Netflix Discontinued Its Basic Ad-Free Plan: What Are Your Options?

Netflix has discontinued its Basic ad-free plan. If you previously used it, you now need to choose another available plan rather than renew Basic. You can choose Standard with ads, Standard, or Premium. The cheapest choice has ads, while ad-free viewing costs more.

Here are the trade-offs and how to switch. Prices are Netflix’s U.S. rates in October 2026; rates and availability vary by country and billing partner.

What happened to Netflix Basic?

Basic was Netflix’s entry-level, ad-free subscription, designed for a single simultaneous stream. Netflix stopped offering it to new subscribers in 2023, then phased it out for existing members in markets including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States during 2024. Netflix now explicitly identifies Basic as discontinued in its Netflix’s official Plans and Pricing page.

There is no equally priced ad-free replacement. Prices have also risen since Basic was retired: older U.S. comparisons listing $6.99, $15.49, and $22.99 are outdated.

Netflix plans and prices compared

Here is the current U.S. comparison. All prices are monthly, before any applicable taxes.

The allowances come from Netflix’s official Plans and Pricing page. Not every title can be downloaded, and the ad tier has extra limits.

Standard with ads: lowest monthly cost

At $8.99 per month in the U.S., this tier offers Full HD and two simultaneous streams. Most movies, series, and Netflix games are included, but some titles are locked because of licensing restrictions. Ads appear before or during many programs and generally cannot be skipped. Not every region or older streaming device supports the ad tier; see Netflix’s explanation of ad-supported viewing.

There is another practical difference: ad-supported memberships allow 15 downloads per supported device per calendar month, within the two-device download allowance. See Netflix’s download-limit guidance.

Standard: the cheapest ad-free choice

Standard costs $19.99 per month in the U.S. and supports two concurrent Full HD streams. It is the most straightforward replacement if you want to watch regular movies and series without commercial breaks. You can also buy one extra-member slot for someone outside your household, where eligible.

Premium: for 4K TVs and more simultaneous viewing

Premium costs $26.99 per month in the U.S. It supports four simultaneous streams, 4K Ultra HD with HDR on compatible content and equipment, downloads on six supported devices, and Netflix spatial audio. It can also support up to two paid extra members outside the household, where available.

Which replacement makes the most sense?

• Choose Standard with ads if keeping your bill down matters more than ad breaks and occasional title restrictions.
• Choose Standard if you liked Basic mainly because it was ad-free and you rarely need more than two streams.
• Choose Premium if you have a compatible 4K setup, several people watching at once, or need more download devices.

Netflix accounts are intended for one household. In the U.S., eligible Standard and Premium subscribers can buy an extra-member slot for $7.99 monthly with ads or $9.99 without ads. Eligibility varies by plan, country, and payment arrangement. See the household-sharing rules.

One nuance: “ad-free” describes the usual TV-show and movie experience. Certain live events and special programming can still contain commercial breaks, even on Standard or Premium.

How to switch from Basic to another Netflix plan

1. Sign in through a browser and open Netflix’s Change Plan page using the link in Netflix’s Change Plan instructions.
2. Select the available plan you want, then choose Continue or Update.
3. Review the details and select Confirm Change or Confirm.

Netflix says moving to a higher-priced plan typically takes effect immediately and can involve prorated billing or a revised billing date. Moving to a lower-priced plan takes effect on your next billing date. If switching is unavailable, check for an account hold, a paused membership, an active Kids profile, or partner billing.

Can you cancel instead?

Yes. If none of the remaining options is worth the cost, Netflix lets you cancel online. Normally, you can keep watching until the end of the current billing period, and signing out or deleting the app does not cancel billing. Follow Netflix’s cancellation instructions and confirm that the cancellation is complete. If a partner bills you, you may need to cancel through that provider.

Bottom line: Basic is no longer an option. For most former Basic members, the decision is between paying less for Standard with ads and paying more for the ad-free Standard plan. Check the live plan page for your country before confirming a change, since prices and availability can change.