Netflix with ads: What you need to know

While it once scoffed at the possibility of offering an ad-supported tier, Netflix has since embraced the idea, with millions of users snapping up its “Standard with Ads” plan while garnering plenty of interest from Madison Avenue. 

Having recently celebrated its second anniversary, Netflix’s ad-supported tier has added a variety of features that set it apart from the streaming crowd–and for now, its price remains a fraction of Netflix’s priciest 4K streaming plan. 

So, how much does Netflix with ads cost, and what’s included? Here’s what you need to know.

How much does Netflix with ads cost?

Netflix Standard with Ads costs $6.99 a month, a price that has remained unchanged since last year’s launch.

For some context, ad-supported Hulu costs $9.99/month, as does Disney+ Basic, while Paramount+ Essential and Peacock Premium (which, confusingly, is ad-supported, versus the ad-free Peacock Premium Plus) each currently cost $7.99 a month.

Finally, Max “Ad-Lite” goes for $9.99 a month.

As it stands, Netflix’s cheapest available ad-free tier (following the demise of Netflix’s Basic plan) is the Standard plan, which currently costs $15.49 a month.

How many streams do you get with the Netflix Standard with Ads plan?

At launch, Netflix’s ad-supported plan (which was initially called “Basic with Ads”) only offered a single stream.

But back in April, Netflix upped the number of concurrent streams available on the Standard with Ads plan to two.

Does Netflix with ads offer 4K HDR video resolution?

No, but the video quality of Netflix Standard with Ads has improved since the tier was first launched.

While ad-supported Netflix used to only offer 720p video quality, it has since been boosted to 1080p, same as Netflix’s ad-free Standard plan.

Currently, only Netflix’s priciest plan–Premium ($22.99 a month)–offers 4K HDR streaming, with four streams per household.

Same as Netflix, most other streamers reserve their 4K HDR streams for their ad-free subscribers, although that’s not a universal policy; Paramount+, for one, does allow ad-supported subscribers to stream in 4K.

Does ad-supported Netflix offer downloads for offline viewing?

One of the best perks offered by the big streamers is the ability to download their videos for offline viewing, perfect for binge-watching your favorite series during a long flight or when you don’t want to bust through your data cap.

Until recently, Netflix didn’t allow its with-ads subscribers to download videos for offline viewing, a restriction shared by the other big streamers.

But in November 2023, Netflix reversed course, becoming the first big streaming service to enable offline downloads for subscribers to its ad-supported tier.

There is a monthly limit to downloads for Standard with Ads subscribers, however: 15 downloads per device, resetting on the first of the month.

How many commercial breaks does Netflix with ads have?

Netflix Standard with Ads subscribers will have to sit through 4-5 minutes of commercials per hour, with the ads running at the beginning and during videos (ideally during “natural plot breaks”). Each ad will be either 15 or 30 seconds.

That 4-5-minute-per-hour figure is pretty much in line with Netflix’s competitors. For example, the “with ads” version of HBO Max averages about four minutes an hour, while Peacock tops out at about five minutes per hour.

You will get some ad-free episodes as a bonus for binge-watching, however. Netflix recently announced a new “binge” ad unit that allows advertisers to sponsor an ad-free episode for viewers who just binge-watched a few episodes in a row. Of course, you’ll have to watch a 30- to 60-second “cinematic” ad from the sponsor before you get to watch your ad-free episode.

Is Netflix with ads available on all streaming devices?

Most devices that work with ad-free Netflix should also support Netflix Standard with Ads, although a “small percentage” of streaming players and TVs won’t work because its Netflix software can’t be updated anymore.

And while the ad-supported Netflix plan wasn’t initially supported on Apple TV, it is now (on Apple TV HD devices and later) following an update of the Netflix tvOS app in March 2023.

Netflix with ads is also available on most other streaming platforms, including Amazon’s Fire TV, Android and iOS devices, most smart TVs, Mac and Windows computers, and Chromecast with Google TV.

Does Netflix with ads offer the same content as ad-free Netflix?

Almost, but not quite everything. While the “vast majority” of TV shows and movies on Netflix are available for “with ads” viewers, a “small number” are missing because of “licensing issues,” Netflix says.

If you do run across a video that’s unavailable on the Netflix Standard with Ads plan, you’ll see a padlock on the title, or a “Change plan to watch” banner in place of the standard “Play” button.

Why did Netflix launch an ad-supported plan?

Netflix lost subscribers during the first and second quarters of 2022, ending a decade of growth and sending Netflix’s stock price into a tailspin. And while Netflix is ubiquitous in North America, it’s having trouble gaining traction in the rest of the world, where it’s facing tough competition from cheaper streaming services.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s rapidly growing competitors, including HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock, and Hulu, have rolled their own cheaper ad-supported plans, all of which undercut Netflix’s cheapest ad-free plans.

So while it wasn’t all that long ago that Netflix executives scoffed at the idea of cheaper ad-supported plans, the company abruptly changed course when it became clear that its once seemingly unstoppable growth had stalled.

In May 2024, Netflix reported that its Standard with Ads tier had roughly 40 million global active monthly users, up from just 5 million users in May 2023.

Updated on November 27, 2024 with new details and analysis.