Netflix's Basic Ad-Free Plan Is Dead In The US
Netflix has canceled its most affordable streaming plan for users in the U.S. and the U.K. "The Basic plan is no longer available for new or rejoining members," the company says in an official blog post.
The canceled Basic Plan used to cost $10 per month, and allowed streaming as well as the ability to download show for offline viewing on a single screen at sub-FHD resolution. If you already have the Basic plan active on your account, it will last until the subscription renewal date.
Once the existing Basic plan expires, you will only be left with three choices, and a more expensive Netflix bill in tow if you don't like watching ads. The cheapest plan Netflix currently offers in the U.S. is the "Standard with ads" plan, which costs $6.99 per month. But as the name makes it abundantly clear, you will have to deal with advertisements.
If you seek an ad-free watching experience, your only options are the Standard and Premium plans. The Standard tier, which costs $15.49 per month, allows streaming on two screens, and bumps up the video resolution to full-HD. For the Premium tier that allows six devices, serves 4K movies, and spatial audio goodness, you will have to part ways with $19.99 each month.
There's an official workaround to save money
It's disappointing to see Netflix sunsetting its cheapest ad-free streaming plan, but the company offers a way around the inflated bills. You can migrate your Netflix profile and attach it as a sub-account to an acquaintance's account.
Netflix has apparently been preparing for this move with a feature called "extra member slot." The service recently added this to allow users to move their Netflix profile from one account to another.
If you can no longer afford to pay for ad-free Netflix streaming, you can move your Netflix profile to a friend or family member's account and pay just $7.99 each month. An added benefit to hitching on to a friend's Netflix account subscription is that you'll also get a full HD resolution upgrade over the outgoing Basic subscription.
The Standard tier allows only one extra member slot, while the Premium tier can accommodate two member slots for the same price. So yeah, you might want to start buttering up your acquaintances so you can bandwagon on to their subscription.
Netflix offers a dirt-cheap mobile-only streaming plan, as well, but that never made it to the U.S. soil, and is mostly restricted to Asian markets like India.