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Everything is going up in price. Netflix. Disney Plus. HBO Max. All these streaming services have risen in cost over the past year. Not Apple TV Plus, though! Apple TV Plus still remains incredibly competitive with a price point of $6.99 / £6.99 per month – and that's definitely something to shout about.
That's great value for money considering the 80+ Apple Originals now available on the platform, including: The Morning Show, Shrinking, Severance, Trying, Servant, Mythic Quest, The Big Door Prize, Slow Horses, See, and more. Not to mention, 4K is included for no extra cost.
It's still quite far behind the likes of HBO Max, Disney Plus, and Netflix of course, and the lack of a substantial back catalog of third-party content may give you pause for thought. But the super low price for Apple TV+ does add a lot of appeals to at least give it a shot. Apple's original programming is certainly picking up steam – most notably, the football-comedy series Tad Lasso scooped numerous Emmys and is making waves again with season 3 now complete.
Is Apple TV Plus worth it for its original content alone, though? Does Apple TV Plus offer any free trials or discounts? Can you access any third-party content on Apple TV? Read on for our Apple TV Plus guide for answers to these questions and more.
- Check out a free trial today: at Apple TV Plus
What is Apple TV Plus?
Apple TV Plus launched in November 2019 with the aim to feature only original streaming content. New Apple Originals shows and films are added to the platform every month with Killers of the Flower Moon by Martin Scorsese and Argylle starring Henry Cavill being two of the biggest upcoming projects.
Aside from this, the studio has found huge success with Ted Lasso, Mythic Quest, Slow Horses, and Severance. Apple TV launched with The Morning Show, arguably its flagship series starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell. Two series of the drama have already premiered with a third already commissioned.
The platform is available in around 107 countries and is only expected to expand over the coming years. As Apple TV Plus limits how much third-party content it licenses, its focus on original content is sure to only help it in the long run.
Apple TV Plus prices and bundles
Apple TV Plus costs $6.99/£6.99 per month, which includes ad-free content in 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision. You can stream Apple TV Plus on up to six devices simultaneously.
Apple One packages Apple TV Plus with up to five more Apple services, a cheaper option for those wanting to save some cash. There are three Apple One subscription tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier.
Apple One Individual includes Apple TV Plus, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage. At $16.95/£16.95 per month, that's a $7 saving versus purchasing each service separately.
Apple One Family costs $22.95/£22.95 per month, an $9 total saving. It can be shared with up to five people and comes with the same services as the Individual plan, although iCloud storage is bumped to 200GB.
Apple One Premier is $32.95/£32.95 per month. Up to five people can share this plan, which includes 2TB of iCloud storage and adds Apple News Plus and Apple Fitness Plus on top of everything else. Opting for this bundle will net you a $26 overall saving.
Is there an Apple TV Plus free trial?
Apple TV Plus comes with a free 7-day trial. However, there are a couple of ways to score an even longer Apple TV Plus free trial. You can get one month of Apple TV Plus for free with an Apple One bundle, provided you don't already have an ongoing free trial or subscription.
Alternatively, purchase a qualifying Apple device from Apple or an authorized retailer and get three months of Apple TV Plus for free. All Apple TV Plus trials will automatically renew at the standard monthly rate of $6.99/£6.99 if you don't cancel ahead of time.
What Apple TV Plus shows and movies are there?
Apple TV Plus is heavily reliant on Apple Originals, which is a mixed bag of comedy and drama series, feature films, documentaries, and kids' fare. The size of Apple TV Plus's library may pale in comparison to Netflix's or Hulu's but some Apple Originals have already been met with acclaim from viewers and critics.
Perhaps the most well-known Apple Original outside of Ted Lasso and 2022's Severance, is its flagship drama, The Morning Show, which boasts a star-studded cast of Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell. It's garnered a number of awards and nominations, including a Primetime Emmy win for Billy Crudup (Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama).
More recently, the likes of Shrinking with Harrison Ford and Jason Segal has been making waves, alongside The Essex Serpent starring Tom Hiddleston and Claire Danes. Other standout shows on Apple TV Plus include the animated musical series Central Park from Loren Bouchard (Bob's Burgers), Peabody Award-winning comedy Dickinson starring Hailee Steinfield, and the Ronald D. Moore (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica) science-fiction drama For All Mankind.
Apple Original films have been capturing attention lately with the release of Palmer starring Justin Timberlake, The Banker featuring Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson, and the Beastie Boys Story directed by Spike Jonze. You also have the Christmas-themed musical comedy Spirited starring Will Fell Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Meanwhile, the upcoming Martin Scorsese Apple Original movie Killers of the Flower Moon has added Robert De Niro, Leonardo di Caprio, and Lily Gladstone to its cast.
Apple TV Channels
You can supplement your Apple TV Plus experience with Apple TV Channels, premium networks available a’la carte in the Apple TV app. Apple TV Channels cost anywhere between $3 and $11 per month. Most channels come with a 7-day free trial; Showtime ($10.99/mo.), A&E Crime Central ($4.99/mo.), and History Vault ($4.99/mo.) currently include one month free.
Apple TV Channels does not feature bundle deals, outside of a recently-canceled offer that paired Showtime with CBS All Access for $9.99 a month. That's in contrast to Hulu, which bundles its service with Disney Plus and ESPN Plus at a significant discount. Read more in our guide to the best Hulu prices and bundle deals.
Where can I watch Apple TV+?
Apple TV Plus is available on Apple TV (4K, HD, 3rd-gen), iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. Beyond Apple hardware, Apple TV Plus is supported by Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, Xbox, and select Samsung, Vizio, LG, and Sony Smart TVs.Apple TV Plus is also accessible via Firefox and Chrome web browsers on Windows, Chrome OS, and Android devices.
How to get Apple TV Plus for free
Apple TV Plus offers a 7-day free trial with a standard subscription. Alternatively, subscribe to an Apple One plan and score a free month of Apple TV Plus in addition to other Apple services you're trying for the first time.
Meanwhile, purchase a qualifying new Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, or Mac to receive three months of Apple TV Plus for free. Eligible devices must have been purchased from Apple or an Apple-authorized retailer.
University students can purchase an Apple Music Student plan for $4.99 per month and receive Apple TV Plus for free. That's a total saving of $10 per month. Apple Music Student pricing with free Apple TV Plus lasts for up to four years, as long as you remain a student with a valid .edu email address.
These Apple TV Plus offers are available for new Apple TV Plus subscribers only. If you've already taken advantage of a free trial or previously held an Apple TV Plus subscription, you'll need to sign up with a new email address in order to qualify.
Finally, any Sky VIP customers in the UK can claim a six-month free trial. To do this, you must be a Sky customer signed up to either Sky Q, Sky Glass, or Sky Stream. This offer is available until June 7th, 2023, and will then auto-renew to the standard £6.99 a month fee. A great way to try it out if you are already a Sky subscriber.
Is Apple TV+ worth it?
Apple TV Plus costs $6.99/£6.99 per month for no commercials, access to original 4K and HDR content, and up to six simultaneous streams. Relative to pricier platforms (Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max) that are laden with ads or lacking in 4K streaming, Apple TV Plus is a decent deal.
Apple TV Plus's small library and lack of third-party content may be potential drawbacks but Apple is steadily building its original content with highly-acclaimed, star-studded productions — and much more is expected to come soon.
Right now, there are several Golden Globe and Emmy-winning Apple Originals available to stream: the Jason Sudeikis-helmed comedy series Ted Lasso, the Irish-produced animated movie Wolfwalkers, and On The Rocks, a film for which Bill Murray earned a Best Supporting Actor nod.
You can augment your Apple TV Plus experience with Apple TV Channels and expand your viewing options beyond Apple Originals, but a lack of bundle deals could make it expensive. If you want more variety and don't mind a few commercials, head over to Peacock TV and check out its 24/7 virtual channels for free. Take a look at our Peacock TV costs guide to see what else NBC's streaming platform has to offer, including live sports.
For just under $7 a month, Apple TV Plus is a worthwhile investment for quality content you can't find anywhere else. As of 2023, it's also half the price of our favorite streamer in HBO Max too. It remains to be seen when Apple will follow through on building a back catalog of third-party content...and how that could affect the pricing scheme when that time comes.
If you're on the fence about Apple TV Plus, take advantage of one of its free trials before making a commitment. You can cancel at any time if nothing catches your eye (or after you've finished watching what you really wanted).
