Netflix is facing a wave of public backlash as users say they are canceling subscriptions after the company’s latest price hike, calling the service too expensive and not worth the cost anymore.
Over on Reddit, longtime customers shared screenshots of their cancellation and wrote that they were “done with the constant price hikes” after “years of loyalty,” then asked if anyone else was canceling. Others quickly replied that they had already cut the service or were about to do it, often after many years as paying subscribers.
Several users said the quality of what they see on Netflix no longer justifies the monthly bill. One called Netflix “easily the most expensive streaming service” they pay for and complained they cannot share the account the way they used to, accusing the company of simple greed. Another user said their spouse canceled after 14 straight years once they noticed the charge had climbed to nearly $30 a month.
Some subscribers are reacting most strongly to the price of Netflix’s top tier. The Premium plan, which is the only one that streams in 4K, now costs $26.99 per month in the United States, or about $324 a year, a number that struck many as out of line with household budgets and with what they feel they get in return. Users on Standard plans who want to add an extra member must pay another $7.99 per month with ads or $9.99 per month without ads, further driving up the total cost.
Others said they had already walked away after earlier increases and did not miss the service at all. One former subscriber said they canceled after a previous hike and was surprised “how quickly I forgot about Netflix,” while another said they dropped the platform a few years ago and now only considers signing up for a single month here and there to watch specific titles. For many, the feeling was that the content they liked “finally went dry,” so the recurring fee was no longer worth it.
Netflix recently raised prices across its U.S. lineup, pushing the “Standard with Ads” plan to $8.99 per month, while the ad-free Standard and Premium plans now cost $19.99 and $26.99, respectively. These increases come as families already strain under higher prices for food, housing, and energy, and they add to a growing sense that big media companies are squeezing customers who have fewer real choices than it appears.
The original Reddit poster argued the problem goes beyond one app on a smart TV, writing that “it’s all of these big corporations that keep raising prices over & over because they know most of us will keep paying.” That concern reflects a broader worry on the right and among many working families that major companies are using inflation as cover to lock in higher prices for good.
Competitors are not offering much relief. HBO Max lifted its Premium ad-free plan to $22.99 per month earlier this year. Disney+, Peacock, Hulu, and Amazon’s Prime Video have also stepped up their prices in recent months, each one raising the floor for what it costs to watch mainstream entertainment at home.
Last fall, Disney+ raised its Premium ad-free plan from $15.99 to $18.99 a month and pushed its ad-supported tier from $9.99 to $11.99. Peacock increased its Premium Plus tier from $13.99 to $16.99 per month, while its ad-supported Premium option climbed from $7.99 to $10.99. Hulu raised its plan with ads from $9.99 to $11.99, and Amazon’s Prime Video bumped the price of its ad-free add-on from $2.99 to $4.99 per month.
The result is a crowded streaming market that was once pitched as a cheaper alternative to cable but now leaves many consumers paying more, not less, if they want access to several major platforms. The user revolt aimed at Netflix may be an early sign that customers are reaching a breaking point and are willing to walk away, even from services they relied on for more than a decade.
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English (US) · 