Club Benefits
Seven years ago, Apple, the infamous iPhone maker, entered the streaming market with the launch of Apple TV (formerly Apple TV Plus). Despite initial scepticism about Apple's ability to compete with giants like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, the service has successfully proven critics wrong, time and again, with acclaimed films and television series.
While its content library is not as extensive as its competitors, Apple serves subscribers a platter of high-quality originals, very much focusing on quality over quantity. Despite this, Apple has stayed consistent with a monthly drop (or two) of original content.
However, some question whether Apple TV is worth maintaining an ongoing subscription to, especially given a recent price hike. To help you decide if Apple TV is best for you, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide on what the service will cost you this year, what’s included in its monthly plan and more.
Apple TV Australia plans and prices
Apple TV currently offers two subscription plans:
Monthly plan | AU$15.99
Annual plan | AU$159.99
Apple makes subscribing to its TV service incredibly simple by having just one tier to select. This is an ad-free monthly subscription, which you can share with up to five Apple Family members. You can experience up to 4K resolution, Dolby Atmos soundtracks and more, at a decent price of AU$15.99 p/m.
Unlike some of Apple's other products that are geared towards Apple loyalists, Apple TV can be accessed by anyone, virtually anywhere. As expected, it's available on iPhones, iPads, Macs and the Apple TV media player. But you can also access Apple TV on a wide range of other devices, including game consoles, TVs or a web browser.
Aside from a monthly Apple TV plan, you can bundle your Apple subs (think Apple Fitness, Music, Arcade, etc.) under a single Apple One monthly plan. Starting from AU$24.95p/m for an individual plan, these bundles automatically include Apple TV Plus, so if you've invested in an Apple ecosystem, you might already have access without even knowing.
How to pick the right plan for your needs
For most streaming services — Apple TV included — plan prices typically revolve around two key factors: number of screens and streaming resolution. Obviously, some other factors go into this, like catalogue access and other non-streaming-related benefits, but for the most part, plans are based on the former.
The biggest difference between Apple TV and other streaming services is its accessibility. Unlike services that offer similar price points, you can stream Apple TV Plus on up to six screens at the same time — at least two screens more than any other platform. And if you’re looking to watch content offline, Apple has unlimited downloads per device.
This could mean, for larger households, you can stream on different devices under the same Apple ID. However, if you want to set up user profiles, you’ll need to add a different Apple ID per household/ Apple Family member if you want to keep viewing recommendations separate (and if you don’t want family-friendly content coming up in the middle of a Severance binge).
Are there ways to save on subscription costs?
You can access a complimentary three-month subscription to Apple TV when you purchase an eligible Apple device, so you can give it a go and stick around afterwards if it's up your alley. If you haven't made a recent Apple purchase, you can take advantage of a 7-day free trial that you can cancel anytime.
If you’re on an Apple Music Student plan, you’ll get a free sub to Apple TV too, so that’ll save you a chunk of change if you’re a budget-conscious uni student.
Meanwhile, switching to an annual sub can save you AU$31.89 per year, which leaves you a little wiggle room if you decide to rent or buy iTunes content.
How does Apple TV pricing compare to other streaming services?
Apple TV doesn't seamlessly compare to other services, as it only offers one subscription tier. It used to offer a mid-range cost, but with an August 2025 price hike, it's now AU$15.99p/m and AU$159.99 per year for a standard, ad-free plan. When compared to other plans, it's now above the average cost of a streaming subscription, now AU$15.77p/m.
How does Apple TV's content catalogue compare?
In terms of content, Apple TV offerings feature primarily original content and other licensed content that is available to either rent or buy. Notably, Apple TV has a running list of original content releases since its launch, and while it’s not as extensive as Netflix’s catalogue, Apple TV originals are on par when it comes to quality.
Apple TV is home to 304 original titles, which include 98 movies and 206 television shows. When compared to other services, Apple TV has the second smallest content library, just ahead of BritBox's 255 titles.
Apple TV original shows include feel-good soccer comedy, Ted Lasso, Morning Wars, an unapologetic, candid workplace drama led by powerhouses Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, and mind-bending sci-fi series Severance.
Recent additions include the long-awaited second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and the second season of The Last Thing He Told Me, starring Jennifer Garner. In March, Apple TV debuts the fifth season of For All Mankind (March 27).
Has the Australian Apple TV price increased over time?
Over the two years, the streaming service has upped its subscription price a few times, resulting in a AU$5 increase from AU$7.99 p/m to AU$12.99 p/m and a subsequent increase to AU$15.99 p/m.
However, you may incur extra costs by buying or renting other licensed content, as mentioned above. If you’re keen to rent or buy something that isn’t available to stream yet, you may want to consider Prime Video too, as it is also a prominent feature (and prices per rental can be a bit pricey on Apple TV).
Is an Apple TV subscription worth it?
If you’ve gotten this far, you’re probably still debating whether an Apple TV subscription is worth signing up for, so here’s our recommendation.
Apple TV used to be affordable enough to justify a year-round subscription, but with recent price hikes and the ending of originals, some may find it hard to stick with it.
However, Apple TV has a plethora of new releases coming out this year, and while we recommend committing to it this month, we may change our minds next month. Apple does offer a 7-day free trial, as well as other ways to access a complimentary sub, so we recommend giving that a go before deciding if it’s worth keeping or cancelling.
If you’re thinking of cancelling your subscription, we have a guide on how to cancel Apple TV AU that you may want to check out.
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