YouTube Premium’s New Price—and Whether It’s Still Worth It
YouTube Premium alternatives are cheaper paid or free ways to watch most or all of YouTube’s library with fewer ads, more control over your media, or smarter bundles, aimed at people who no longer feel that the higher Premium subscription price matches how often or how intensively they watch. The standard individual YouTube Premium plan launched at USD 12 (approx. RM55) and stayed there through most of 2020, but it now costs more than USD 16 (approx. RM73) per month in the U.S. Apple users paying through the App Store are hit even harder at about USD 21 (approx. RM96) a month, turning what was a good deal into a subscription that rivals or beats full streaming bundles. According to one analysis, “a price increase to USD 16 is a tough pill to swallow” for dedicated YouTube watchers who now feel pushed to look at alternatives instead of sleepwalking through another streaming service price increase.
Cheaper YouTube: Premium Lite vs Free Workarounds
If you still live in YouTube all day, your first move should be to downgrade, not stay or quit. Premium Lite cuts the monthly price to around USD 9 (approx. RM41) and keeps most of what people care about: near-complete ad removal, background playback, and offline downloads. You lose the YouTube Music subscription and may still see ads on some music videos, but the core viewing experience stays close to full Premium, which makes Lite the best choice for heavy YouTube users who do not rely on YouTube Music. If you mainly watch on a computer, you can spend nothing by swapping to FreeTube or similar front ends like Piped or Invidious. FreeTube is free, open-source, and runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, skipping all pre-roll, mid-roll, and end-roll ads without tracking your viewing. The trade-off: it is desktop-only, so you will need to cast from a laptop instead of using a native TV app.
| Spec / Feature | YouTube Premium (Standard) | YouTube Premium Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Typical monthly price | More than USD 16 (approx. RM73) | Around USD 9 (approx. RM41) |
| Ad-free on regular videos | Yes | Yes, except some music videos may still have ads |
| YouTube Music subscription included | Yes | No |
| Background playback | Yes | Yes |
| Offline downloads | Yes | Yes |
Plex Pass: Lifetime Sticker Shock vs the New 5‑Year Deal
If your main goal is to control your own media and cut back on recurring subscriptions, Plex remains attractive—but only if you avoid the new Lifetime price. Plex’s one-time Lifetime Pass jumped from USD 249.99 (approx. RM1,135) to USD 749.99 (approx. RM3,405), an increase that many users see as hard to justify. At that level, it takes nearly 11 years of avoided fees to break even, and you are betting a lot on Plex’s long-term direction. For budget streaming options, the smarter move is the new 5-Year Plex Pass at about USD 250 (approx. RM1,135), which repurposes the old lifetime entry price into a long but finite term. It works out cheaper per month than standard annual or monthly billing, without locking you in forever. Plex is best for tinkerers with large media libraries; casual streamers are better off with ad-supported services.
Bundles and Live TV Deals: Disney+ & Hulu vs Frndly TV
If you are reacting to a YouTube Premium price increase by cutting elsewhere, bundles and cheaper live TV can free up budget. New and eligible returning subscribers can get the Disney+ and Hulu Bundle for USD 71.94 (approx. RM326) for six months, or Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium for USD 107.94 (approx. RM489) for six months, which represents 50% and 52% savings compared with paying for both services separately. This Disney Hulu bundle discount gives you a large library of box office films, TV series, and some live events, making it ideal for families who already watch lots of on-demand entertainment. For live channels at a low entry cost, Frndly TV’s current promo gives new subscribers the Premium plan for USD 0.99 (approx. RM4.50) per month for the first two months, or USD 99 (approx. RM448) for the first year. With 50+ channels and unlimited cloud DVR, it is one of the cheapest live TV streaming services and a strong pick for comfort TV fans on a tight budget.
Free, Ad‑Supported Viewing: When to Skip Paying Altogether
If you mainly want background noise, not prestige viewing, free ad-supported tiers plus targeted promos can replace YouTube Premium altogether. There are several YouTube Premium alternatives that cost nothing, including FreeTube and other front ends that tap into the YouTube library without a subscription and strip out ads. You trade convenience and some TV app polish for privacy and zero monthly cost. Beyond YouTube, many major streamers now offer free ad-supported tiers or channels, and deals like Frndly TV’s cut-price Premium entry or low-cost live TV bundles are “one of the easiest entry points” to add channels back without paying cable-style pricing every month. If you are willing to manage a small rotation of promos, free tiers, and bundles, you can keep your overall bill below a single YouTube Premium subscription while still having plenty to watch. The key is to cancel ruthlessly when deals end.
Buy if / Skip if
- Buy the YouTube Premium Lite plan if you watch YouTube for hours every day but do not care about YouTube Music and mostly watch non-music content.
- Skip the YouTube Premium standard plan if you only want ad-free viewing and background play, because Lite or free front ends like FreeTube can cover that for less.
- Buy the 5-Year Plex Pass if you have a large personal media library, dislike recurring fees, and can commit to Plex for several years at roughly the old lifetime entry cost.
- Skip the Plex Lifetime Pass if you are price-sensitive or unsure you will stick with Plex for a decade or more, since the new USD 749.99 (approx. RM3,405) price is much harder to justify.
- Buy the Disney+ and Hulu Bundle if your household streams a lot of on-demand series and films and you want to lock in a 50% discount for six months.
- Skip the Disney+ and Hulu Bundle if you mainly watch user-generated videos and do not care about scripted shows, animated series, or big franchise movies.
- Buy the Frndly TV Premium promo if you want an ultra-cheap way to add 50+ live channels and DVR for comfort TV, true crime, and holiday movies.
- Skip paid streaming altogether if you are happy using free ad-supported tiers and tools like FreeTube on desktop to watch without a monthly bill.
