad-supported tier.

However, there is a monthly download limit for Standard with Ads subscribers: 15 downloads per device, reset on the first of each month.

How many commercial breaks does Netflix have with commercials?

Netflix Standard with Ads subscribers will be required to watch 4-5 minutes of ads per hour, with ads playing at the beginning and during videos (ideally during “natural plot breaks”). Each ad will last 15 or 30 seconds.

This figure of 4-5 minutes per hour is roughly in line with Netflix’s competitors. For example, the “ad-supported” version of Max averages about four minutes per hour, while Peacock clocks in at around five minutes per hour.

Is Netflix with Ads available on all streaming devices?

Most devices that work with ad-free Netflix should also support Netflix Standard with Ads, although a “small percentage” of streaming players and TVs will not work because the device’s Netflix software can no longer be updated.

And while the Netflix ad-supported plan wasn’t initially supported on Apple TV streaming devices, it is now supported (on Apple TV HD devices and later) following an update to the Netflix tvOS app in March 2023.

Netflix with Ads is also available on most other streaming platforms, including Amazon Fire TV, Android, and iOS devices, most smart TVs, Mac and Windows computers, and Google TV players.

Does Netflix with ads offer the same content as Netflix without ads?

You will find almost everything, but not everything. While the “vast majority” of TV shows and movies on Netflix are available to viewers “ad-supported,” a “small number” are missing due to “licensing issues,” Netflix says.

If you come across a video that isn’t available on the Netflix Standard with Ads plan, you’ll see a padlock on the title or a “Change plan to watch” banner instead of the standard “Play” button.

Why did Netflix launch an ad-supported plan?

Netflix lost subscribers in the first and second quarters of 2022, ending a decade of growth and sending Netflix’s stock price tumbling. And even though Netflix is ​​ubiquitous in North America, it has struggled to gain a foothold in the rest of the world, where it faces tough competition from cheaper streaming services.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s rapidly growing competitors, including HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock and Hulu, have rolled out their own cheaper ad-supported plans, all of which undercut Netflix’s cheapest ad-free pricing.

So even if that wasn’t all that Netflix executives had long scoffed at the idea of ​​cheaper ad-supported plans, but the company abruptly changed course when it became clear that its once seemingly unstoppable growth had stalled.

In May 2024, Netflix reported that its Standard tier with ads had approximately 40 million active monthly users worldwide, up from just 5 million users in May 2023. (Netflix has since stopped counting its monthly user base for the public.)

Updated October 2025 with the latest pricing details and other recent streaming developments.