When Netflix first started streaming content way back in 2011, a subscription would run you $7.99/month. That’s also what the lowest subscription tier costs today, only now you also have to watch ads that pop up unexpectedly in the middle of shows and movies that weren’t built to accommodate them. If you want to watch Netflix the old way, you’ve got to pay $17.99/month, or $24.99 if you want to stream in 4k Ultra HD. Also, where Netflix used to encourage password sharing, it now keeps a tight lid on it, making it harder to split the cost.
These days, it’s hard to avoid feeling like Netflix is getting more expensive and less flexible, leaving many to wonder whether they should just unplug. But there are still lots of reasons to keep it around.
It’s still got one of the best content libraries around
Where else are you going to watch the Stranger Things finale?
Once upon a time, when Netflix was the only game in town, you could pretty much find everything you wanted to stream right there, from up-and-coming originals to comfort food sitcoms like Friends and The Office. Now that every other media company has its own streaming service, those days are over, but Netflix still gives you the most bang for your buck.
Want originals? Netflix consistently serves up buzzworthy new titles, from recent hits like Adolescence and KPop Demon Hunters to long-completed full series just waiting there for you to binge them, like Ozark and Orange Is the New Black. There’s always something new and exciting to watch around the corner, something to justify keeping your subscription one more month; did I mention that Stranger Things is coming back for its final season soon after an eternity of waiting?
It even pulls major directors like Guillermo del Toro; his new movie, Frankenstein, just opened in select theaters and will be available to stream exclusively on Netflix on November 7. And while the days when all the big sitcoms were in one place are gone, Netflix is still competitive with hits like Seinfeld, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, Archer, and Sex and the City all at your fingertips.
The exact number is hard to pin down because it changes all the time, but Netflix hosts thousands of movies and TV shows, very likely more than any other service. Netflix may not be the only game in town anymore, but it’s still the best.
The price is up, but the competition may soon be down
Fewer streaming services means fewer expenses overall
The biggest problem with Netflix these days is the price. People don’t want to pay $18/month for a more restrictive version of the service they used to get for $8/month, which is completely understandable. The bad news is that Netflix isn’t likely to lower its prices anytime soon. The good news is that they may not have to.
Streaming has become more expensive across the board, with both Disney+ and HBO Max recently raising subscription prices. This does not feel sustainable; eventually, people will decide it’s not worth paying for all these subscriptions and just go read a book or something instead.
But things could be getting easier soon. In 2026, Disney is planning to combine Hulu and Disney+ into a single app, which will streamline things. And at the moment, Paramount is trying to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the company that operates HBO Max. If the executives know what’s good for them, they’ll combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into one streaming service, saving people a little more.
Executives at these companies know that there are a limited number of dollars out there and that it’s unrealistic to ask people to spend all of their discretionary income on a growing number of services. Some of these things have got to go. The price of Netflix may not come down, but hopefully the price of streaming overall will. And since Netflix itself won’t be going through any combinations or rebrands anytime soon, you might as well keep it where it is.
Netflix just works
The UI is robust, responsive, and basically never breaks
Netflix is the streaming service you can depend on, in more ways than one. On a purely technical level, the service just works right. It’s not going to crash on you, the UI is easy to navigate, you can pause and rewind shows and movies at will, and the algorithm is sophisticated enough to regularly recommend you new content you might actually want to watch. And if you’d rather search for something specific yourself, that’s easy to do, too.
If you’re a streaming veteran, you know that this is not a given. Paramount+ might be the most broken piece of digital shrapnel I’ve ever had the displeasure to navigate. There are shows on there I want to watch, but I’m terrified to use the search function because it only seems to work half the time. And I strongly advise against scanning ahead during an episode or movie lest everything freeze and break. AMC+ has similar problems.
To its credit, Netflix seems to have ironed out these sorts of issues long ago. If you’re looking to save some money and drop a streaming service, at the very minimum, Netflix should be last on your list.
Netflix is the only service guaranteed to come out of the streaming wars intact
Netflix was streaming before the streaming wars were a thing, and it’ll still be here after they’re over. You won’t have to worry about new corporate overlords coming in and changing the way it works, because there’s nobody on the scene big enough to absorb it. The benefit of being around for so long is that Netflix has gotten to a place where it’s stable and consistent, which is still worth your money even if you’re paying more than you were before.
The only thing big enough to topple Netflix from its perch might be YouTube, but that’s coming for all TV across the board.
