Apple TV Plus: price and everything you need to know about the streaming service
Apple TV Plus is the streaming service from the company behind the iPhone. Launched in late 2019, it was the company's way of making sure it wasn't left behind in the ever-competitive streaming market.
Several years on, Apple has carved out a niche for its video platform in two key ways. One is the list of must-see Apple TV Plus originals on offer, with the likes of Ted Lasso, Severance, Foundation and Slow Horses being just some of the exclusive shows getting everyone talking.
Secondly is the surprising number of free trials that the company offers ā if you buy a new Apple product, sign up to the right mobile service provider, or sometimes just click the right link, you can get anywhere between a week and a year of streaming for free. Check our guide on Apple TV Plus free trials for info on all the current offers.
While Apple TV Plus hasn't quite claimed the top spot in our list of the best streaming services, it's collected a dedicated legion of fans who prefer it to bigger-name rivals like Netflix, Prime Video, or Disney Plus, and maybe you'll want to join that collective.
Below we break down everything that you need to know about Apple TV Plus, from what to watch to the plans on offer, the free trials, and how you can start watching it right now.
Apple TV Plus price: How much does Apple TV Plus cost?
Apple TV Plus just got significantly more expensive. Previously, Apple TV Plus cost $6.99 in the US and ļæ”6.99 in the UK, though that's no longer the case.
Now, Apple TV Plus has jumped up to $9.99 or ļæ”8.99 a month, with the annual price jumping up from $69 to $99 a year.
This is after a recent price hike that's going into effect in the next 30 days when your next subscription payment takes place.
This price increase means Apple TV Plus is now more expensive than both Netflix and Disney Plus' cheapest plans (though Apple TV Plus is still ad-free).
If you want Apple TV Plus MLS, you'll pay a lot more, as that's $14.99/ļæ”14.99 monthly (with a $2/ļæ”2 discount for existing Apple TV Plus subscribers). That service doesn't offer the movie and TV service, since it's just live MLS streaming, but existing Apple TV Plus subscribers can pay an additional $1299 a month to pick up the season pass. You can find our full guide to this alternative plan here.
If you're not just looking for a basic Apple TV Plus subscription, there's also the option to bundle Apple TV Plus as part of an Apple One subscription.
Apple One is a package that allows consumers to bundle an Apple TV Plus subscription with up to five other Apple services (between Apple Music, Apple Arcade, iCloud Plus, Apple News Plus and Apple Fitness Plus) in a single monthly subscription.
There are three different Apple One packages, but all three of them include Apple TV Plus. Sadly, these bundles were also victim to the price increase, with packages now starting from $19.95 per month, but the more expensive Family and Premier plans offer additional Apple Services and include the option of sharing your subscription with up to five other people.
Whichever way you choose to subscribe, you can cancel an Apple TV Plus subscription at any time.
Is there an Apple TV Plus free trial?
If you aren't sure whether you want to commit to another subscription, Apple offers new customers a seven-day Apple TV Plus free trial. If you're in the market for a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV gadget, you'll back an even longer subscription to the service for free, as you can get a year's worth of access with your new device
There are plenty more ways to get free Apple TV Plus though, so much so that we've written an entire guide on all the Apple TV Plus free trials, for you to get all the streaming you can without paying.
Students should also note that anyone with an Apple Music Student Plan gets Apple TV Plus for free.
We also should mention that Apple TV Plus often allows you to watch season premiere episodes for some of the platform's biggest shows even if you're not an active subscriber. It's a great way of checking whether a show (and maybe the streaming service itself) is a good fit for you.
What's on Apple TV Plus?
Ultimately, the most important thing to consider when it comes to picking up a new streaming service is what's available to watch.
As we mentioned above, the Apple TV Plus library is comprised entirely of original content. To compensate for that smaller library, Apple has splashed a lot of cash on developing original content and acquiring titles to serve as Apple TV Plus exclusives.
The offering was a little small when the service first launched in November 2019, but that's certainly changed. In 2023, the platform offers a decent selection of quality shows and several series have managed to cut through to the wider pop culture landscape.
Some of the most well-known Apple TV Plus projects include the psychological thriller series, Severance, Best Picture winner, CODA, spy drama Slow Horses, Cooper Raiff's Cha Cha Real Smooth, the M. Night Shyamalan drama, Servant, the alternative history sci-fi caper, For All Mankind, and warm-hearted comedy Ted Lasso.
Here's a list of some of the best Apple TV Plus shows you can stream right now; we've also listed several examples of the movies and TV shows you can find on the service below (a full list can be found on the Apple TV homepage).
Apple TV Plus Original shows
The Afterparty
The Snoopy Show
Apple TV Plus Original movies
Wolfwalkers
What's coming to Apple TV Plus?
Apple TV Plus subscribers are treated to new things roughly once a month. Some of the exciting upcoming releases include the Henry Cavill-led spy drama, Argylle, Ridley Scott's Napoleon, Martin Scorcese's western epic, Killers of the Flower Moon, the upcoming war drama, Masters of the Air, the upcoming adaptation of Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers, and a new TV show set in the MonsterVerse (Legendary Pictures' Godzills franchise), Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Apple TV Plus devices: How to watch Apple TV Plus
So you've decided to pick up an Apple TV Plus subscription... now where can you watch it?
Apple TV Plus is available through the Apple TV app, which is available on all Apple devices. Subscribers can open the Apple TV app, click or tap Apple TV Plus and start watching the great stuff on offer. Subscribers can also download Apple TV Plus content to an Apple device to watch them anywhere with or without a Wi-Fi connection.
Here's a more specific breakdown of the other places you can watch:
Apple TV
Hisense Smart TV
iPad
iPhone
Mac
Panasonic Smart TV
PlayStation
Samsung Smart TV
Xfinity/Sky devices (X1, Flex, XClass, Sky Glass and Sky Q)
An exhaustive list of model numbers and a full breakdown of supported Apple TV Plus devices can be found on the Apple website.
Is Apple TV Plus on Android?
Unfortunately, there isn't a dedicated Android app for Apple TV Plus available in the Play Store. However, you can still watch Apple TV Plus content if you navigate to the Apple TV Plus site in your web browser on an Android device.
Where is Apple TV Plus available?
Apple TV Plus is currently available in more than 100 countries around the world, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Ireland and many more. You can find the full list below:
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Fiji
Finland
France
The Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Mozambique
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Norway
Oman
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts and Nevis
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zimbabwe
