Is Apple TV+ Worth It in 2026?
The short answer: Apple TV+ is a narrow bet. If you watch Severance, follow Formula 1, or care about ad-free streaming at the lowest possible price, it is worth $12.99/month. If you want volume — thousands of titles, licensed movies, catalogue TV — it will frustrate you within the first week. The library is small on purpose.
Here is everything that changed in 2026 and how to decide whether it belongs in your lineup.
What Apple TV+ costs in 2026
- Monthly: $12.99/month
- Apple One Individual: $22.95/month (includes Apple TV+, Apple Music, Arcade, 50GB iCloud)
- Apple One Family: $28.95/month (six people, 200GB iCloud)
Apple raised the price from $9.99 to $12.99 in 2026, a 30% increase. Even at the new price, Apple TV+ is the cheapest ad-free streaming plan among all major services. Netflix's cheapest ad-free tier is $17.99. Max is $15.99. Peacock killed its free tier. Apple TV+ at $12.99 with zero ads is now the budget pick for viewers who refuse to watch commercials.
The two reasons the 2026 version is different
Formula 1 is exclusive to Apple TV+ in the US
Apple secured a 5-year exclusive deal for all Formula 1 races in the United States starting in 2026. Every Grand Prix, every qualifying session, every sprint race. If you follow F1 and you are in the US, you need Apple TV+. There is no other legal way to watch it live. This single deal added roughly 40 million American F1 fans to the potential subscriber base overnight.
Severance Season 3 arrives in 2026
Severance is the most-discussed drama on television right now. Season 2 broke Apple TV+ viewership records. Season 3 is scheduled for 2026. If you have been holding off on subscribing, this is the year the show is at its cultural peak.
What else is on Apple TV+
The full library is about 200 original titles. No licensed content, no catalogue movies, no syndicated TV. Everything is made by Apple. Quality is high and consistent in a way that Netflix, with its massive volume, cannot guarantee. The shows that are good are very good. There is just not that many of them.
Worth watching in 2026: Slow Horses (British spy thriller, four seasons), The Morning Show, Shrinking, Bad Monkey, Presumed Innocent, Silo, and Ted Lasso if you have not already.
The honest case for keeping Apple TV+
- You watch Formula 1 races. This is now the only option in the US.
- You are already subscribed for Severance or Slow Horses and watch regularly.
- You pay for Apple One. At $22.95/month for TV+, Music, Arcade, and iCloud, Apple One is a strong bundle if you use at least two of those services.
- You hate ads and want the cheapest way to avoid them. $12.99/month beats every competitor on this dimension.
The honest case for cancelling Apple TV+
- You subscribed for one show, finished it, and are waiting for the next season. Cancel now and resubscribe when the season drops. Apple TV+ has no long-term commitment and makes it easy to pause and return.
- You want depth of catalogue. Netflix has 17,000+ titles. Apple TV+ has around 200. If you browse for something to watch rather than going in with a specific show in mind, you will run out of options fast.
- You do not follow F1 and have already watched the shows you care about. There is no reason to maintain an active subscription through a dry stretch.
Apple TV+ vs the other streaming services in 2026
Pricing at a glance for ad-free tiers in June 2026:
- Apple TV+: $12.99/month (no ads, 200 originals)
- Netflix Standard: $17.99/month (no ads, 17,000+ titles)
- Max Ad-Free: $15.99/month (no ads, HBO + Warner Bros. catalogue)
- Disney+ Premium: $13.99/month (no ads, Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars)
- Paramount+ with SHOWTIME: $11.99/month (no ads)
Apple TV+ is not trying to be Netflix. It is the quality-over-quantity option. Whether that trade is worth it depends entirely on whether the shows on Apple's slate are the ones you actually watch.
The smart way to subscribe to Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is one of the easiest services to game. Binge a season, cancel, resubscribe when the next season drops. The subscription starts and stops same-day with no penalty. If you watch two seasons of Severance per year, that is maybe three months of billing at $12.99 ($38.97) versus $155.88 for a full year. Treat it like a season pass, not a permanent subscription.
Add Apple TV+ to the calculator
See how it fits into your full subscription picture and what you would save rotating services rather than stacking them.
Reveal my shame scoreFAQ
Is Apple TV+ worth $12.99 a month in 2026?
For F1 fans and viewers of Severance, Slow Horses, or Ted Lasso, yes. It is also the cheapest ad-free streaming service available. For casual viewers who want a large catalogue of titles to browse, the small library will not satisfy.
What is on Apple TV+ in 2026?
About 200 original series and films: Severance, Slow Horses, Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Shrinking, Bad Monkey, Presumed Innocent, and Silo are the standouts. Plus exclusive US rights to all Formula 1 races under a 5-year deal starting 2026.
Did Apple TV+ raise prices in 2026?
Yes, from $9.99 to $12.99 per month, a 30% increase. Despite the raise, it remains the cheapest major ad-free streaming plan.
Is Apple TV+ included with Apple One?
Yes. Apple One Individual ($22.95/month) includes Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage. Apple One Family ($28.95/month) covers six people with 200GB storage. If you pay for two or more Apple services separately, Apple One almost always works out cheaper.
What are the best free alternatives to Apple TV+ in 2026?
Tubi is the strongest free option for volume, with thousands of titles at no cost. For Apple TV+ originals specifically, there is no free alternative — the shows do not appear anywhere else. If you are cost-sensitive, subscribe for one month per season rather than year-round.
Sources
- Apple TV+ pricing page, US (June 2026 snapshot).
- Apple One pricing and features page (June 2026).
- Formula 1 / Apple 5-year exclusive US broadcast deal announcement, 2025.
- Apple TV+ viewership data, Apple Q1 2026 earnings call.