 | Student $8.99 Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked | Individual 1 user $15.99 Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked Today you pay $0.00 Free trial: 30 days — then the price above is charged. | Family up to 5 users $26.99 Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose a plan | Choose a plan | Choose a plan | |
Billed monthly. | Billed monthly. | Billed monthly. |
Video and music in the US
YouTube Premium plans, price and Premium Lite
YouTube Premium removes ads on YouTube, adds downloads and background play, and includes YouTube Music Premium. In the US it comes as Individual (monthly or a prepaid 12-month plan), Family for up to 5 more people in your household, and Student. Premium Lite is a cheaper option without YouTube Music and with ads still on music, Shorts and search.
- Ad-free YouTube. No ads before or during videos.
- Downloads and background play. Watch offline and keep listening with the screen off.
- YouTube Music included. YouTube Music Premium comes with every Premium plan.
- Family plan. Share with up to 5 family members aged 13+ in your household.
- Pause instead of cancel. Monthly plans can be paused for 1 to 6 months.
Most important before you pay
Tomas StankevičiusUpdated 2026-10-14Facts from youtube.com and YouTube Help, with dates
At a glance
- Plans
- Individual, Annual, Family, Student, Lite
- Family
- You plus up to 5 (13+), same household
- Includes
- YouTube Music Premium (not on Lite)
- Free trial
- 1 month, eligible new members
- Pause
- 1–6 months (monthly plans)
- Annual plan
- Prepaid, no auto-renew
Plans and offers change — check the provider’s own page before you pay.
Prices with dates
Every price has a source and the date it was checked.
From youtube.com and YouTube Help
Plans, family rules, pause and cancellation as YouTube publishes them for the US.
Affiliate links are labeled
If a link is an affiliate link, we say so right next to it.
Short summary
If you watch a lot of YouTube, Premium is one of the easier subscriptions to justify: no ads, downloads, background play and a music service included. The Family plan is the best value for households; the 12-month plan suits people who know they’ll stay and don’t want to think about renewal.
Two services in one
Ad-free YouTube plus YouTube Music Premium.
Annual plan rules
Prepaid, individual, no refunds, no pause.
- We recommend first:
- Heavy YouTube viewers and households that can share the Family plan.
- With caveats:
- Anyone who mostly wants music — Spotify or Apple Music may fit better.
Who YouTube Premium is for, and who it isn’t
It’s about how much YouTube you watch.
A good choice
For heavy YouTube viewers
No ads, offline viewing and background play.
For households
Family adds up to 5 members aged 13+ in your household.
If you also want music
YouTube Music Premium is included.
A weaker choice
If you only want fewer ads
Premium Lite costs less but keeps ads on music, Shorts and search.
If your family lives apart
Family members must share the manager’s household.
If you might want a refund
Annual plans aren’t refundable.
Plans
Prices are in the block above.
| Plan | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Individual (monthly) | What it means in practiceAd-free YouTube, downloads, background play and YouTube Music Premium; can be paused for 1–6 months. |
| Individual (12 months) | What it means in practiceThe same benefits, prepaid for a year; doesn’t renew, can’t be paused or refunded. |
| Family | What it means in practiceYou plus up to 5 family members aged 13+ in your household. |
| Student | What it means in practiceA discount for eligible students, verified every year. |
| Premium Lite | What it means in practiceMost videos ad-free with downloads and background play; no YouTube Music Premium, and ads may appear on music, Shorts and search. |
Heavy viewer → Individual; household → Family; student → Student; only fewer ads on videos → Lite.
Our score and what it’s made of
This is our own assessment based on checked facts. It isn’t an average of user reviews or the provider’s claim. Below — every criterion with its weight and source.
3,5
out of 5 · average of 2 plans · 12 of 12 criteria checked
The score is calculated from the criteria you see below: each criterion shows its weight, what exactly we found and where. Where we have the provider’s page, there’s a link with a check date; where the number comes from our catalog, we say so. “Not checked” means we don’t have the data and the criterion isn’t counted. “Provider doesn’t say” means we went through the provider’s pages but the information isn’t there; that criterion isn’t counted either. If you disagree with the weights — in the methodology you’ll see all the parts and can weigh them your own way. We don’t put app store ratings into structured data: they were collected on other websites, so they stay as visible text.
Scores for individual plans: Individual 3,6 · Family 3,3
The same for all “YouTube Premium” plans
| Criterion | What we found | Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content you can’t get for free(18 %) | the same content also free, with ads | 1,0 | source |
| Fit for US viewers(15 %) | US channels, network libraries and local originals | 5,0 | source |
| Advertised price is the final price(10 %) | sales tax is added at checkout | 3,0 | our catalog |
| Maximum resolution(7 %) | 4K UHD (HDR not for all content) | 4,0 | our catalog |
| What else is included(9 %) | 1 extra content type at no extra cost | 3,0 | our catalog |
| Offline viewing(7 %) | can be downloaded | 5,0 | our catalog |
| App rating(3 %) | 4,7 out of 5 | 4,7 | our catalog |
| Spatial audio and HDR(2 %) | yes | 5,0 | our catalog |
Depends on plan
| Criterion | Individual | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Price compared with others(10 %) | 15,99 USD/mo5,0 | 26,99 USD/mo4,0 |
| Free way to try it(10 %) | 30 days5,0 | no free trial1,0 |
| Simultaneous streams(5 %) | 1 screen at the same time2,0 | 6 screens at the same time5,0 |
| Profiles(4 %) | up to 13,0 | up to 64,0 |
Availability in the US
The final price in the US is clear
You pay in dollars, and the price is the one the provider lists — sales tax, where your state charges it, is added at checkout.
- price in dollars
- tax terms are known
- shared international price list — the price depends on your account’s country
What you get for the money
What’s included in the plan, what’s available in the US, and how the paid version differs from the free one.
Premium vs Premium Lite
Premium Lite is a lower-priced membership. It covers most videos, but it isn’t Premium for less.
YouTube Premium
People who watch and listen on YouTube a lot
- No ads before or during videos, and no third-party banner or search ads
- YouTube Music Premium included
- Downloads and Smart Downloads
- Background play, picture-in-picture for music, continue watching, queuing, higher audio and video quality
Premium Lite
People who mainly watch gaming, news and similar videos
- No ads on most videos
- Background play and downloads for most videos
YouTube Music Premium, continue watching, Jump ahead, queuing and high-quality audio and video; ads can still appear on music, Shorts and when you search or browse.
Features
What works now, what has only been announced, and how it connects with other services.
YouTube membership options in the US
YouTube sells different memberships in different countries. This is what applies in the United States.
YouTube Premium and Music Premium
Workspaid users onlyIndividual, annual, family and student plans.
Premium Lite
Workspaid users onlyAd-free on most videos with downloads and background play; ads can still appear on music, Shorts, search and browsing, and YouTube Music Premium isn’t included.
Two-person plan
Not availablepaid users onlyOffered only in Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, France, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Nepal and Taiwan.
Content
What you actually get to watch: catalog, languages, sports and events.
What Premium changes on YouTube
Premium doesn’t add a separate catalog — it changes how you watch YouTube and adds YouTube Music.
No ads
On YouTube videos (Lite: most videos, not music or Shorts).
Offline and background
Download videos and keep audio playing with the screen off.
YouTube Music Premium
Ad-free music, offline and in the background in the YouTube Music app.
What US App Store reviewers say
The YouTube app has 4.7 out of 5 stars from 49.4 million ratings on the US App Store. We also read the 50 most recent US reviews — 21 of them gave one or two stars. Recent reviews skew toward people with a problem, so read them as a list of what can go wrong, not as a verdict.
Complaints about ads
Several free users complain about the amount of ads — the main thing Premium removes.
App changes
Recent reviews mention a black screen after an update, autoplay stopping, casting to a TV needing reconnection, and VoiceOver problems for blind users.
Offline
One positive reviewer notes you can’t watch offline on the free app — downloads are a Premium feature.
Premium solves the most common complaint (ads), but not the app bugs people report.
Quality and devices
What picture and sound depend on, and where it works.
Where it works
| Group | Examples | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Everywhere you sign in to YouTube | ExamplesPhones, computers, TVs and consoles with YouTube | CaveatBenefits follow your Google Account. |
App ratings in the stores
These are ratings from store users. They rate how the app works; they say nothing about whether the subscription price is fair.
Ratings change constantly and often drop after price increases or removed features. We show the value from the check date together with the number of reviews, because 4.8 from two hundred and 4.5 from two million ratings aren’t the same thing.
Account and household
Profiles, downloads, sharing and how to cancel.
Family plan
- Share with up to 5 other family members aged 13+ who live in your household.
- Members can change family groups only once every 12 months.
- Each member’s name, photo and email address are shared with the group.
Annual plans can’t be shared
Downloads and pausing
| Condition | How it works |
|---|---|
| Downloads | How it worksVideos and music for offline use |
| Pause | How it works1 to 6 months, from the end of the billing cycle |
| During a pause | How it worksDownloads are kept but can’t be played |
Canceling and pausing
Cancel, pause or resume at youtube.com/paid_memberships. After canceling, benefits continue until the end of the billing period. If Apple or Google Play bills you, cancel there.
Monthly
Renews automatically; can be paused for 1–6 months or canceled any time.
12-month plan
Prepaid and non-recurring; not refundable and can’t be paused.
Billed by Apple or Google Play
What Premium changes when you watch
Benefits YouTube lists for Premium members, and where they work.
Ad-free videos
WorksOn all devices with YouTube, including smart TVs, consoles and the YouTube Kids app; creator-embedded promotions can remain.
Downloads and Smart Downloads
WorksSave videos and playlists offline; Smart Downloads adds recommended content automatically.
Background play
WorksKeeps playing with the app in the background or the screen off; set it to always, off or headphones only. Not on Shorts.
Picture-in-picture
With caveatsA Premium benefit for music content; other videos depend on YouTube’s rules for your device.
Continue watching
WorksPick up where you left off across devices.
On-the-go controls
With caveatsAndroid only: simpler controls when you’re walking or running.
Queue
WorksLine up videos to watch next on mobile and tablets.
Plans and terms
Who each plan is for and what terms it requires.
The YouTube family plan
A family manager can share YouTube Premium with up to five other people in the same household. Each member signs in with their own Google Account and keeps their own library, subscriptions and recommendations.
- Members
- Family manager plus up to 5
- Household
- Members must live with the family manager
- Ages
- 13 and older; age restrictions apply to members under 18
- Switching groups
- Only once every 12 months
- Existing Google family group
- Only its manager can buy the YouTube family plan
- Visible to the group
- Each member’s name, photo and email address
Annual and individual plans first
Student membership
YouTube Premium is available at a student rate to people enrolled at a higher-education institution approved by SheerID. You get the same benefits at a discounted price.
- Who
- Students at a SheerID-approved college or university
- How long
- Up to 4 consecutive years; reverify every year
- Verification
- SheerID; if not instant, upload documents for manual review
- Already a member?
- Cancel your current paid membership first, then sign up as a student
- Check your school
- Type it into the SheerID form on the student sign-up page
What we don’t claim
Common claims about YouTube Premium, next to what YouTube says.
Premium Lite is Premium for less.
Lite has no YouTube Music Premium, and ads may still appear on music, Shorts and when you search or browse.
The annual plan renews automatically.
It’s prepaid and non-recurring — it ends after 12 months.
Family can be shared with anyone.
Members must live in the family manager’s household.
If there’s no price on the page, the service isn’t available in the US.
Not necessarily. More often it means the provider doesn’t publish a fixed price or shows it only at checkout. Availability and a published price are two different things.
An annual plan always works out cheaper.
Cheaper than the monthly plan only if you use the whole period. You pay for the whole year up front, and when you cancel you usually don’t get the unused part back — so it’s a saving for people who already know they’ll stay all year.
Deleting the app cancels the subscription.
No. Deleting the app doesn’t stop the payments — only canceling in the account where you bought the subscription does. The app disappears, the bill stays.
Every plan looks the same in every country.
No. The list of plans, the features in the same plan and the available languages can differ. That’s why we don’t carry data from another country over to the US page.
The price on the pricing page is exactly what you’ll be charged.
Not always. US providers list prices before sales tax, and whether tax is added at checkout — and how much — depends on your state. On one VPN order page we saw a 6.25% sales tax added on top of the listed monthly price.
This list isn’t an accusation against the service. If you find something on our page that doesn’t match the official source, write to us.
When YouTube Premium is a good choice
Heavy YouTube use
Individual.
Compromise: One account.
Households
Family, up to 5 more people.
Compromise: Same household required.
Fewer ads on a budget
Premium Lite.
Compromise: No YouTube Music; some ads remain.
Pros and cons
Pros
YouTube Music included
No separate music subscription needed.
Pause up to 6 months
On monthly plans.
Annual plan without auto-renew
Prepay and forget.
Cons
Annual plan isn’t refundable
And can’t be paused.
Household rule
Family members must live together.
Lite keeps some ads
On music, Shorts and search.
YouTube Premium compared with Spotify and Apple Music
For people choosing one subscription for music and video.
| Criterion | YouTube Premium | Spotify Premium | Apple Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad-free YouTube | Yes | No | No |
| Family plan | You plus 5 (13+), household | Up to 6, same address | You plus five |
| Free trial | 1 month | 1 month (Individual) | First month |
| Yearly plan | 12 months, no auto-renew | Not listed | Not listed |
- Ad-free YouTube
- Yes
- Family plan
- You plus 5 (13+), household
- Free trial
- 1 month
- Yearly plan
- 12 months, no auto-renew
- Ad-free YouTube
- No
- Family plan
- Up to 6, same address
- Free trial
- 1 month (Individual)
- Yearly plan
- Not listed
- Ad-free YouTube
- No
- Family plan
- You plus five
- Free trial
- First month
- Yearly plan
- Not listed
If you watch YouTube daily — YouTube Premium
Music is included.
If you want audiobooks too — Spotify
15 hours a month.
If you’re on Apple devices — Apple Music
Spatial Audio and Apple One.
Final verdict
YouTube Premium is two subscriptions in one — ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music. Choose Family for a household, the 12-month plan if you’ll stay all year, and Lite only if you don’t need music.
Choose it if
You watch YouTube every day.
Think twice if
You’d buy the annual plan and might want a refund.
Skip it if
You rarely watch YouTube and already pay for a music service.
Spotify adds audiobooks; Apple Music fits Apple households. Neither removes YouTube ads.
YouTube Premium prices
Plans as youtube.com lists them for the US.
Compare plansMonthly plans renew automatically until you cancel. The 12-month Individual plan is paid up front, saves 15% versus monthly according to YouTube, and simply ends after a year. YouTube emails at least 30 days before a price increase.
YouTube Premium deals and discounts
We have no confirmed deals or promo codes for YouTube Premium right now. When the provider publishes one and we have checked it, the dates and terms will appear here — we never list made-up promo codes.
YouTube Premium free trial
How to pay less for YouTube Premium
- “Family” for up to 5 people: $26.99/mo, or $5.40 per person.
- “Student” for students: $8.99/mo
Compare the price with alternatives: Disney+ price · HBO Max price · Netflix price
We only show the provider’s official options — no shared accounts and no region switching.
Customer support
FAQ
How we work
This page is a comparison, and for every claim we say where it comes from.
The provider’s sources
The facts come from youtube.com/premium and YouTube Help.
We don’t write prices into the text
Prices are in the price block, in the price list’s currency, with a source and a date.
Product facts are shared, market facts aren’t
How many screens a plan allows, how many devices an account works on, how many servers a network has — that doesn’t depend on the country, and on our pages those numbers are the same in every language; a separate tool watches over that. Price, promotions, availability and app language belong to the market, and we never carry them over from another country.
The provider’s list is the same for everyone
If a service publishes a list of countries or languages, we can say whether the US is on it — that list looks the same for everyone. Checkout, however, can look different for every account, so for amounts a provider shows only at checkout we write: check before you pay.
A shorter section doesn’t mean something is missing from the product
If a section here is shorter than for another service, it’s because the provider publishes less about it. We don’t fill the gap with generic wording just to make the page look more complete.
Three different answers
We distinguish between “none”, “the provider doesn’t say” and “we didn’t find it”. They’re three different situations — mixing them up would turn our own limitation into a flaw in the product.
A price without a source isn’t shown
If an amount has no source and date, we don’t show it. An empty spot is more honest than a number that only looks right — and prices change more often than articles get updated.
Data from the US market
This page isn’t a translation of another language version. Numbers from other countries don’t end up here: markets differ, and that’s exactly why this page exists.
Affiliate links are labeled at the link
If a link is an affiliate link, we say so right next to it. The commission doesn’t affect what we write — and you know about it before you click.
We fix errors openly
If we got something wrong, we fix it and note what changed. A silent correction would mean you never find out you once relied on wrong information.
If anything on this page has gone out of date, write to us — we’ll fix it and note the date.
The order in the comparison is decided by the type of service; commission size doesn’t affect it.
Some links to providers are affiliate links: if you subscribe through them, we may earn a commission. It affects neither the price nor the placement in the comparison. Affiliate links are always labeled next to the link itself.
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Read next
Other pages that cover YouTube Premium.
Comparisons with competitors
Who wins, and when the cheaper one is worth choosing.
Guides
How to save, cancel and choose — not tied to one product.