Apple TV+ subscribers are waking up to another price increase this morning, with the streaming service bumping its monthly cost from £8.99 to £9.99 in the UK.
It’s the latest in a series of price rises that have seen Apple’s streaming service nearly double from its original launch price – though unlike other streamers, Apple had kept pricing steady for nearly two years before this latest bump.
New subscribers will pay the higher rate immediately, whilst existing monthly customers will see the increase on their next billing cycle.
But before you panic about yet another streaming bill going up, there might be a temporary workaround that could save you money – at least for now.
What Makes Apple TV+ Different?
If you’re new to Apple’s streaming world, Apple TV+ takes a completely different approach compared to Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon’s Prime Video.
Rather than building a massive library of thousands of older shows and films, Apple focuses entirely on original content.
This means you won’t find classic sitcoms or blockbuster movies from decades past. What you will find is a carefully curated selection of high-quality original programming – think Ted Lasso, Severance, Foundation, and Slow Horses.
The service has racked up over 500 awards since its 2019 launch, including multiple Emmys and even an Oscar for Best Picture with CODA.
The trade-off is obvious though – whilst Apple’s content quality is consistently impressive, the overall library is significantly smaller than what you’d get with Netflix or Disney+.
You’re paying for premium original content, not endless binge-watching options.
A Different Pattern of Price Rises
Here’s something worth noting: unlike Netflix, Disney+ and others that seem to raise prices annually like clockwork, Apple TV+ has actually kept its UK pricing stable since October 2023.
That’s nearly two years without an increase, which is practically unheard of in today’s streaming landscape.
However, let’s put this into perspective: Apple TV+ has increased from its original £4.99 monthly price to £9.99, essentially doubling the cost over just a few years.
The service launched as one of the most affordable streaming options and is now firmly in premium territory.
An Apple spokesperson explained the increase by highlighting the service’s growth: “Since its launch, Apple TV+ has expanded its deep library of hundreds of Apple Originals, with thousands of hours of premium programming across genres and brand-new releases weekly – all ad-free.”
There’s a silver lining, though: Apple has kept its annual subscription at £89 per year, at least for now.
That means if you’re willing to pay upfront, you’ll save £29.88 compared to paying monthly – making the annual option look increasingly attractive (but then you lose the flexibility of coming and going).
The Prime Video Channels Workaround (For Now)
Here’s where things get interesting – and potentially money-saving, at least temporarily.
When Apple TV+ joined Amazon’s Prime Video Channels in December 2024, it was priced at £8.99 per month.
As of this writing, the pricing on Prime Video has not changed, meaning you can still get Apple TV+ for the original price if you subscribe through Amazon instead of directly through Apple.
Prime Video Channels lets you add Apple TV+ as an extra subscription to your existing Prime Video account.
You’ll need an Amazon Prime subscription first, but then you can watch all the same Apple TV+ content through the Prime Video app instead of Apple’s own app.
The catch? It’s completely separate from a direct Apple TV+ subscription – your login details won’t work across platforms, and those free months you might get with a new iPhone purchase won’t apply to the Prime Video version.
But here’s the important bit: this pricing discrepancy probably won’t last long. Amazon typically updates channel pricing fairly quickly when the main service changes its rates, so don’t be surprised if Prime Video’s Apple TV+ pricing jumps to £9.99 by the time you’re reading this article.
How Apple TV+ Now Compares to the Competition
With Apple TV+ now priced at £9.99 per month, it’s worth seeing how that stacks up against other major streaming services in the UK.
Netflix’s current pricing starts at £5.99 for its Standard with Ads plan, whilst its most popular Standard plan costs £12.99 per month and the Premium plan is £18.99 monthly.
If you want 4K content like Apple TV+ offers, you’ll need Netflix’s Premium plan at £18.99 – making Apple TV+ look relatively reasonable by comparison.
Disney+ offers more competitive pricing with its Standard with Ads plan at £4.99 per month, its Standard plan at £8.99 monthly, and Premium at £12.99 per month.
For a fair comparison with Apple TV+’s 4K, ad-free offering, Disney+ Premium costs £3 more per month but delivers a significantly larger content library, spanning Disney classics, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and the more adult-oriented content that’s part of Star (soon to be renamed Hulu).
Amazon’s Prime Video costs £8.99 per month as part of a full Prime membership (which includes free delivery and other benefits), or £5.99 monthly if you only want the video-only plan.
Prime Video includes 4K content at no extra cost, making it excellent value – especially the full Prime membership that throws in shopping perks for the same price as Apple TV+. However, Prime Video includes adverts – unless you’re willing to pay an extra £2.99/month.
Paramount+ has three tiers: Basic with ads at £4.99 monthly, Standard at £7.99 per month, and Premium at £10.99 monthly.
Their Premium plan costs £1 more than Apple TV+ and includes 4K streaming and access to multiple TV networks’ content.
Sky’s NOW service charges £9.99 per month for either Entertainment or Cinema memberships individually, but you can get both together for £13.99 monthly if you’re willing to commit to six months.
Additionally, if you want 4K, you’ll need to add £9 per month for the Ultra Boost add-on. In total, that’s significantly more expensive than Apple TV+.
The comparison highlights Apple TV+’s positioning challenge: at £9.99 monthly for ad-free 4K content, it sits between the budget ad-supported tiers and the premium offerings.
While Apple’s content quality is undeniably impressive, you’re still paying premium prices for access to a curated but limited selection.
Is Apple TV+ Still Worth It?
That depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a massive content library to scroll through endlessly, Apple TV+ probably isn’t for you. But if you prefer quality over quantity and don’t mind a smaller selection of genuinely excellent shows and films, the service still delivers.
The annual subscription option makes the pricing sting less – at £89 per year, you’re essentially getting two months free compared to paying monthly. And unlike some competitors, Apple TV+ remains completely ad-free across all its content.
Apple has been steadily expanding where you can watch the service too – it’s now available on Android phones and tablets, through Prime Video Channels, and pretty much every streaming device and smart TV you can think of.
Whether £9.99 per month feels reasonable for Apple’s premium-but-limited approach is ultimately down to your viewing habits and budget.
But with the annual option still available at the old effective monthly rate, it might be worth considering if you’re planning to stick around.
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How much of an attraction Disney’s “significantly larger content library” really is depends very much on what you’re looking for.
Children’s content aside, if the Star Wars and Marvel franchises are not your thing then Disney+ basically equates to Stars.
I find significantly more content I want to watch on Apple TV+ than I do on Stars.