How Much Does Netflix Cost in 2021?

What Is Netflix and How Does It Work?

Netflix is well known around the globe as a streaming service, but its history extends back to a time before high-speed Internet and streaming. In 1998, Netflix was an online DVD rental company. People would go online and decide which DVDs they wanted to rent and Netflix would ship them to that person’s doorstep. As technology has further developed, Netflix pivoted this business model to sharing movies and TV shows over the web instead of only focusing on sending its content through the mail. Netflix has grown from a small DVD rental company to a streaming superpower starting 2021 off with a staggering 165.93 million accounts worldwide. By subscribing to Netflix, consumers are able to stream hundreds of thousands of hours; content ranges from TV shows to movies, documentaries, comedy specials, and so much more. Netflix curates and categorizes its content based on genres, and as the Netflix algorithm analyzes an individual user’s watch history, it is able to recommend content specifically for that person. It is no surprise that with this level of technology alongside the fact that Netflix adds new content every few weeks, over one billion hours is collectively spent watching Netflix every week. This is also partially due to the cord-cutter revolution, where people are quitting cable and live television in favor of on-demand streaming options.

The premise of Netflix is similar to that of any other streaming platform, offers entertaining content at an attractive price. To create a Netflix membership, go to Netflix.com or download the app and then sign up. Consumers can choose from multiple plan options based on price and attributes, and then log in from anywhere and start streaming. With such a large user base that is steadily growing, Netflix has been able to reinvest in itself. The company has become a production outlet on top of a streaming service, and it has produced thousands of hours of Netflix Original Content that is only available for consumption through Netflix.

How Much Do Netflix’s Streaming Plans Cost?

Netflix’s streaming plans allow subscribers to watch videos from any smart device that has access to the Internet. Customers can even download videos ahead of time onto their devices in case they want to watch shows or movies from places that do not have wifi. With a plan, they can watch as little or as much as they want, and the pricing will always remain a flat monthly fee. Netflix currently offers three different levels of video streaming plans. Each plan gives you the same access to all of Netflix’s content, so there is no need to worry about missing out on your favorite television show if you choose to subscribe to one of the cheaper Netflix packages. All three of the plans also allow you to cancel at any time in case you do not want to continue subscribing. The cost of Netflix subscriptions is as follows.

• Netflix Basic Plan ($8.99 per month): This plan is the cheapest with an unbeatable price of $8.99 per month. Unfortunately, you can only watch Netflix on one screen at a time. HD and Ultra HD are not available with this plan, so quality will be given up at the cost of a cheaper price. This plan is the most affordable option, and it is maybe a good choice for those who are only streaming from one device at a time and do not care for very high video quality.
• Netflix Standard Plan ($12.99 per month): You can watch Netflix on up to two screens with this device, and HD is available with the standard plan.
• Netflix Premium Plan ($15.99 per month): This plan is the most expensive package at $15.99 per month. This plan allows you to watch Netflix on up to four screens at a time, making it the perfect plan for a family. HD and Ultra HD are both available with the premium plan, so you can stream videos in great quality. This plan gives you more options than the previous two and could be a good choice for multiple users.

How Much Netflix's DVD and Blu-Ray Plans Cost?

Many people do not know that Netflix still provides DVD rentals for its customers. Some consumers are old school and enjoyed the way Netflix ran its business when it first started. This service allows you to browse from all of Netflix’s available movies and TV shows. Once a customer has picked what he/she wants to watch, he/she can request the disk and Netflix will provide free delivery at no additional cost. Netflix will also ship the DVDs out to the doorstep by the very next business day. Returns are also free and customers can keep these disks for as long as they want before returning them. There are no due dates or late fees. Netflix offers four DVD and Blu-Ray plans.

• The Standard Plan, DVD only ($7.99 per month): This plan is the cheapest. It allows for only have one disk at a time, but you still get unlimited disks for the month. This plan limits only your DVD options.
• The Standard Plan, DVD and Blu-Ray ($9.99 per month): This plan is still not too expensive. It allows you to only have one disk at a time, but have the option of choosing a DVD or Blu-Ray disk.
• The Premier Plan, DVD only ($11.99 per month): This plan is one of the more expensive options, but it allows two disks out at a time. This plan also limits to only DVD options.
• The Premier Plan, DVD and Blu-Ray ($11.99 per month): This plan is the most expensive, but you get the most features and options. The plan allows for two disks out at one time, it provides the option of choosing a DVD or Blu-ray disk.

How Can You Get Netflix for Free?

For anybody on the edge about a Netflix subscription or not sure they want to pay the monthly charge, Netflix offers multiple solutions. Upon signing up, new customers are offered a free month of Netflix. They are allowed to choose any of the Netflix plan options, and if they cancel in the first 30 days, they will not be charged for the service.

Another method of obtaining free Netflix is to determine if any other companies are running package deals with Netflix. It is fairly common for Internet Service Providers as well as wireless carriers to offer streaming services to anybody who has a contract with them. These offers tend to change pretty rapidly, so it is important for consumers to be vigilant when these deals arise.

Finally, the not so noble method of getting Netflix for free. With over 160 million users, it is pretty likely that someone looking to get Netflix for free knows a different person who pays for an account. It comes down to luck, but people tend to be pretty open about sharing their Netflix password. Netflix is aware of this, citing statistics that only 55% of users actually pay for their own accounts. Luckily Netflix is still popular and lucrative enough that this fact doesn’t bother them.

Are There Any Discounts on Netflix?

Netflix does not offer any outright discounts, they have not authorized deals for students or military members. That doesn’t mean discounts can’t be found for the streaming service though. It is never a guarantee, but searching through coupon websites could lead to the discovery of promo codes and potentially a lower payment.

If there is a group of people interested in Netflix, having one person sign up for one of the higher-priced plans and then splitting costs and access can save money. Four people can split the premium package and pay $4 per person instead of each individual getting the basic package for $9. This decision would result in an annual Netflix bill being less than half while the users get so much more, including getting Ultra HD instead of only having Standard Definition.

Conclusion

There are many available options for potential customers to choose the right plan for themselves. Whether it be Netflix’s streaming service or their DVD and Blu-Ray service, there are both affordable and higher pricing options to fit the needs of different consumers. There are also a few options to lower the price of a Netflix subscription or even get it for free to test out the service.