Is Apple TV+ Worth The Subscription Price?

Another day, another dollar — and another premium streaming subscription service to consider in Apple TV+. Apple Originals, like "Ted Lasso," "Shrinking," "Severance," and "The Morning Show," are just a few of the streamer's most recognizable and award-winning offerings, as it puts a premium on creative content exclusive to its service (this has always been Apple TV+'s business model). To access this original content, subscribers pay $9.99 a month (after a seven-day free trial). That's $5 more than it cost when Apple TV+ launched back in 2019. Our question today is, is it worth it?

One feature of Apple TV+ is that it's ad-free, and in that regard, the subscription service costs less when compared to many other monthly streaming services and their ad-free tiers. It's also available at a savings with an Apple device purchase (here's how to save on Apple products, by the way), or with a subscription to Apple One, which bundles six Apple services: Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, iCloud+, and Apple TV+. That said, let us now take a closer look at what exactly subscribers to Apple TV+ get for their money.

As said, from its start, Apple TV+ has focused on creating exclusive content for its subscribers. While its catalog isn't as extensive as other streamers (like Netflix or Prime Video), it more than delivers on its original movies and TV shows. For example, "CODA," which won the Academy Award for best picture in 2022, and "Killers of the Flower Moon" from Martin Scorsese in 2023 are powerful examples of the movies on offer. Meanwhile, Apple TV+ has notable series, like "The Morning Show" (nominated for 27 Emmys as of this writing), "Loot," "Sugar," "Bad Monkey," "Hijack," and "Ted Lasso," which has been nominated for 61 Emmys and won 13, including outstanding comedy series in 2022.

As exclusives, the only way these series can be viewed is via an Apple TV+ subscription, or by purchasing or renting it through another service for additional fees. As for the $9.99 ($10) monthly subscription price, while it's more expensive than other streaming services' starting tier, it's less expensive if you want to go ad-free. For example, the ad-free tier for Peacock starts at $13.99, Netflix at $14.99, and Hulu at $17.99.

Apple TV+ also offers documentaries, unscripted content, and Friday Night Baseball via MLB, as well as concerts through its Apple Music Live series. The partnerships the company can leverage, as well as the money it can afford to lose as it continues to grow its subscriber base is something that consumers will want to weigh when it comes to this streaming service and its current $9.99 price. And while there are whispers that Apple TV+ will one day have ads, right now, it still doesn't.

Although one media subscription isn't one of America's top wealth killers, too many can burden a budget. That said, Apple does offer free trials for users to sample its content. With the purchase of a new Apple device, you get three months of Apple TV+ for free (and that's with every new purchase so if you buy a new Apple product each year, you'll also get three months to stream). With an Apple One subscription, meanwhile, new subscribers get a free trial month (after which time, the price is $19.99 a month).

You can also research the shows you actually have time to binge-watch for the length of a free trial, or even a limited length of subscribing. Perhaps you'll be hooked on Apple's ever-growing garden of options and remain a subscriber, or maybe you'll be sated with just one month-long bite.