For many of us, a Netflix subscription was our first foray into streaming. And while countless platforms have entered the picture over the years, Netflix has remained one of the best streaming services around. With so many upcoming Netflix movies and shows like Stranger Things Season 5, which is set to premiere sooner or later, there’s just so much bang for your buck.
And while many of us have held onto our subscriptions through multiple price hikes, a myriad of show cancellations, and the dissolution of the DVD-by-mail service, others have either never signed up or allowed their membership to lapse. If you fall into either of those two camps, you may be wondering what a Netflix subscription gets you these days. Well, look no further as we’re about to break down all the plans, costs, and everything you need to know about signing up so you can watch the best movies on Netflix and so much more.
The Netflix Subscription Plans And Price
Like several other streaming services, Netflix offers three plans to choose from that range anywhere from $6.99 per month to $22.99 per month. And while the cheaper option does have some limits, the two main ad-free plans only differ in the number of concurrent streams and resolution. Here are the tiers and prices as of December 2024:
Standard With Ads
First, there’s the “Standard with Ads” plan, which costs $6.99 per month and allows you to watch the vast majority of the Netflix library on two supported devices at a time in full HD. And while you will be dealing with ad breaks, you can still download your favorite original movies and shows.
Standard
Then there’s the “Standard” plan, which costs $15.49 per month and allows you to watch on two devices at the same time in full HD. The nearly $9 hike means you won’t have to deal with ad breaks and you’ll also have access to everything Netflix has to offer. You can also add an extra member for someone who doesn’t live in your household (more on that later).
Premium
Then there’s the “Premium” plan, which costs $22.99 per month but you will be able to stream on four devices (perfect for families) at a maximum picture quality of 4K. You can also add two extra members to your plan and take advantage of Netflix’s spatial audio.
Sign up for a Netflix subscription.
Is There A Netflix Free Trial?
Unfortunately, Netflix doesn’t offer any free trials, and you must sign up for at least one month to see what the platform is all about.
However, multiple cell phone providers and cable services either offer free Netflix accounts with their plans or give customers the option to bundle several different streaming services under one umbrella for one low cost. In July 2024, Verizon announced a streaming plan that essentially gives customers one year of Netflix Premium for free if they sign up for a Peacock subscription. T-Mobile has long had a program where customers can get Netflix free of charge after linking their accounts.
How To Use Netflix’s Secret Category Codes
Though they’re pretty well known at this point, Netflix has a ton of secret category codes that make searching for movies even easier, but only when using the service on your preferred internet browser. All you have to do is add one of the thousands of genre codes to the end of the following URL: http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/
Netflix Tudum published a pretty cool story about the history of the codes back in August 2024 along with all kinds of highly specific codes for everything from “90-minute thrillers” to “supernatural soaps” and “totally awesome ‘80s” to “watch in one weekend.”
Netflix Supported Devices
Sometimes you want to watch your favorite streaming service but it’s not available on whichever device you have, turning a movie-watching experience into a literal nightmare. Luckily for anyone with a Netflix subscription, that’s not usually a problem (as long as everything is updated).
Netflix is available on all the major streaming boxes like Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, and even Portal from Facebook This is also true for most smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, Sharp, and countless others, including the Meta Quest headsets (through your browser) and Apple Vision Pro. All PlayStation and Xbox consoles have it as well. Nintendo Switch users, however, are out of luck and will have to settle for Hulu or YouTube. Most smartphones, tablets, and web browsers will also allow you to watch Netflix with little to no trouble.
A full list of Netflix supported devices.
Netflix Offers A Collection Of Video Games On Supported Devices
One feature that doesn’t get talked about all that much is the small library of free games that come with a Netflix subscription. In addition to the thousands of movies, shows, documentaries, and specials available to subscribers, the service also offers several dozen mobile games at no extra charge. And unlike a lot of other free games, those offered aren’t filled with ads and don’t require in-app purchases (this is especially nice for parents with young, game-obsessed kids).
The library of games includes titles inspired by shows like Stranger Things, as well as an assortment of other mobile games including ports of the definitive editions of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy. To play, all you have to do is open the app on your mobile device (they aren’t available on streaming devices like Roku or through web browsers), and tap on the game you want to play. After that, you’ll be met by a prompt to download it through your device’s app store. Then you’re set.
Check out Netflix’s games website.
Interactive Titles On Netflix
A Netflix subscription also comes with access to the streamer’s library of interactive movies and shows. These range from movies like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch that plays out like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” novel to Minecraft: Story Mode and the Triviaverse competition program.
Select Netflix Movies And Shows Can Be Downloaded For Offline Viewing
One of the coolest Netflix functions, one that has saved more than a few long car rides with shoddy internet service, is the ability to download select movies and shows for offline viewing. There are some drawbacks though, as not every movie and show is available to be downloaded and the service isn’t available on all devices. Also, it should be noted that the download function is not available to subscribers with the new “Basic with Ads” option.
But if you want to catch up on some of your favorite Netflix originals on an Apple mobile device, Android devices, or an Amazon Fire tablet, all you have to do is click on the “Download” button on the Netflix app. You’ll be binging without using all your phone’s data in no time at all. But make sure to use them before you lose them, as downloads do expire.
Having Multiple Netflix Profiles Prevents Issues With Your Recommendations
The Netflix recommendation algorithm can be a little delicate at times and all it takes is one random kids show to ruin your curated list of movies, shows, and documentaries. To prevent any of these issues, you can make profiles for each person in your house who’s using your subscription. Having individual profiles also allows you to use some of Netflix’s parental guards so you don’t walk in on your kids watching any of the sexually explicit movies when they should be watching CoComelon.
Another good reason to have multiple profiles is that it prevents you from losing your spot with your favorite show in the event that you and your roommate or significant other are watching the same program but at different times and paces. Just nip that problem in the bud. And that's just one of the Netflix little things that improve your Netflix experience.
Profiles Can Now Be Transferred To New Accounts
Netflix made waves in early 2022 when the streaming service announced its intentions to crack down on password sharing among family and friends. Although the decision drew the ire of some subscribers, the platform’s decision to push forward with the plan has resulted in a fairly ingenious way of helping people split up accounts without losing their watchlists or curated recommendations that have been constructed over the years. This comes in the form of what the company calls Profile Transfer tool.
The tool allows account holders to transfer those extra profiles used by friends, family, and former significant others to a new account. No longer will there be a need for an awkward conversation, the risk of a locked account, or the fear of starting fresh with a vanilla Netflix profile.
Check out the Profile Transfer tool.
Netflix Continues To Add Original Movies And TV Shows
The list of great original Netflix movies continues to grow as time goes on and the quality seems to be improving all the time. If you want to catch all those original movies like Rebel Ridge, The Deliverance, and Uglies, then a Netflix subscription is going to give it to you. Even when you take these films out of the picture, there are so many international original movies being added every week, giving you an endless amount of romantic comedies, dramas, and over-the-top action flicks
And then there are all those can’t-miss and binge-worthy TV shows on Netflix like Stranger Things, Bridgerton, and Cobra Kai that make your monthly subscription more than worth it.
The Netflix Top 10 Provides A Daily List Of Trending Movies And TV Shows
Since February 2020, the service has provided its subscribers with a daily breakdown of all the trending titles, split up in movies and TV shows lists. The Netflix Top 10 is a good way of checking out new Netflix releases, seeing what subscribers in your country are digging on any given day, and learning about classic movies and shows that have recently been added to the platform.
These two lists are updated every day and are a fun way to spend a few minutes to see how much has changed over the course of a 24-hour period. And who knows, maybe you’ll find your new favorite show or come across one your favorite movies you haven’t thought about in years.
How To Cancel Your Netflix Subscription
Canceling a subscription service shouldn’t be something that takes a lot of time, or requires you to jump through hoops or pay fees, and luckily for Netflix subscribers, it’s a rather simple process. All you have to do is:
- Go to the Netflix website on your computer or mobile browser (not the app),
- Click on your account settings
- Click on the “Manage Membership” option
- Scroll down to the option to “Cancel Membership” and click that.
- Select “Finish Cancellation"
A Netflix subscription is a great way to spend your hard-earned cash and keep yourself entertained, which won't be that hard considering all the upcoming movies and shows coming to the 2024 movie schedule and 2024 TV schedule very soon.
